AMY PHAN WEST, Westminster Councilmember.

By Jim Tortolano/Orange County Tribune

Discussion of a proposed ordinance intended to bring more decorum to famously-raucous meetings of the Westminster City Council on Wednesday night ended up being an example of the lack of such.

After nearly an hour, the council voted three to two in favor of the introduction and first reading of the law which would allow for chronic disrupters to be removed from the council chamber and/or charged with a misdemeanor.

In favor of the ordinance were Mayor Chi Charlie Nguyen, Vice Mayor Kimberly Ho and Councilmember Carlos Manzo. Opposed were Councilmembers Amy Phan West and NamQuan Nguyen.

Manzo opened the discussion by noting that recent meetings had turned into a circus-like “side show” with constant shouting and interruptions, And that’s what followed. West – and to a lesser extent, NamQuan Nguyen – hurled insults at the council majority, interrupting other members and defying efforts by the mayor to conduct the meeting.

West, who has been previously censured and sanctioned by the council majority, complained that she was a victim of “bias” and accused the mayor of financial misdeeds.

Her ally, NamQuan, called members of the council majority “jerks’ and “liars.” Tangled in the discussion were West’s comments about her bathroom needs during meetings and other departures from the measure at hand.

After the council majority defeated a proposed substitute motion to “take no action,” the final vote was held. 

 If approved at its second reading, the ordinance would take effect in 30 days.