Court Rules to Protect Sleeping in Public

If it’s not part of a well-orchestrated campaign, it may as well be. For the second time in the past three weeks, the public comment portion of Santa Barbara’s City Council meeting was dominated by individuals complaining that city parks have been overrun by individuals engaging in public defecation, masturbation, and inebriation, among other offenses.

This week it was Anna Marie Gott, perhaps the council’s most relentless critic, detailing how a toddler crawling through the grass at Alice Keck Park Memorial Garden had to be taken to the emergency room after coming into contact with an unspecified cannabis product. As a result, Gott charged, the child’s parents have become the subject of a child welfare investigation. Two weeks before, it was onetime mayoral candidate and longtime council scold Wayne Scoles — famous for the blistering heat of his tirades — complaining that city police have abdicated their enforcement responsibilities when it comes to transgressions by street people. Speaking in vivid scatological detail, Scoles excoriated the council for failing the public. “You’re elected to do a job, not kiss butt,” he stormed. “We need enforcement; we do not need excuses.”

In both instances, Councilmember Jason Dominguez jumped in after public comment, challenging high-ranking city administrators to do more and rejecting their explanations. Both times, Mayor Cathy Murillo tried to rein in Dominguez, noting that council protocol does not allow councilmembers to discuss the issues raised during public comment period because they’ve not been agendized. “I wish you were more concerned about the people than public comment,” Dominguez shot back. This sparked Councilmember Randy Rowse to exclaim, “It’s public comment, not your comment.” Dominguez would later reply, “Why are you afraid of the truth, Mr. Rowse?” Dominguez will soon be facing re-election and is widely rumored to be considering a mayoral run against Murillo, with whom he has frequently locked horns.