HomeMy WebLinkAboutRES NO 115-2021RESOLUTION NO. Z ® Z 1
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL ESTABLISHING RULES
OF DECORUM FOR PUBLIC MEETINGS OF THE CITY
COUNCIL, COMMISSIONS AND STANDING COMMITTEES.
WHEREAS, the City Council hereby declares that conducting open, fair,
respectful and efficient proceedings is critical to carrying out the public business
of the City; and
WHEREAS, the City has an interest in balancing the rights of its citizens to be
heard with the need for orderly and effective local government; and
WHEREAS, disruptive behavior during any portion of a public meeting is
detrimental to the fair and orderly conduct of business and impedes both the
public's ability to be heard and the City's deliberative process; and
WHEREAS, threatening, violent, abusive, profane or obscene conduct
interferes and disrupts the ability of the City to conduct its business and infringes
on the ability of others to safety and openly attend and participate in public
meetings; and
WHEREAS, conduct that incites disruption, or that provokes threatening,
violent, abusive, profane or obscene conduct, likewise disrupts the ability of the
City to conduct its business and infringes on the ability of others to safely and
openly attend and participate in public meetings; and
WHEREAS, refusing to heed reasonable warnings and/or rules of procedure
impedes and disrupts the ability of the City's legislative bodies, City staff, and the
general public from participating in meetings in a reasonable, fair and efficient
manner; and
WHEREAS, the City Council therefore finds that establishing Rules of
Decorum for the City's public meetings is necessary to ensure the orderly conduct
of business; and
WHEREAS, the purpose of the Rules of Decorum is to set forth clear,
reasonable, objective expectations for public participation at the City's public
meetings, which shall apply to all individuals regardless of content or viewpoint.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the Council of the City of Bakersfield
as follows:
1. The above recitals are true and correct and incorporated herein by- A
reference.
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2. The City Council hereby adopts the Rules of Decorum as set forth in
Exhibit A, attached hereto and incorporated herein, which shall apply to all public
meetings of the City Council, Council Committees, and other public Commissions
and Committees of the City subject to the Ralph M. Brown Act.
3. The Rules of Decorum shall be enforced by the chair or presiding
officer of a meeting, and shall apply in addition to, and not in place of, all other
applicable state and local laws. In the event of conflict between any part of this
resolution and applicable law, the latter shall govern.
4. This Resolution shall become effective and in full force and effect
upon adoption by the City Council.
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HEREBY CERTIFY that the foregoing Resolution was passed and adopted
by the Council of the City of Bakersfield at a regular meeting thereof held on
JUL '1 G 2021 , by the following vote:be V ✓ �.
AYE COUNCILMEMBER, GONZALES, W 15A, SMITH, FREEMAN, ,PARLIER
NOES: COUNCILMEMBER iVD/�Q
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_&UaTAIN: COUNCILMEMBER bf.&
BSE COUNCILMEMBER WQjr
c
ULIE DRIMAKIS, CMC
CITY CLERK and EX OFFICIO CLERK of
the Council of the City of Bakersfield
APPROVED JUL 14 2021
By- a
KAREN GO
Mayor
APPROVK) AS TO FO
VIRCJNIA GENNARO
City Attorney
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S:\COUNCIL\Resos\21-22\DecorumRules-Reso (New Version 2021).docx
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EXHIBIT A
CITY OF BAKERSFIELD
RULES OF DECORUM
A. All persons attending or participating in the City's public meetings are
prohibited from disrupting or disturbing the orderly conduct of any such
meeting. Disruptive behavior shall include but is not limited to any of the
following:
Shouting, yelling, chanting or inciting others to shout, yell, or chant;
2. Banging, slamming or throwing objects;
3. Interrupting a speaker who has the floor, not including questions or
warnings from a member of the legislative body;
4. Outbursts or interruptions from the audience, including by yelling,
stomping, chanting, jeering, cheering, or using any amplified sound to
speak or play music from the audience or otherwise disturbing the peace
of the meeting;
5. Threatening, abusive, slanderous, profane or obscene remarks or
conduct that disrupts the ability of the City to conduct an orderly
meeting;
6. Inciting disruption or provoking threatening, abusive, slanderous, profane
or obscene remarks or conduct that disrupts the ability of the City to
conduct an orderly meeting;
7. Engaging in conduct which is designed to or is likely to provoke others to
riotous, disruptive or violent behavior;
8. Continuing to speak after having been advised that the time allotted for
such comments has expired;
9. Unduly repetitious comments;
10. Refusing to heed the presiding officer's warnings or call for order;
11. Comments which are outside the subject matter jurisdiction of the
legislative body or which disrupt, disturb or impede the ability of the
legislative body, City staff, or the general public to reasonably carry on
with the meeting; or
12. Blocking walkways, doorways, or seating areas in a manner that is
disruptive, impedes accessibility of public facilities, prevents members of
the public from viewing or hearing the public meeting, or that poses fire
or life safety issues.
B. These Rules of Decorum shall be enforceable to the maximum extent allowed�Af;���
by law, and shall apply to all public meetings of the City of Bakersfield. ac
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