Rules of Decorum out the window with this commission in Lake Worth

Comment Up

The mayor and this commission has not followed the Rules of Decorum.  I have spoken about this on several occasions--have written the mayor, city attorney and the city manager.  What occurred in the city chamber on Tuesday night by a volatile resident who is well known in the judicial system, was an abomination to all decency.

When you have senior citizen James Addison, well known resident from a pioneer family, getting thrown out of the chamber for using the word "shit," Mr. P should have been stopped dead in his tracks before he was allowed to continue with his 2 minute hate speech/rant, directly threatening unnamed citizens with his vile and intense promise to inflict retribution (he succeeded in his mission to get someone fired from her job and bragged about it) on those for something offensive that only exists in his own  "mind" on legally unproven "he said; she said." He says he won't accept hate in our community but by his acts, he is committing the most hate of all. He has mentioned the names of his targets on his Facebook page and a few are senior citizens one of whom is 80 years old.

It has been a trend of this commission (no other has allowed it) to allow citizens to make personal attacks towards others in this chamber and these attacks have become more brazen. We want to know when the commission, especially the Mayor, will follow its own rules and insist on civility.

415 RULE 14
DECORUM FOR CITIZEN PARTICIPATION

(a) In support of and respect for an open, fair and informed decision-making process, the
City Commission and Administration recognize that:

(1) Civil, respectful and courteous discourse and behavior are conducive to the
democratic and harmonious airing of concerns and decision making; and

(2) Un-civil discourse and/or discourteous and inappropriate behavior have a
negative impact on the character and productivity of the decision-making process.

(b) In an effort to preserve the intent of open government and maintain a positive
environment for citizen input and Commission decision-making, the following Rules of
Decorum for Citizen Participation have been established.

Compliance with these rules is expected and appreciated. The Rules of Decorum for
Citizen Participation will be included in the agenda and will be referenced at the beginning
of each Commission meeting and Commission Work Session by the Chair. A written list of
the Rules of Decorum for Citizen Participation will also be printed and mounted upon the
walls of the Commission Chamber and Conference Room and upon the speaker’s podium
in the Commission Chamber.

(1) Speakers will conduct themselves in a civil and respectful manner at all times.

(2) Speakers will address the Chair.

(3) Questions to Commission members or City staff will be facilitated by the Chair.

(4) Speakers will refrain from the use of obscene language, “fighting words” likely to
incite violence from the individuals(s) to whom the words are addressed, or other
language which is disruptive to the orderly and fair progress of discussion at the
meeting.

(5) Speakers will refrain from making comments of a personal nature regarding
others.

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(6) Name-calling and/or obscenity is forbidden.

(7) Shouting, yelling or screaming is forbidden.

(8) Commission Work Session or Public Hearing attendees (audience) will refrain
from commenting, shouting, booing, clapping, stomping feet or other
inappropriate and/or disruptive behavior. Brief clapping is permissible at the end
of a speaker’s comments.

(c) It is the intent of Commission to maintain order and enforce the Rules of Decorum for
Citizen Participation for its meetings. Disregard of these rules will be met with the
following consequences:

(1) The Chair will identify out loud the out-of-compliance behavior and request for the
behavior to stop;

(2) The Chair will ask the speaker to have a seat if he/she continues to disrupt the
meeting;

(3) If the speaker refuses to have a seat, the Chair will recess the meeting; and

(4) Will instruct a law enforcement officer to instruct the speaker to stop the
disruptive conduct and escort the speaker out of the meeting venue.