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Author Topic: Grand Rapids City Commission Meeting Jan 22nd @7pm.  (Read 10139 times)

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Offline bigt8261

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Grand Rapids City Commission Meeting Jan 22nd @7pm.
« on: January 09, 2013, 10:31:32 AM »
Jan 22nd at 7pm on the 9th (top) floor of City Hall. 300 Monroe Ave N.W., Grand Rapids. Feel free to park in the parking ramp under City Hall which you can access from Monroe Ave. Bring your parking stub to the meeting to get your parking validated. If you can't make it by 7, it is OK to walk in late. I recommend no later than 8pm.

Schedule with Address at bottom: http://grcity.us/city-clerk/Documents/City%20Commission%20Meetings%20Annual.pdf

The City of Grand Rapids has a few ordinances that are preempted by State law and are essentially refusing to do anything about it. Mayor Hartwell has said that he is in favor of people being confused about their rights and that he does not care if the City of Grand Rapids is violating state law.

Mayor Hartwell: "Hip hip hooray if we're creating confusion and one more person doesn't bring a gun in a city council meeting because they are confused about their rights, I'm okay with that"
http://www.wwmt.com/shared/newsroom/top-stories/stories/wwmt_group-calls-changes-gr-city-gun-ordinance-6920.shtml

You can also reference this for more information. http://www.mlive.com/news/grand-rapids/index.ssf/2013/01/grand_rapids_mayor_george_hear_16.html

You do NOT have to be a resident of Grand Rapids to attend the meeting or to speak. However, if you plan to say something, I would include a comment or story about your work/visits to the city.

Many of us have openly carried to previous meetings, some of us to many meetings. There should be no issues for anyone openly carrying, so carry as you wish.

If you wish to speak but are not sure what to say, here are a few things that might start you off. Your comments are your own.
Suggested Talking Points
-This is not a gun issue, this is a law issue
-The city is violating state law

Other Potential Talking Points
-The Mayor, an elected official, is in favor of citizens being "confused about their rights"
-The Mayor does not care about the city violating state law.
-The Mayor openly disobeys state law, yet wants everyone else to obey new laws that he would like the state to make.
-If you are not a city resident, address yourself as a resident of the State of Michigan and you are concerned with the city violating your laws.

If you live in Grand Rapids and are unable to attend the meeting, or even if you can, consider contacting your commissioners. Grand Rapids has three wards and each ward has two commissioners. Find out what ward you are in http://grcity.us/city-clerk/Pages/City-Wards-and-Precincts.aspx Then contact your officials http://grcity.us/city-manager/Pages/Elected-Officials.aspx

Dinner afterward at Big Boy. 407 Pearl Street Northwest. Go south on Monroe from City Hall, then go west on Pearl. Big Boy is just on the other side of 131. You will literally run into it if you don't follow the bend in the road.

(Edit) I will be sitting in the front row. Please join me there.
« Last Edit: January 16, 2013, 12:32:20 PM by bigt8261 »

Offline Raggs

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Re: Grand Rapids City Commission Meeting Jan 22nd @7pm.
« Reply #1 on: January 09, 2013, 10:54:20 AM »
I plan on attending this meeting unless life throws something significant in the way.

I would strongly suggest that people dress "nicely" It shouldn't matter but in reality it does.

If you are able I would suggest writing what you plan on saying on paper. Practice this speech to make sure it is under the 3 minute time alloted ( Mayor Heartwell will cut you off ).

Offline fsr402

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Re: Grand Rapids City Commission Meeting Jan 22nd @7pm.
« Reply #2 on: January 09, 2013, 12:10:36 PM »
Or have your wife there to back you up and finish it..  ;D

Offline TheQ

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Grand Rapids City Commission Meeting Jan 22nd @7pm.
« Reply #3 on: January 09, 2013, 01:49:33 PM »
Or have your wife there to back you up and finish it..  ;D

First you need the Mayor to b**** slap you publicly to piss her off though...
I Am Not A Lawyer (nor a gunsmith).

Offline bigt8261

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Re: Grand Rapids City Commission Meeting Jan 22nd @7pm.
« Reply #4 on: January 09, 2013, 04:30:31 PM »
The city fixed their broken link. You can now find out which ward you live in.

Offline gryphon

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Re: Grand Rapids City Commission Meeting Jan 22nd @7pm.
« Reply #5 on: January 17, 2013, 06:15:33 PM »
Michigan needs to have a law like Florida has.  If a city, town, or other entity violates their preemption law...

(3) Prohibitions; Penalties.—

(a) Any person, county, agency, municipality, district, or other entity that violates the Legislature’s occupation of the whole field of regulation of firearms and ammunition, as declared in subsection (1), by enacting or causing to be enforced any local ordinance or administrative rule or regulation impinging upon such exclusive occupation of the field shall be liable as set forth herein.

(b) If any county, city, town, or other local government violates this section, the court shall declare the improper ordinance, regulation, or rule invalid and issue a permanent injunction against the local government prohibiting it from enforcing such ordinance, regulation, or rule. It is no defense that in enacting the ordinance, regulation, or rule the local government was acting in good faith or upon advice of counsel.

(c) If the court determines that a violation was knowing and willful, the court shall assess a civil fine of up to $5,000 against the elected or appointed local government official or officials or administrative agency head under whose jurisdiction the violation occurred.

(d) Except as required by applicable law, public funds may not be used to defend or reimburse the unlawful conduct of any person found to have knowingly and willfully violated this section.

(e) A knowing and willful violation of any provision of this section by a person acting in an official capacity for any entity enacting or causing to be enforced a local ordinance or administrative rule or regulation prohibited under paragraph (a) or otherwise under color of law shall be cause for termination of employment or contract or removal from office by the Governor.

(f) A person or an organization whose membership is adversely affected by any ordinance, regulation, measure, directive, rule, enactment, order, or policy promulgated or caused to be enforced in violation of this section may file suit against any county, agency, municipality, district, or other entity in any court of this state having jurisdiction over any defendant to the suit for declaratory and injunctive relief and for actual damages, as limited herein, caused by the violation. A court shall award the prevailing plaintiff in any such suit:

1. Reasonable attorney’s fees and costs in accordance with the laws of this state, including a contingency fee multiplier, as authorized by law; and

2. The actual damages incurred, but not more than $100,000. 

Interest on the sums awarded pursuant to this subsection shall accrue at the legal rate from the date on which suit was filed.

Offline bigt8261

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Re: Grand Rapids City Commission Meeting Jan 22nd @7pm.
« Reply #6 on: January 17, 2013, 09:01:47 PM »
I hear Ohio and Penn have some pretty good ones too. In Penn officials can be held personally liable.

Offline gryphon

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Re: Grand Rapids City Commission Meeting Jan 22nd @7pm.
« Reply #7 on: January 17, 2013, 10:28:15 PM »
That's what the Florida law states.  A personal $5,000 fine, and no government monies can be used to pay it.  That's on top of a suit against the government for fees and damages up to $100,000.

Offline bigt8261

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Re: Grand Rapids City Commission Meeting Jan 22nd @7pm.
« Reply #8 on: January 21, 2013, 08:21:22 AM »
Reminder. This is tomorrow night.

Offline fsr402

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Re: Grand Rapids City Commission Meeting Jan 22nd @7pm.
« Reply #9 on: January 21, 2013, 08:47:29 AM »
I see that tomorrow night is also listed as the MOC board meeting.

Offline Ryan182

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Re: Grand Rapids City Commission Meeting Jan 22nd @7pm.
« Reply #10 on: January 21, 2013, 11:55:56 PM »
See you there.