Editor's Turn - Barry Bruce crosses the line

Last week the Hawaiian Gardens City Council imploded when Councilmember Barry Bruce crossed the line of council rules and accused Mayor Victor Farfan of deliberately not notifying members of the council and “arbitrarily” moving discussion of the proposed Sports Complex to be built on Fedde Middle School property forward on the council agenda-while at the same time adding two presentations to the Complex discussion.
Bruce was correct in that the Mayor should have notified the council about moving up the discussion of the Sports Complex before the agenda’s Oral Comments and the adding of two presentations to the discussion, including finance options available to the city and contract details with the ABC school district. But this type of move is done quite frequently at City Council meetings to accommodate residents who want to comment on the project, and not wait until later on to do so.
But to publicly humiliate city employees (the City Administrator, Council members) and consultants at the meeting crossed the line and violated the council’s as well as the state’s code on meeting rules of conduct and decorum.
He called City Administrator Ernesto Marquez a stooge of the Mayor, Mayor Pro Tem Michiko Oyama-Canada, and Councilman Mike Gomez. Bruce referred to the three council-members as “Baboons”, accusing then of rubber-stamping anything Marquez proposed. He added insult to injury by referring to the city’s finance advisor Mike Bush as a “long time parrot” of the council. He went on to accuse the three of using the council podium as a campaign podium, ignoring the fact he has been doing that since his election.
Councilman Gomez attempted to bring order to the meeting by interrupting Bruce and asking the Mayor to rule him out of order. The Mayor attempted to do so by pounding his gavel for order. Bruce ignored him and said, “you can pound the gavel all you want but I have more to say.” Gomez then asked the city attorney for a ruling. He demurred, referring to the council’s own code of conduct and the state code governing meetings.
Bruce’s public display of attacking his fellow council not only embarrassed himself but the city as well. (A Cerritos resident commented on our website that he had watched the Hawaiian Gardens City Council meeting and said he was shocked at the actions of Bruce and what he said about his fellow council members, the city administrator and consultants.) He must cross back over the line and observe the rules of decorum during the council meetings and negotiate rather than humiliate.
It’s good for the council, good for the city employees, good for the residents, and good for the city. Let’s hope Councilman Bruce thinks it is good for him too.