City Council Revamps Decorum Rules, Shuns Foie Gras

The Carlsbad City Council voted unanimously Tuesday to revamp a local ordinance related to “decorum, and the enforcement of decorum” at council meetings. The new ordinance makes it an infraction to act “boisterous, loud, or unruly” at a council meeting or to engage in disruptive conduct which may inhibit the council from completing its work. Repeat violations would result in a misdemeanor.

The new ordinance comes in response to an incident at an Aug. 24, 2010, meeting at which Richard Shapiro was arrested after refusing to obey then-mayor ’ request that he refrain from using vulgar language. The case against Shapiro was later dropped, and according to the North Country Times, Shapiro has filed two lawsuits in response to the case.

Shapiro requested to speak about the matter at Tuesday’s meeting. Mayor Matt Hall called Shapiro to speak and sat silently while Shapiro addressed the council. Shapiro said he wanted to talk about police corruption and court corruption but was not able to “because I have to talk about the right to speak about court corruption and police corruption.” He said he has been going to City Council meetings around the state for eight years addressing corruption issues. 

City Attorney Ron Ball countered Shapiro, saying, “Any person has a right to address this council under the U.S. Constitution, the state Constitution, the Brown Act, and under the laws of this council.” However, they have no right to disrupt a council meeting, he said.

The revised ordinance sets standards of decorum for the City Council and staff as well those attending meetings or addressing the council. A restriction on vulgar language has been removed. The ordinance also gives the mayor the right to designate a spokesperson for groups of people "In order to expedite matters and avoid repetitious presentations." It also states that it is the responsibility of speakers to familiarize themselves with the rules and ordinances applicable to council meetings 

In other action, the council also voted unanimously Tuesday to commend Carlsbad restaurants that have removed foie gras from their menu. Foie gras is a French delicacy that is made of the liver of a duck or goose that has been specially fattened. Some, like Dr. Jonathan Wadley, the campaign director of the Rescue Animal League, think the practice of fattening ducks and geese for this purpose is inhumane.

Local resident Scott Sterling said,"We'll have a hissy fit about waterboarding enemy combatants. We will debate endlessly about how to execute rapists and murderers as humanely as possible, and yet we will condone the practices of cruel and unusual punishment for animals." Or, as local resident Anne Scott put it, "These little ducks and geese suffer so much; it's so inhumane."