RULES OF DECORUM AND PROCEDURES FOR CITY COUNCIL MEETINGS I. PURPOSE
The City Council welcomes and encourages public attendance and participation at its meetings.
The purpose of this Policy is to establish reasonable and viewpoint-neutral rules that:
1. Protect the public's right to attend, observe, record, and address the City Council;
2. Preserve the orderly conduct of City Council meetings;
3. Allow the City Council to complete the public's business efficiently and transparently;
4. Protect the safety and accessibility of the meeting; and
5. Establish fair procedures for responding to conduct that actually disrupts a meeting.
These rules shall be interpreted and applied consistently with the Ralph M. Brown Act, the United States and California Constitutions, applicable civil rights and disability-access laws, and other applicable law.
II. SCOPE
This Policy applies only to open and public meetings of the City Council of the City of Pomona, including regular, special, adjourned, and emergency meetings.
This Policy applies to all persons attending or participating in a City Council meeting, regardless of the method by which the person attends or participates.
This Policy does not apply to City boards, commissions, committees, or other subsidiary bodies unless the City Council subsequently takes formal action making it applicable to a particular body.
Disruptions of telephonic, internet, or other technology used to provide remote public access shall be addressed under Resolution No. 2026-70 and the policy adopted by that resolution. This Policy governs conduct by meeting participants and does not replace or amend the technology-disruption procedures adopted under Resolution No. 2026-70.
III. DEFINITIONS
For purposes of this Policy:
"Disrupting" means engaging in behavior during a City Council meeting that actually disrupts, disturbs, impedes, or renders infeasible the orderly conduct of the meeting. Disrupting includes, but is not limited to:
Failure to comply with a reasonable and lawful meeting regulation after being directed to comply; Conduct that materially interferes with the ability of the City Council to conduct its business; Conduct that materially interferes with another person's ability to speak, hear, observe, or participate in the meeting; Use of force; or
A true threat of force.
Expression shall not be considered disrupting merely because it is critical, accusatory, harsh, offensive, emotional, unpopular, or opposed to the views of the City Council, City staff, or other members of the public.
2. "Meeting" means an open and public meeting of the Pomona City Council subject to this Policy.
3. "Presiding Officer" means the Mayor, the Vice Mayor when acting in the Mayor's absence, or another Councilmember designated to preside over the meeting or a portion of the meeting.
4. "Sergeant-at-Arms" means the law-enforcement officer, security officer, or other person designated by the City Manager or Chief of Police to assist the Presiding Officer in maintaining safety, order, and decorum.
5. "True Threat of Force" means a threat that has sufficient indicia of intent and seriousness that a reasonable observer would perceive it to be an actual threat to use force by the person making the threat.
IV. GENERAL PRINCIPLES
City Council meetings are forums for governmental business and public participation. The City Council may adopt and enforce reasonable regulations concerning the time, place, and manner of public participation.
All meeting regulations shall be administered fairly and without regard to the speaker's identity, viewpoint, position on an issue, political affiliation, or criticism of the City, the City Council, individual Councilmembers, City staff, City policies, or City operations.
The City Council shall not prohibit public criticism of:
City policies, procedures, programs, or services;
Actions or omissions of the City Council;
Actions or omissions of individual Councilmembers or City officials; or Matters otherwise within the City Council's subject-matter jurisdiction.
Civility and respectful communication are encouraged. A failure to be courteous, standing alone, is not grounds for terminating a person's comments or removing the person from a meeting unless the person's conduct otherwise constitutes disrupting as defined by this Policy.
These rules are intended to restore and maintain order, not to punish or suppress protected expression.
V. ROLE OF THE PRESIDING OFFICER
The Presiding Officer is responsible for maintaining order and decorum during the meeting and shall administer this Policy in a fair, reasonable, and viewpoint-neutral manner.
The Presiding Officer may:
Recognize speakers and determine the order in which speakers will be heard; Announce and enforce reasonable speaking-time limits;
Rule comments out of order when they are outside the City Council's subject-matter jurisdiction or unrelated to the agenda item then under consideration; Direct a speaker to conclude after the applicable time limit expires; Direct compliance with reasonable safety, accessibility, and meeting procedures; Rule on points of order;
Consult with the City Attorney regarding this Policy or applicable law; Call a brief recess when reasonably necessary to restore order or address a safety concern; and Warn or cause the removal of a person as authorized by this Policy and applicable law.
