Island County Code - illeagal prohibition of firearms in Island County parks

[bmg50cal]

Island County Code - Illeagal prohibition of firearms in Island County parks

Updated:

Island County has an illegal code on thier books probiting firearms in their parks. Now that Oak Harbor has been brought into conformance with RCW the county in which Oak Harbor resides needs to act in kind.

http://www.islandcounty.net/code/CountyCode.htm

http://www.islandcounty.net/code/documents/ICC09.pdf

Title IX - Public Peace, Safety, and Morals

9.40.320 Firearms, Weapons, Hunting Prohibited
No person, except duly authorized law enforcement personnel, shall possess a firearm in any
park area. No person shall discharge across, in, or into any park area a firearm, bow and arrow,
air or gas weapon, or any device capable of injuring or killing any person or animal, or damaging
or destroying any public or private property, except, when the department has authorized a
special recreational activity allowing such use or uses.
(Ord. C-44-90, adopted April 9, 1990, effective May 15, 1990, vol. 31, p. 60)

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Official contact info for the Island County Commissioners Office (the legislative authority of the county)

http://www.islandcounty.net/commissioners/
http://www.islandcounty.net/commissioners/commissioners.htm

Kelly Emerson (R)
E-mail: district3@co.island.wa.us
Cell Phone: 360.544.2958
Office phone: 360.679.7354

Jill Johnson (R)
E-mail: district2@co.island.wa.us
Cell phone: 360.544.2961
Office phone: 360.679.7354

Helen Price Johnson, Chair (D)
E-mail: district1@co.island.wa.us
Cell phone: 360.632.1168
Office phone: 360.679.7354

Location:
Administration Bldg
NE 7th Street, Room 214
Coupeville, WA 98239-5000

Phones:
Office: 360.679.7354
Fax: 360.679.7381
Camano: 360.629.4522 x7354
South Whidbey: 360.321.5111 x7354
Camano Island Courthouse Annex:
360-387-3443, Ext. 0

Mailing Address:
PO BOX 5000
Coupeville WA 98239-5000

Office Hours:
9:00 AM to 4:00pm
Monday through Thursday

The Board of Island County Commissioners meets in regular open session the first three Mondays of every month at 10:00 a.m. and the fourth Monday beginning at 11:00 a.m. for roundtable discussion with elected county officials and appointed department heads, regular session commencing at 2:00p.m. (excluding holidays).

Monday meetings are televised via a videoconferencing link to Island County's Camano Annex offices, 121 N. East Camano Drive south of Camano Plaza and Camaloch Golf Course. A public comment period is scheduled at 10 a.m. on the first three Mondays of each month and 2 p.m. on the fourth Monday.

The Board also meets regularly on the first and third Wednesdays beginning at 9:00 a.m. and the second Wednesday beginning at 9:00 a.m. for Staff Sessions with Department Heads and the third Monday of each month at 1:15 p.m. as the Island County Board of Health.

Meetings are held in the Commissioners Hearing Room located downstairs in the Courthouse Annex Building, Room #B102, at 1 NE 6th Street in Coupeville, Washington.

 

[Hardbuck90]

Time for a letter

 

[ARADCOM]

Island County Code

Just found the illeagal prohibition of firearms in Island County parks.

http://www.islandcounty.net/code/CountyCode.htm

Interesting, and that kind of conflicts with 9.06

"The prohibition of the discharge, firing, shooting and use of firearms provided above shall not abridge the right of the individuals guaranteed by Article I, Section 24 of the state Constitution to bear arms in defense of self or others or law enforcement officers in the performance of their official duties."
(Ord. CC-73-3, December 3, 1973, vol. 14, p. 461; amended by Ord. 118-09 [R-47-09], October 12, 2009, vol. 2009, p. 474)

So it seems they are aware that our State Constitution gives us the right to carry.

 

[Hardbuck90]

Interesting, and that kind of conflicts with 9.06

"The prohibition of the discharge, firing, shooting and use of firearms provided above shall not abridge the right of the individuals guaranteed by Article I, Section 24 of the state Constitution to bear arms in defense of self or others or law enforcement officers in the performance of their official duties."
(Ord. CC-73-3, December 3, 1973, vol. 14, p. 461; amended by Ord. 118-09 [R-47-09], October 12, 2009, vol. 2009, p. 474)

So it seems they are aware that our State Constitution gives us the right to carry.

Government wrote it so naturally it has to contradict itself... :banghead:

 

[Metalhead47]

Government wrote it so naturally it has to contradict itself... :banghead:

Check out the dates... the two ordinances are separated by nearly 20 years. Looks like the latter may even be an attempt at correcting the former. Should be a simple matter of clerical housekeeping to fix. Just tell me where to send the letter. Might have to stop by Deception Pass park this weekend & check the signs.

