The city of Westminster is suing two of its sitting council members, Amy Phan West and NamQuan Nguyen, for repeatedly disrupting meetings and creating a “dysfunctional and raucous” atmosphere.
“The Mayor has been unable to manage their unruly behavior, and repeated efforts to obtain their compliance have failed,” the lawsuit states. “As a result, the City Council has ended meetings without accomplishing its business, met late into the night, and generally frustrated those interested in responsible, effective conduct of City meetings.”
In the lawsuit, city leaders are calling on the court to resolve the issue through mediation and are asking that the two council members pay legal fees. If that doesn’t work, the city is seeking “declaratory relief,” as well as an injunction against Phan West and Nguyen.
A court date is set for May.
Phan West and Nguyen did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
How we got here
Phan West and Nguyen were elected to the council in 2022 and are typically aligned in their votes.
Westminster has a long history of contentious meetings that has reached a head since Phan West and Nguyen were elected. Earlier this year, the council censured Phan West for a long list of violating city policies, including scolding residents from the dias.
According to the lawsuit, three recent meetings have gone on for more than 10 hours, with several of them extending into the wee hours of the morning. The lawsuit also cites six instances where the two council members spoke out of turn and interrupted other speakers.
Other remedies
To remedy the interruptions, the City Council voted to implement a…
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