By Taaffe

By Linda

Those who don’t mind their manners at Los Altos City Council meetings could find themselves in jail or facing a $1,000 fine under a new ordinance intended to maintain order.

The council approved a conduct code last week that enables the city to use the strictest penalties allowed against those who disrupt meetings. An outburst could bring misdemeanor charges and a jail sentence of up to six months.

“I can’t think of a single instance when this (law) would have come into play since I’ve been here,” Councilman Ron Packard said. “Hopefully, that would never happen here, but I think it is prudent to have it on the books.”

What can get the audience into trouble? More than the obvious booing, hissing and clapping, according to the new conduct ordinance. Conduct offenses include speaking without being recognized, persisting in addressing a subject other than that before the council, continuing to speak after the allotted time has expired, interrupting staff and council, shouting over a speaker, repetitiously addressing the same subject during the meeting and failing to sit down when directed to do so.

Under the law, the mayor may order the removal of any speaker or audience member who purposely interrupts the

meeting after a verbal warning from the council. The mayor has the power to ban a person from attending future council meetings.

City Attorney Jolie Houston said she drafted the ordinance as a misdemeanor rather than an infraction, modeling it on other cities’ codes.

“I’ve seen them work,” Houston said. “(The code) can be a very effective tool.

Los Altos resident Tom Burns said he believed the ordinance was unnecessary.

“I think the ordinance goes far overboard,” Burns said.

No one in the audience spoke against the code.