Is an ordinance a guideline?

Council member Steve del Guercio claims an ordinance is a guideline, not a rule book (“Controversial home gets council go-ahead,” Dec. 22). Unfortunately, I don’t think this argument is going to work with a Sheriff’s deputy giving someone a ticket for walking a dog off-leash, cutting down an oak without a permit or violating the city’s noise ordinance. I don’t think it would work with a judge, either. So how come our city council gets away with it?

Dave Fisher

La Cañada Flintridge