SANTA ANA : City Forbids Release of Employee Names

City Council members who release the addresses of city employees for private and political use can now be slapped with a misdemeanor charge under an ordinance the council approved Monday night.

Councilman Richards L. Norton, who introduced the ordinance, said the new law protects the privacy of city employees.

The council approved the ordinance 6 to 1, despite vigorous opposition from Norton’s nemesis, Councilman Daniel E. Griset, who had called the ordinance “a cute political ploy.”

Griset protested that the restriction was too narrow and would make common criminals out of council members. If found guilty of violating the ordinance, council members could face a $600 fine.

City employees are already protected by the state law, which prohibits the release of confidential information about employees, Griset said.

The proposal stems from a dispute between Norton and Griset, who were competing for a council seat in the 1988 election, over whether the city could legally release the addresses of its employees. Griset had sent letters to about 300 police officers, decrying the police union’s endorsement of Norton.

The ordinance prohibits the release of addresses and telephone numbers from personnel records by city council members for private, business, or political use.