The Presiding Officer should ordinarily identify the rule or procedure at issue before directing a participant to comply.
A Councilmember may raise a point of order concerning the application of this Policy. A ruling of the Presiding Officer may be appealed to the City Council and affirmed, modified, or reversed by a majority of the Councilmembers present, subject to applicable law and any immediate measures reasonably necessary to protect safety.
VI. CONDUCT OF COUNCILMEMBERS AND CITY STAFF
Councilmembers and City staff shall conduct themselves in a professional manner that supports orderly public participation and deliberation.
Councilmembers shall seek recognition from the Presiding Officer before speaking and should avoid interrupting another Councilmember, a member of City staff, or a recognized public speaker, except to raise a point of order or address an immediate legal or safety concern.
Questions to a public speaker should ordinarily be brief, relevant, and directed through the Presiding Officer. Councilmembers should not debate or argue with a speaker during public comment.
City staff shall respond to questions as directed by the Presiding Officer, City Manager, or City Attorney.
When a member of the public raises a matter that is not on the agenda, the City Council and City staff may respond only as permitted by the Brown Act, including by:
Briefly responding to statements made or questions posed; Asking a question for clarification;
Referring the matter to City staff or another appropriate source; Requesting that City staff report back at a subsequent meeting; or Requesting that the matter be placed on a future agenda in accordance with the City's agenda procedures.
VII. PUBLIC COMMENT PROCEDURES
Opportunity to Comment
At a regular meeting, the agenda shall provide an opportunity for members of the public to address the City Council on matters within the City Council's subject-matter jurisdiction.
Members of the public shall also be given an opportunity to address the City Council before or during its consideration of an agenda item, as required by law.
At a special meeting, public comment may be limited to matters described in the special-meeting notice.
B. Recognition of Speakers
A person wishing to speak shall wait to be recognized by the Presiding Officer or called by the City Clerk.
The City Clerk may use speaker cards, an electronic queue, or another reasonable procedure to organize speakers.
A speaker may be requested, but shall not be required, to state the speaker's name or place of residence unless disclosure is otherwise required by law.
No person shall be required to register, provide identification, or disclose personal information as a condition of attending a City Council meeting.
Speaking-Time Limits
Each speaker shall be allowed the amount of time established by the City Council and stated on the agenda or announced before the public-comment period begins.
The Presiding Officer may reasonably adjust speaking-time limits based on the number of speakers, the length of the agenda, or other relevant circumstances, provided that the adjustment is announced and applied uniformly to similarly situated speakers.
A speaker shall conclude when the speaker's time expires. A brief period may be allowed to complete a sentence, at the discretion of the Presiding Officer, provided the same practice is applied consistently.
A member of the public using a translator shall receive at least twice the time otherwise allotted to a speaker unless simultaneous translation equipment is used in a manner that allows the City Council to hear the translated testimony simultaneously.
Manner of Addressing the City Council
Comments shall be directed to the City Council as a body.
A speaker may criticize the City, the City Council, individual Councilmembers, City officials, City employees, City policies, or City actions, subject to the reasonable time, place, and manner regulations in this Policy.
Public comment is an opportunity to address the City Council. It is not ordinarily a question-and-answer session or a debate with Councilmembers, City staff, or other members of the public.
A speaker shall confine comments on an agenda item to that item and comments during general public comment to matters within the City Council's subject-matter jurisdiction.
A speaker who has concluded comments may remain in the meeting and continue to observe, subject to compliance with this Policy.
VIII. RULES OF DECORUM FOR MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC
While a City Council meeting is in session, members of the public shall comply with the following rules:
Only one person may speak at a time. A person shall not speak from the audience or otherwise interrupt while another speaker, Councilmember, or member of City staff has the floor.
A person shall wait to be recognized before addressing the City Council and shall stop speaking when directed after the applicable time limit has expired.
A person shall not repeatedly interrupt, shout over, drown out, or prevent a recognized speaker from being heard.