 

[Hardbuck90]

Check out the dates... the two ordinances are separated by nearly 20 years. Looks like the latter may even be an attempt at correcting the former. Should be a simple matter of clerical housekeeping to fix. Just tell me where to send the letter. Might have to stop by Deception Pass park this weekend & check the signs.

Missed that, sometimes these late hours get to me

 

[bmg50cal]

Check out the dates... the two ordinances are separated by nearly 20 years. Looks like the latter may even be an attempt at correcting the former. Should be a simple matter of clerical housekeeping to fix. Just tell me where to send the letter. Might have to stop by Deception Pass park this weekend & check the signs.

Deception Pass is a state park.

A few miles away, Ala Spit is a county park but it bears no sings prohibiting firearms.

I OC'd there quite a few days there while the humpies were running in Aug. I was questioned about why I was packing heat there by a visiting Alaskan, I said, "because I can." We talked about it for a little while longer and he left. It was only a little Kel Tec hard chrome PF-9 in a Blackhawk OWB nylon holster, I normally pocket holster carry the PF-9 as a BUG. I was wading in jeans and I didn't care about getting the PF-9 wet.

That code on the books makes me wonder if they would even enforce it knowing that it is null in the face of the state. I've not had a any encounters with LEOs since I moved to WA over a year ago; if I can keep it that way I will. Hopefully a few letters to the county offices will make them correct their documentation.

 

[jbone]

Looks like Bothell's code. They hide under Heath & Safety, Park Rules and Regulations. I guess Bothell is saying you can have a gun , just not loaded; must have a Kalifornian on the council.


8.60.350 Firearms, weapons.

No persons except duly authorized law enforcement personnel shall possess a firearm with a cartridge in any portion of the mechanism; nor shall any person discharge across, in or onto any Bothell park area a firearm, bow and arrow, air or gas weapon, or any device capable of injuring or killing any person or animal, or damaging or destroying any public or private property, except where the department for good cause has authorized special recreational activity upon finding that it is not inconsistent with Bothell park use. (Ord. 1835 § 1, 2000; Ord. 1277 § 1, 1987).

http://www.codepublishing.com/wa/bothell/

 

[Right Wing Wacko]

This is exactly why we need a Florida style law to force local compliance with state law on firearms issues.

 

[amlevin]

This is exactly why we need a Florida style law to force local compliance with state law on firearms issues.

Just as long as we don't get some of the "Florida People" to go along with it

 

[John Hardin]

Just as long as we don't get some of the "Florida People" to go along with it

What, like Robb Allen? I don't think the Pantsless Lifestyle would survive very long up here...

 

[bmg50cal]

I updated the OP with contact info and board meeting times.

Surely the board of commissioners is aware of the happenings in Oak Harbor, though I wonder if they are cognizant of their own violation of state law and that it's time to conform.

Good job to all who participated in effecting compliance in Oak Harbor.

Maybe a few emails, calls and letters will get the county moving without much effort on our part.

 

[MSG Laigaie]

Time for a letter

Maybe a few emails, calls and letters will get the county moving without much effort on our part.

This time we should have a quick reply and they will come into compliance. Oak Harbour was an exercise in Citizenship. Felt great.

 

[bmg50cal]

http://www.whidbeynewstimes.com/news/190931181.html

I wonder where else in the state there are more of these illegal codes.

 

[davidmcbeth]

I wonder where else in the state there are more of these illegal codes.

They are all over .... when a court makes a law invalid, they just keep the law on the books ... then cops will show you the law and say "see?, its the law!"

 

[xxx.jakk.xxx]

I wonder where else in the state there are more of these illegal codes.

I know Kitsap has at least 2 codes that go against code.

The first is on Carry at outdoor music festivals. They don't allow it just like the state, but they have a code that makes outdoor music festivals different than what a state considers outdoor music festival so the code is more restrictive.

The second is that it's illegal in Kitsap to "deliver" a pistol to someone under 21 which we all know isn't the state rule.

I contacted some people about it and they said it's to expensive to change the code so they just don't enforce them. =\

If anyone wants cites, here they are for Kitsap codes.

10.24.060 (b) is the one for pistols under 21
6.20.020 (c) is the definition that is different than state definition, therefor making the restriction against carry more so than state.

 

[bmg50cal]

Unless I missed it, I have not seen any record of action concerning 9.40.320. No change, maybe the SAF should be breathing down their necks.