City Council President Melissa Mazzeo proposed adding state language into the City Council's rules that makes it clear that the president has the right to have a disruptive person removed.

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — After a series of disruptions during the open microphone period of City Council's meetings, the council's ordinance and rules subcommittee is embracing language in state law making it clear that the council president is in charge.

 

On Monday, the subcommittee unanimously approved adding "No person shall address a meeting of a public body without permission of the chair, and all persons shall, at the request of the chair, be silent. No person shall disrupt the proceedings of a meeting of a public body. If, after clear warning from the chair, a person continues to disrupt the proceedings, the chair may order the person to withdraw from the meeting and if the person does not withdraw, the chair may authorize a constable or other officer to remove the person from the meeting" to the City Council's rules.

 

"When the City Council has its meeting, it is really the City Council's meeting," President Melissa Mazzeo said. "You can't be disruptive during these proceedings."

 

The language is directly from state law and was added to emphasize the point to residents who may only read the council's rules of order.

 

"Whether we amend this or not, these are still open meeting laws," said subcommittee member Jonathan Lothrop. 

 

Additionally, Mazzeo's petition changed wording that said residents had to sign up before 7:30 p.m. to "prior to the start of the meeting." The City Council had changed its meeting time from 7:30 to 7 but forgot to change that reference in the rules.

 

The changes come after multiple disruptions during the open microphone period. Resident Craig Gaetani has argued with Mazzeo over use of that period for some months and at one point, a police officer was on hand after a recess was called. Mazzeo was on the verge of having Gaetani escorted out. He has been ruled out of order multiple times by Mazzeo and engaged in brash arguments with the president. 

 

Gaetani has contended that he may speak for more than the three minutes allowed if others yield their time to him. Recently, he has been attempting to recite campaign speeches for his run for mayor by signing up for himself and other residents, which Mazzeo has disallowed.

 

He also previously filed a petition, which was rejected, calling for residents to have the ability to engage in debate with councilors during that period. At a recent meeting, he showed up 20 minutes late and demanded to sign in, citing the City Council's rules that hadn't been changed to 7 p.m. The following week, he again argued that Mazzeo was in the wrong by not allowing him to speak 20 minutes into the meeting, well past the open microphone period.

 

"It is a council meeting and not a give and take," Mazzeo said.

 

The subcommittee supported the changes in language to the rules. The City Council as a whole needs to adopt the language before it can be implemented.