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Westminster sues two City Council members for 'dysfunctional and raucous' meetings
Westminster, California, USA - October 1, 2023: Traffic passes down Bolsa Ave by the iconic Welcome to Little Saigon.
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The city of Westminster is suing two of its sitting council members, Amy Phan West and NamQuan Nguyen, for repeatedly disrupting meetings and creating a “dysfunctional and raucous” atmosphere.
“The Mayor has been unable to manage their unruly behavior, and repeated efforts to obtain their compliance have failed,” the lawsuit states. “As a result, the City Council has ended meetings without accomplishing its business, met late into the night, and generally frustrated those interested in responsible, effective conduct of City meetings.”
In the lawsuit, city leaders are calling on the court to resolve the issue through mediation and are asking that the two council members pay legal fees. If that doesn’t work, the city is seeking “declaratory relief,” as well as an injunction against Phan West and Nguyen.
A court date is set for May.
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Phan West and Nguyen did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
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How we got here
Phan West and Nguyen were elected to the council in 2022 and are typically aligned in their votes.
Westminster has a long history of contentious meetings that has reached a head since Phan West and Nguyen were elected. Earlier this year, the council censured Phan West for a long list of violating city policies, including scolding residents from the dias.
According to the lawsuit, three recent meetings have gone on for more than 10 hours, with several of them extending into the wee hours of the morning. The lawsuit also cites six instances where the two council members spoke out of turn and interrupted other speakers.
Other remedies
To remedy the interruptions, the City Council voted to implement a “time limit policy” in which councilmembers can speak on an item for five minutes without interruption. However, according to the lawsuit, Phan West and Nguyen violated the policy and “impair the City Council’s ability to handle the public’s business.”
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The city has also passed a “Decorum Ordinance” under which City Council members must “make a respectful request” to the presiding officer to be heard and “wait respectfully until recognized.””
The first reading of the ordinance was in October, with Phan West and Nguyen voting against it. The second reading is scheduled for later this week.
Read the lawsuit
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But the game has changed: Congress voted to eliminate funding for public media across the country. Here at LAist that means a loss of $1.7 million in our budget every year. We want to assure you that despite growing threats to free press and free speech, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust. Speaking frankly, the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news in our community.
We’re asking you to stand up for independent reporting that will not be silenced. With more individuals like you supporting this public service, we can continue to provide essential coverage for Southern Californians that you can’t find anywhere else. Become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission.
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