Politics & Government
Keeping City Council Civil In Laguna Beach: 50s Era Code Removed
A 1950s era municipal code related to profane language was up for discussion at the latest council meeting in what some called "odd timing."
LAGUNA BEACH, CA—Laguna Beach City Council held their first in-person council meeting in over a year last week and wasted no time in reviewing an outdated mandate from the 1950s that states vulgar or boisterous language during council sessions can lead to a misdemeanor.
The council unanimously voted to remove the municipal code.
According to city attorney Phil Kohn, the city council municipal code in question stated that "any member of the council, or other person using profane, vulgar, or boisterous language at any meeting, or otherwise interrupting the proceedings, or who refuses to be seated, or cease his remarks when ordered to do so by the mayor or mayor pro team, shall be guilty of a misdemeanor."
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READ: Laguna Beach City Council Member Censured For Violating Decorum
In March, council member Peter Blake was formally censured for violating decorum rules. Blake's comments toward other council members have raised animosity in the ranks, and as council member George Weiss said at that meeting, "public officials need to be held to a higher standard."
Find out what's happening in Laguna Beachfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
City Manager John Pietig said the timing was "due to logistics and nothing else," as StuNews Laguna reports.
Kohn stated that the provision should be repealed because the provisions are "invalid and unenforceable."
Council member George Weiss, who has gone toe-to-toe with Blake up until his censure said the council is throwing out the provision as censure is the only recourse until the council decides on "stronger rules of decorum."
Though one speaker asked why not just revise the ordinance rather than repeal it, Kohn stated that the ordinance has been found unconstitutional on at least two occasions, with an "unconstitutional restraint on first amendment rights."
Blake, once again in the spotlight though he was not present at the meeting, spoke in rebuttal over remote session, saying that this was just more "cancel culture" on behalf of the council.
"This is less than 30 days since I became the punching bag over the censure charade," Blake said. "Now I'm becoming the punching bag one more time."
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