Waukesha County may restrict guns; city buildings may remain ban-free
Waukesha - Waukesha County could move to ban guns from more county buildings in the wake of the new state law allowing concealed carry, while Waukesha city buildings would remain ban-free under a Public Works Board recommendation.
A county ordinance that prohibits carrying concealed weapons in the Human Services Center, the Public Health Center, the Mental Health Center, the Juvenile Center and the Waukesha County Communications Center has been drafted for Executive Committee review next Monday and County Board approval later this month.
Weapons and dangerous items are already prohibited at the courthouse and Administration Center, where visitors must pass through a security checkpoint staffed by deputies and a metal detector before entering. The county will only add the statutorily required notification signs in the other buildings where weapons are prohibited, according to Shawn Lundie, chief of staff to the county executive.
Not every county facility will ban weapons, however. Waukesha County parks and golf courses would be open to those lawfully carrying concealed weapons under the proposed ordinance, said Dale Shaver, parks and land use director. However, at special events where a tenant rents a facility - be it a golf course clubhouse or space at the Expo Center - the individuals or groups who are leasing or renting county facilities would have the right to set their own policy.
The Waukesha Public Works Board has unanimously recommended that the city allow concealed weapons to be brought into City Hall and other municipal buildings. Fred Abadi, public works director, said members were persuaded by Police Chief Russell Jack's comments against the ban. Among other things, he said the only real way to ban weapons is to have a secure screening process at the building entrance, much like the county uses at the courthouse.
Concealed weapons are automatically excluded under state law from municipal court, which is held in the Common Council chambers at City Hall. The council is expected to take up the Public Works Board recommendation on Nov. 15.
The Legislature and governor approved a concealed weapons law that allows people 21 and older to apply for a weapons permit with minimal training and a background check showing they are not felons or otherwise legally barred from carrying a weapon. The law took effect Nov. 1.
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