Title
AN ORDINANCE relating to rules related to conduct by the public for public comment, testimony and attendance at council and council committee meetings; and amending Ordinance 11683, Section 10, as amended, and K.C.C. 1.24.095.
Body
BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COUNCIL OF KING COUNTY:
SECTION 1. Findings:
A. The meetings of the King County council, its standing, regional and special committees are limited public forums.
B. It is constitutionally permissible for the council to implement rules of decorum that preserve the orderly and efficient running of its meetings.
C. Rules of decorum may regulate the time, place and manner of speech in a limited public forum as well as the content of speech as long as content-based regulations are viewpoint neutral and enforced that way.
D. Disruptive behavior by some individuals during meetings has prevented the convening body from accomplishing its business in a reasonably efficient manner. The disruptive behavior of such individuals has escalated in frequency and duration of disruption. Examples of the disruptive behavior that have occurred include: refusing to stop speaking when their comment or testimony period has expired; repetitious speech; speaking in loud voices directed at no one or indiscriminately at others attending a meeting causing the others in attendance to be unable to hear the proceedings; using signs that block the view of others attending the meeting; standing during meetings, which has resulted in blocking either the views of others or reasonable ingress or egress of other audience members and staff; and during testimony period, refusing to speak to the subjects or ordinances at issue. Such individuals have repeatedly disregarded the directions from the chair regarding public participation rules, disrupted the orderly running of the meeting, been ruled out of order and refused to abide by that ruling and then been removed from meetings.
E. The rules established in this ordinance a...

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