Seal Beach Council Bans Cell Phones

Driven to distraction by the chirps and rings of cell phones, Seal Beach this week became one of the first cities in the state to ban the devices from council meetings.

The decision was made in response to a recent rash of interruptions during council hearings and deliberations. It comes as public institutions from churches to movie theaters are asking people to shut their phones off.

Frustrations peaked in the city two weeks ago, when a phone continued to ring as a resident addressed council members. It prompted the ban’s author, Councilman John Larson, to yell in frustration: “Answer the phone!” As it turned out, the phone belonged to the man at the podium who had left it at his seat.

Those attending Monday’s council session were greeted with signs that showed a cell phone crossed out with the universal “no” symbol of a red circle and slash.

“I’m 80 years old, and we got along for many, many years without cell phones,” said Mayor William Doane, who represents the area’s Leisure World retirement community. “If they have to have a cell phone going off all the time, they shouldn’t be at the meetings.”

Other communities, including Dana Point and Santa Monica, recently asked the public to switch off their cell phones, though some officials rely on residents’ sense of common courtesy rather than rules to maintain decorum.

“We have had phones go off,” said Dennis Barlow, Burbank’s city attorney. “But if people start talking, we ask them to leave.”

In regulating cell phone use, officials know they are walking a fine line. To many people, the wireless units are a lifeline to work, family and baby sitters. And time will tell whether the bans reduce public participation in local government by giving busy people another reason not to attend meetings.

“It’s a case of overkill,” said Seal Beach resident Gordon Shanks, who attends most meetings. “There are too many rules. What are you going to do, have a policeman throw the offender out?”

Ban supporters, however, say the issue comes down to common courtesy. “It’s incredibly rude to the people who speak” to be interrupted by the ringing, said Seal Beach City Manager John Bahorski. “They can be very distracting.”

Councilman Larson agreed: “People can miss a phone call for the length of a meeting.”

City councils are just the latest entities to grapple with the issue. Many churches and movie theaters now have signs asking guests to turn off phones and pagers. Some high-end restaurants have followed suit.

At Los Angeles City Hall, no such ban is planned, but the mammoth 1928 landmark has something less grand buildings lack.

“Reception is so bad that it serves as an unintentional deterrent,” said David Greshwin, an aide to Council President Alex Padilla.