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Gilroy council pulls proposed meeting decorum ordinance from consent calendar after public objections
Summary
Item 8.8, a proposed ordinance restricting clapping and certain noises in council chambers, was removed from the consent calendar after residents urged public hearing and broader input; mayor defended the proposal as aimed at preventing unintentional intimidation.
Council removed item 8.8 (a proposed decorum ordinance that would limit clapping and noise during public comment) from the consent calendar after multiple speakers asked that the measure be pulled for fuller public discussion.
Georgine Scott Codiga (Americans for Transparency) and Mary Yates, both longtime community participants, told the council the policy should not be adopted quietly on consent and called for a public hearing and clearer enforcement procedures. "If this moves forward at all, it should only be after real public input and with the same clear written procedures for enforcement that this policy demands of us," Codiga said.
Mayor Greg Bozzo explained the intent behind the proposal: to reduce "unintentional intimidation" by large groups during public comment and to protect individuals who might be deterred from speaking. He said the open government committee had discussed changes since the COVID period and supported the update. The mayor said he would support the ordinance but agreed to pull it from consent for further consideration. Council later approved the rest of the consent calendar (excluding item 8.8) by roll call vote.
