Los Gatos Council Returns To Virtual Meetings After Disruptions

LOS GATOS, CA — Los Gatos Town Council meetings will be held virtually again until further notice, but not because of COVID-19 precautions.

Several in-person meetings since the council returned to the chambers have been interrupted by members of the public during verbal communications, leading to the public being removed from the room.

The next meeting on Oct. 19 will be held remotely, the town announced Friday.

In a statement to Patch, Town Manager Laurel Prevetti did not deny that the recent disruptions caused the switch back to remote meetings, adding that the delays were interrupting the council in performing its duties.

“The Council needs to conduct the business of the Town during its Town Council meetings,” Prevetti said. “By returning to Zoom, the Council looks forward to focusing on the work of the community with respect and dignity for all participants.”

Related: Los Gatos Council Meeting Disrupted During Public Comment Again

At the most recent meeting on Oct. 5, a resident directed verbal, unsubstantiated attacks at Mayor Marico Sayoc and her family, causing Sayoc to call a recess. Sayoc’s husband later confronted the speaker and had to be restrained by police. The meeting was delayed by about 45 minutes while the chamber was cleared, and Sayoc was not present when it resumed.

On Sept. 7, a public comment by Bryan Paul, the head of the police officers’ association, about the town’s dispatcher shortage situation led to heckling by a crowd of attendees after Sayoc attempted to cut off Paul when his allotted time expired. The chamber was cleared and the meeting was delayed for about an hour.

Under pandemic-related provisions to the Brown Act, public meetings can be held remotely, with public participation taking place virtually. But since Aug. 17, the council had been conducting hybrid meetings, with councilmembers in their chamber seats and the public able to participate both in-person and via Zoom.

"As elected officials, it is our job to take criticism, but it is not acceptable to attack other speakers, members of the public, or members of councilmembers' family," Vice Mayor Rob Rennie said to Patch after the Oct. 7 meeting.

Prevetti did not immediately respond to a question about whether the move back to remote meetings would be a temporary measure.

Los Gatos is not the only South Bay jurisdiction dealing with unruly in-person attendees as councils attempt to return to pre-pandemic norms. Similar situations have played out in Gilroy and San Jose.

In its weekly newsletter sent out Friday afternoon, Los Gatos officials added a statement that it “embraces diversity and strongly condemns hate speech and offensive, hateful language or racial intolerance of any kind at all Town meetings.”

View the agenda for next week's meeting here.