Brief applause and other audience reactions, including cheering, booing, or jeering, are not permitted during public comment or City Council deliberations because they may interrupt speakers or the orderly conduct of the meeting. The Presiding Officer may permit or invite applause during ceremonial presentations, recognitions, and similar portions of the agenda. These rules shall be applied uniformly and without regard to the identity or viewpoint of a speaker or participant. Sustained noise, demonstrations, or repeated outbursts that materially delay or interfere with the meeting are prohibited.
A person shall not block an aisle, doorway, emergency exit, accessible route, or another person's view; enter an area reserved for the City Council or City staff without authorization; or approach the dais after being directed not to do so.
Signs and placards, clothing, and other expressive displays are permitted, provided they are maintained in a manner that does not obstruct another person's view, block an aisle, doorway, emergency exit, or accessible route, create a safety hazard, or materially interfere with the orderly conduct of the meeting. Signs and placards must be handheld and shall not be attached to or displayed using wooden stakes, posts, poles, rigid supports, or other objects that may create a safety hazard. The Presiding Officer or Sergeant-at-Arms may direct that a sign or display be repositioned or that a prohibited support be removed based on these viewpoint-neutral safety and access standards.
Electronic devices shall be silenced or operated in a manner that does not materially interfere with the meeting.
A person shall not use force, attempt to use force, or communicate a true threat of force.
A person shall comply with reasonable and lawful instructions from the Presiding Officer or Sergeant-at-Arms concerning order, safety, accessibility, room capacity, and emergency procedures.
Criticism and unpopular viewpoints, standing alone, do not constitute disrupting and are not grounds for removal. Profanity, insults, personal accusations, offensive language, and racial or other slurs may be discouraged, and the Presiding Officer may request that a speaker use civil and respectful language. However, the content or offensiveness of a person's remarks, standing alone, shall not provide a basis for terminating the person's comments or removing the person from the meeting. The Presiding Officer may enforce reasonable, lawful, and viewpoint-neutral rules governing speaking time, relevance, interruptions, volume, safety, threats, and other conduct that actually disrupts the meeting. Nothing in this provision protects a true threat of force or other expression that is not protected by law.
IX. PHOTOGRAPHY, RECORDING, AND BROADCASTING
Members of the public may photograph, audio record, video record, or broadcast an open and public City Council meeting as permitted by law.
Recording equipment shall be used and positioned in a manner that does not:
Block aisles, exits, or accessible routes;
Obstruct the view of meeting participants;
Produce persistent noise or illumination; or
Otherwise persistently disrupt the proceedings.
The City Council shall not prohibit or restrict recording or broadcasting unless it makes the findings required by Government Code sections 54953.5 or 54953.6.
The Presiding Officer may direct a person to reposition or adjust equipment when reasonably necessary to avoid obstruction, noise, illumination, or another actual interference with the meeting.
X. ENFORCEMENT
Progressive Response
Except when immediate action is authorized under subsection D, the Presiding Officer or designee shall use the following procedure before removing a person from the meeting:
Direction to Comply. When appropriate, the Presiding Officer shall identify the applicable rule and direct the person to cease or correct the conduct.
Warning. If the conduct constitutes disrupting, the Presiding Officer or designee shall warn the person that:
The identified behavior is disrupting the meeting;
The person must promptly cease the behavior; and
Failure to cease may result in removal from the meeting.
Opportunity to Cease. The person shall be given a reasonable opportunity to promptly cease the disruptive behavior.
Removal. If the person does not promptly cease the disruptive behavior, the Presiding Officer or designee may remove or cause the removal of the person from the meeting.
Content of Warning
A warning should be sufficiently clear to inform the person of the conduct that must cease. When reasonably practicable, the warning should identify the particular rule being violated.
Effect of Compliance
If the person promptly ceases the disruptive behavior after the warning, the person shall ordinarily be permitted to remain in the meeting and, if the person still has remaining public-comment time, complete the comment without further interruption.
Force or True Threat of Force
No warning is required before removal when a person engages in behavior constituting use of force or a true threat of force. The Presiding Officer, Sergeant-at-Arms, or law enforcement may take immediate and reasonable action necessary to protect the safety of the City Council, City staff, and members of the public.
