Moynihan clashes with mayor at meeting

Outspoken former councilman Bryant Moynihan wanted to speak at Monday’s City Council meeting about Petaluma’s budget situation, but Mayor Pamela Torliatt said he didn’t step forward until after she’d closed the public comment period.

That sparked an unusual scene in which Moynihan began speaking anyway, Torliatt tried to gavel him down and then halted the meeting while waiting for police to arrive.

The incident began when Moynihan, a council member from 2001-2005, approached the speaker’s podium while the council was discussing how it wanted to address a $2.3 million budget shortfall.

Three speakers had previously addressed the council, following City Hall protocol by filling out a “speaker card” that the city clerk passes up to the mayor, who then calls the speakers up by name.

After those speakers were done, the discussion was brought back to the council, with Torliatt asking council members to agree on what direction to give the city manager regarding the budget.

At that point, Moynihan spoke into the podium microphone to say he had filled out a card and wanted to be heard.

“It was submitted after we finished public comment,” Torliatt said, referring to Moynihan’s speaker card.

“So you’re going to deny me the right to make a public comment on this issue?” Moynihan asked.

Torliatt suggested that Moynihan could return at the next meeting to speak, to which he replied, “I’m here right now and I’d like to make a public comment, madam mayor. Do you want to have me removed from this meeting or can I make my public comment?”

“Mr. Moynihan, you as a former council member know exactly what the procedure is at the council,” Torliatt said.

The two continued trying to speak over each other, voices rising, before Torliatt banged her gavel several times and asked Moynihan, “Can you please have some respect for this council chambers?”

“I have no respect for someone who does not allow public comment,” he replied.

Moynihan continued speaking, at which point the mayor called for the meeting to be adjourned and left the council chambers. Vice Mayor Teresa Barrett and council members David Glass and Tiffany Renée soon followed.

While the meeting was in recess, City Attorney Eric Danly was heard telling Moynihan that he needed to first be recognized by the mayor in order to address the council.

Zen Destiny, a frequent commenter at council meetings, was heard telling Moynihan that he had simply missed the public comment period and should “cool off.” Moynihan then left the council chambers.

A call was also apparently made to Petaluma police during the recess, and two officers were present during the rest of the meeting.

After about five minutes, the mayor re-opened the meeting. She said that before the recess, she was about to ask the council whether it wanted to re-open public comment, but that Moynihan continued to speak out of turn.

“I want to apologize for the disturbance,” Torliatt said. “Unfortunately, it was very disruptive.”

In an e-mail Tuesday, Moynihan claimed the public comment period for the budget discussion had never been closed by the mayor.

After hearing from the three speakers, Torliatt had asked, “Would anyone else like to speak to this agenda item?” No one stepped forward, at which point she said, “I’m going to bring it back to the council.”

Moynihan said he was at home watching the meeting on television, and then went to City Hall expecting to speak because the mayor didn’t “gavel close” the public comment period.

(Contact Corey Young at corey.young@arguscourier.com)