Boulder city council members and staff may soon implement new rules to curb “disruptive and inappropriate behavior” in council meetings.
“[I]n our desire to provide the greatest latitude for individuals to speak at our Council meetings, we have lost control of the meetings themselves,” council member Mark Wallach wrote in a Dec. 30 public email.
He pointed to “chanting, screaming, and threatening conduct that has created a hostile environment for other attendees and Council members” in the email.
The email came after council’s most recent, Dec. 19 meeting, which Wallach called “case in point.” Several community members spoke during the open comment session about Israel’s military campaign in Gaza, Islamophobia, antisemitism and criticized council for not pursuing a ceasefire resolution. Some cities across the country have implemented such resolutions, but Boulder declined to do so in February 2024, as did other municipalities such as Longmont and Denver.
After one speaker shouted “fuck you” to council after his time expired, Mayor Aaron Brockett called for a recess, during which council retreated to a secure area.
Council’s rules prohibit “disruptive conduct,” and Wallach wrote those rules need to be enforced and taken “a step further.” He suggested a warning for disruptions, followed by being asked to leave. He said those who won’t leave should be removed by police and banned from future meetings for a given amount of time.
“I believe this would effectively serve as a deterrent to the behaviors that have plagued us for the past several months,” he wrote.
City Manager Nuria Rivera-Vandermyde responded to Wallach’s email saying the concern was shared. She said the city attorney was preparing legal advice for confidential review and staff was looking at ways “to try to minimize disruptions as much as possible without infringing on the right of our residents to communicate with their elected officials.”
Boulder law allows city council and the city manager “to exclude or limit the public from in-person attendance … where a public health or safety concern exists.” At the request of one or more members, council will vote at the virtual Jan. 9 meeting to move the Jan. 16 and Feb. 6 meetings from in-person to virtual.