Under an amendment unanimously passed Monday by the Mesa County Board of Commissioners it is okay for anyone to openly carry a weapon or have a concealed weapon if they have a permit on county property unless staff feel a person is acting in a threatening manner.
The amendment is part of a workplace safety resolution that was approved by the board earlier this year.
The resolution originally barred people from having unauthorized weapons on county property.
Rose Pugliese, a Mesa County Commissioner, told KVNF the provision was confusing and hard to enforce.
“You can open carry in any one of our buildings right now," Pugliese said." "You can conceal carry. You can bring a syringe. You can bring a pair of scissors. I mean there are plenty of things that can be weapons that aren’t necessarily guns,"
Pugliese said the county is not focused on weapons.
"We are focused on intimidating behavior [that makes] people feel uncomfortable in our buildings," she said.
Pugliese said the amendment gives county employees the power to ask people acting in a hostile manner to leave and the resolution is about safety not weapons.
