Laserfiche WebLink
28 <br /> <br />If ruled to be not in order, he/she shall remain silent or shall alter his/her remarks to comply <br />with the rules of order. <br />f) Councilmembers shall accord the utmost courtesy to each other, to City employees and the <br />public appearing before the Council and shall refrain at all times from rude and derogatory <br />remarks, reflections as to integrity, abusive comments, and statements as to motives and <br />personalities. <br />g) Any Councilmember may move to require the Presiding Officer to enforce the rules, and the <br />affirmative vote of a majority of the Council shall require him/her to so act. <br /> <br />DECORUM AND ORDER - EMPLOYEES <br />Members of the Administrative Staff and employees of the City shall observe the same rules of <br />procedure and decorum applicable to members of the Council. The City Manager shall ensure that all <br />City employees observe such decorum. Any staff member, including the City Manager, who wants to <br />address the Council or members of the public shall first be recognized by the Presiding Officer. All <br />remarks shall be addressed to the Presiding Officer and not to any one individual Council Member or <br />member of the public. <br /> <br />DECORUM AND ORDER – PUBLIC <br />Members of the public attending Council meetings must observe the same rules of order and decorum <br />applicable to the Council. Any person who makes threats or who becomes violent while addressing the <br />Council or while attending the Council meeting shall be removed from the room if the Police Chief or <br />their designee is so directed by the Presiding Officer, and such person may be barred from further <br />attendance at the Council meeting. Unauthorized remarks from the audience, stamping of feet, <br />whistles, yells, applause and similar demonstrations and outbursts shall not be permitted by the <br />Presiding Officer, who may direct the Police Chief to remove such offenders from the room. <br />Aggravated cases shall be prosecuted or appropriate complaint signed by the Presiding Officer. <br /> <br />ENFORCEMENT OF DECORUM <br />The Chief of Police or representative shall be ex-officio Sergeant-at-Arms of the Council. They shall <br />carry out all orders and instructions given them by the Presiding Officer to maintain order and <br />decorum in the Council Chambers. Upon instructions from the Presiding Officer, it shall be the duty of <br />the Sergeant-at-Arms to eject any person from the Council Chambers or place them under arrest or <br />both. <br />As set forth in the Brown Act (Government Code §54957.9), in the event that any meeting is willfully <br />interrupted by a group or groups of persons so as to render the orderly conduct of such meeting <br />unfeasible and order cannot be restored by the removal of individuals who are willfully interrupting <br />the meeting, the members of the Council may order the meeting room cleared and continue in session. <br />Only matters appearing on the agenda may be considered in such a session. Representatives of the <br />press or other news media, except those participating in the disturbance, shall be allowed to attend <br />any session held under this section. The City Council may establish a procedure for readmitting an <br />individual or individuals not responsible for willfully disturbing the orderly conduct of the meeting. <br /> <br />Attendance at Council Meetings does not provide individuals or groups of individuals immunity or <br />protection when their conduct is in violation of any other laws (California Penal Code, City of San <br />Leandro Municipal Code, etc.) The Sergeant-at-Arms should and will be called upon by the Presiding <br />Officer to enforce these laws at Council Meetings. DRAFT