CITY HALL — Montebello City Council members on Wednesday, Aug.12, directed top city staffers to investigate and prepare a response to a letter from the American Civil Liberties Union accusing the city of violating state open-meetings law.
The letter, dated Aug. 5, from ACLU Southern California’s chief counsel Peter Eliasberg and Zoe McKinney, staff attorney at First Amendment and Democracy, alleged that public criticism of city employees is not allowed at Montebello council meetings, and that the city’s code illegally requires the public to specifically address the mayor — rather than other city staff — during the public comment period.
At issue is the ordinance No. 2443, under “Procedure for addressing the city council/agency.” It says :
“Any person making personal, impertinent or slanderous remarks about members of the body, staff, or the public, or who shall become boisterous or threatening or personally abusive of the body, staff or members of the public shall be asked by the mayor/chairperson to cease and desist such activity, and may be requested or required to leave the meeting in the event the behavior continues to disrupt the meeting proceedings.”
It also warns “members of the public” to “direct all comments to the mayor and not to staff, individual members of the body, or the public.”
ACLU attorneys say the provisions — and the issues the spark — go to the heart of free criticism on matters of public concern. In their letter, they cite the landmark 1964 Supreme...
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