Recess
The Presiding Officer may recess the meeting for a reasonable period to restore order, address a safety concern, allow a person an opportunity to comply, or facilitate an orderly removal.
Role of Sergeant-at-Arms
At the direction of the Presiding Officer or authorized designee, the Sergeant-at-Arms may:
Issue or repeat a direction or warning;
Escort or remove a person from the meeting;
Take reasonable steps to maintain safety and protect access to the meeting; and Exercise any independent authority available under applicable law.
Duration of Removal
Removal under this Policy is limited to the meeting at which the disruption occurs. A person shall not be excluded from a future City Council meeting unless exclusion is authorized through a separate lawful order or process.
Viewpoint Neutrality
A person shall not be warned, silenced, or removed because the City Council, a Councilmember, City staff, or another member of the public disagrees with or is offended by the person's viewpoint. Disagreement with, hostility toward, or offense caused by the content or viewpoint of a person's remarks, standing alone, shall not constitute disrupting or provide a basis for terminating the person's comments. This subsection does not limit the enforcement of reasonable, lawful, and viewpoint-neutral rules governing speaking time, relevance, interruptions, volume, safety, threats, or other conduct that actually disrupts the meeting.
XI. GROUP DISRUPTIONS AND CLEARING THE MEETING ROOM
If a meeting is willfully interrupted by a group or groups of persons so as to render the orderly conduct of the meeting infeasible, and order cannot be restored by removing the individuals who are willfully interrupting the meeting, the City Council may order the meeting room cleared and continue the meeting as authorized by Government Code section 54957.9.
Only matters appearing on the posted agenda may be considered after the room is cleared.
Representatives of the press and other news media shall be permitted to remain unless they participated in the disruption.
When reasonably practicable, the Presiding Officer may establish a procedure for readmitting persons who did not participate in the disruption or who agree to comply with this Policy.
The City Council may recess before clearing the room to allow the Presiding Officer, City Attorney, City Manager, and Sergeant-at-Arms to assess whether order can be restored through less restrictive measures.
XII. RELATIONSHIP TO THE TECHNOLOGY-DISRUPTION POLICY
A failure, outage, or interruption of the telephonic, internet, audiovisual, or other technology used to provide remote public access shall be handled under Resolution No. 2026-70 and the technology-disruption policy adopted by that resolution.
Nothing in this Policy changes:
The circumstances requiring a recess due to a technology disruption; The City's obligation to make good-faith efforts to restore service; The applicable waiting period before reconvening;
Any findings required before continuing a meeting without restored service; or The recordkeeping requirements established by Resolution No. 2026-70.
When both participant misconduct and a technology disruption occur, this Policy shall govern the participant's conduct, and Resolution No. 2026-70 shall govern the technology disruption.
XIII. REASONABLE ACCOMMODATIONS
This Policy shall be administered in a manner consistent with the Americans with Disabilities Act and other applicable disability-access laws.
A person whose disability affects the person's ability to comply with a meeting procedure may request a reasonable accommodation through the procedure stated on the meeting agenda or by contacting the City Clerk. The City shall resolve any doubt concerning an accommodation request in favor of accessibility, consistent with applicable law.
XIV. INTERPRETATION AND SEVERABILITY
This Policy shall be interpreted to preserve public access, protected expression, and the City Council's ability to conduct an orderly meeting.
If any provision of this Policy conflicts with federal or state law, the law shall control, and the remaining provisions shall continue in effect to the fullest extent permitted.
If a court of competent jurisdiction determines that any provision or application of this Policy is invalid, the remaining provisions and applications shall not be affected.
XV. ADMINISTRATION AND REVIEW
The City Clerk, City Manager, City Attorney, and Chief of Police may develop administrative procedures and training consistent with this Policy.
A summary of the rules applicable to public participants may be included on City Council agendas, displayed in the meeting room, posted on the City's website, or announced by the Presiding Officer.
The City Council may amend this Policy by resolution or other formal action taken at a properly noticed open and public meeting.
Upon adoption of this Policy by resolution, Resolution Nos. 89-180 and 93-204 shall be repealed and superseded in their entirety. To the extent any other previously adopted rule, resolution, or policy governing decorum at City Council meetings conflicts with this Policy, this Policy shall control. 65318.10200\45376939.1
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