a member of public disrupting board meeting

[Guest dog park fun]

I'm on a new advisory board put together by a city agency.

At every meeting (three so far), the same person -- not on the board -- has interrupted proceedings, ignored requests for order, refused to wait for public comment periods to speak, ignored time limits, brought up items not on the agenda, and verbally lashed out at board members.

Our next meeting has a full agenda and one controversial item that we expect to bring in a larger turnout.

How can the chair and board enforce order when common courtesy is ignored? I spoke to one police officer who said they are reticent to remove someone unless the behavior becomes violent. This officer will be at the meeting on other business before the board.

Can we recess a meeting and leave the room? If we do that, need we extend the time of the meeting on the back end? Or table agenda items that we don't get to?

Can a board member against whom personal comments are made excuse themselves?

This person seems to thrive on chaos.

Suggestions appreciated.

[Kim Goldsworthy]

I'm on a new advisory board put together by a city agency.

At every meeting (three so far), the same person -- not on the board -- has interrupted proceedings, ignored requests for order, refused to wait for public comment periods to speak, ignored time limits, brought up items not on the agenda, and verbally lashed out at board members.

...

How can the chair and board enforce order when common courtesy is ignored?

I spoke to one police officer who said they are reticent to remove someone unless the behavior becomes violent.

This officer will be at the meeting on other business before the board.

Can we recess a meeting and leave the room?

If we do that, need we extend the time of the meeting on the back end?

Or table agenda items that we don't get to?

Can a board member against whom personal comments are made excuse themselves?

...

Suggestions appreciated.

Suggestion #1:

Get a new chair.

Your old one is not doing his job.

[Chris Harrison]

How can the chair and board enforce order when common courtesy is ignored?

Nonmembers have no right to even attend meetings let alone speak at them. Under RONR the Chair can order a disorderly nonmember removed from the meeting (subject to the order being Appealed by a member of the body). However, since this is a public body there may be (and probably is) applicable laws which gives members of the public rights. You should ask someone who is familiar with those laws how best to proceed.

Can we recess a meeting and leave the room? If we do that, need we extend the time of the meeting on the back end? Or table agenda items that we don't get to?

I suppose you could but I wouldn't give this person the satisfaction of disrupting the proceedings like that. You all should find out what rights you have under any applicable laws to maintain control and exercise those rights fully. If this police officer won't do his job and keep the peace find someone who will.

Can a board member against whom personal comments are made excuse themselves?

Sure. Nothing in RONR forces someone to sit there and listen to verbal abuse. But no one should give that person the satisfaction of seeing them run off.

[Gary Novosielski]

At every meeting (three so far), the same person -- not on the board -- has interrupted proceedings, ignored requests for order, refused to wait for public comment periods to speak, ignored time limits, brought up items not on the agenda, and verbally lashed out at board members.

My first reaction is to replace the chairman. When there is no order at a meeting, the chair is responsible.

But when the chair does not do his job, it is the responsibility of the other members as well. As soon as this person begins to speak out of turn, if the chair does nothing, or sits and listens, or seems to be at a loss for what to do, another member should firmly raise a Point of Order--that the meeting is not in order. And this should be done each time the meeting is allowed to get out of control.

The chair should rule the point well taken, and take action to restore order immediately. If the unruly person will not behave properly the chair should order him removed. The criterion for the police taking action at a public meeting does not begin at violence. It begins when the chair declares the non-member disruptive and orders them removed. The chair should work this out with Chief of Police well before the meeting, and a uniformed officer should be assigned to the meeting, preferably not someone who happens to be there on other business, and that officer should be clear on what his job is.

[Dan Honemann]

My first reaction is to replace the chairman. When there is no order at a meeting, the chair is responsible.

But when the chair does not do his job, it is the responsibility of the other members as well. As soon as this person begins to speak out of turn, if the chair does nothing, or sits and listens, or seems to be at a loss for what to do, another member should firmly raise a Point of Order--that the meeting is not in order. And this should be done each time the meeting is allowed to get out of control.

The chair should rule the point well taken, and take action to restore order immediately. If the unruly person will not behave properly the chair should order him removed. The criterion for the police taking action at a public meeting does not begin at violence. It begins when the chair declares the non-member disruptive and orders them removed. The chair should work this out with Chief of Police well before the meeting, and a uniformed officer should be assigned to the meeting, preferably not someone who happens to be there on other business, and that officer should be clear on what his job is.

I agree, and dog park fun has already indicated that he (or she) will be consulting the city attorney for advice as to what effect, if any, applicable law may have on this situation. Hopefully we will have no further (we did have a few) attempts in this forum to provide such advice.