The discussion in Cypress turned heated Monday after Mayor Scott Minikus acknowledged visiting the Cypress Festival Committee without consulting the Council to “ask” them to scrap political booths this year.
Further, the city approved a payment of $5,000 to the Festival, which officials later denied was a payment to compensate the festival for the lack of political booths, but rather, a carryover payment from last year.
Had not Council member David Burke pulled the item from the consent calendar, the item would have been approved without a discussion.
“The Cypress Community Festival is run by a private entity, a non-profit organization assisted by volunteers, so I attend board meetings and routinely speak to them,” said Burke
The festival in the past routinely had given candidates for public office the chance to purchase a booth and “had planned on having political booths the whole year and some people had already signed up,” said Burke.
Burke said there were plenty of opportunities throughout the year to raise concerns, so he questioned why all of a sudden, the change. “The council never discussed or voted on that,” he said.
“Fast forward to last month when I learned Mayor Minikus reached out to a festival board member and told him that he didn’t think the festival should have political booths this year and that he had concerns about the dates chosen for this year’s festival,” continued Burke.
“And then two weeks ago, Mayor Minikus met again with Festival committee board members with the city attorney present and reiterated his concerns,” said Burke.
He said the Cypress Festival committee members told the Mayor they already had signups for political booths.
“At some point, it was stated or implied that the city may be able to compensate the festival for lost revenue if they decided to forgo the political booths,” Burke said.
“I’m a little bit uncomfortable here, with, I guess the process that got us here, because the Council has never discussed whether the city should intervene and whether the festival should have political booths,” he told Minikus.
“I understand Mayor Minikus may have that opinion…but it didn’t go though our usual decision-making process,” suggesting, of course, that the Mayor went rogue in visiting the Cypress Festival Board members without any directive from the Council.
He read a brief statement from the Cypress Festival Committee that said their decision not to have political booths “was made in response to a request by Mayor Minikus.”
“I don’t feel we followed the right process,” said Burke.
Minikus said “a lot of things came into play” before he decided to ask the Cypress Festival to cancel political booths.
He cited “ongoing political violence across our country,” without being specific, and tried to say the city’s insurance carrier inquired if any “political activity” would occur at the festival, which Burke said later were standard questions.
The mayor said the city’s insurance carrier requested a copy of the Cypress Police Department’s emergency response plan, a request which the PD refused.
“As you can imagine, the police department does not reveal its safety planning,” Minikus said. “For obvious reasons related to the insurance company’s concern, the festival decided not to have political booths at the festival,” the mayor said.
“The festival didn’t just wake up one morning and decide to do this,” said Burke, noting money had already been collected by Festival Associstion for booths.
“I don’t think any council member should be going out there on their own, no matter how passionately they feel about the issue. It may have been intimidating or they may have felt pressure and that’s not how we want to be doing business,” said Burke.
Minikus suggested it was “leadership” and objected to Burke.
“I have to say that I take objection to your comment as well. There was at no time in my conversations with (them), I never at any time threatened them gave them the impression of threatening them whatsoever,” said Minikus.
Turning to Burke, raising his voice slightly, Minikus told him “so do not ever make that claim, even slightly, again.”
Burke asked Minikus to stop the threats.
“I’m not threatening you, I’m just clarifying the facts.
City attorney Fred Galante took umbrage at any suggestion that he went with Minikus to meet with the Cypress Festival to pressure them.
“I was there because the city does fund this particular event and there was some question about whether there’s any issue that potentially discriminates against a certain religion and having the city make that contribution when certain candidates could not attend,” said Galante.
As it turns out, Mark Plager, a candidate for City Council in District 3 said during oral communications that “I’m also the Jewish candidate who created this mess.”
He said he spoke to Mayor Minikus and said “we have a problem. Your having the city festival (Cypress Community Festival) on Yom Kippur, which this year falls on Oct. 12, the same day as the festival.
“I am now being handicapped against my competitors,” said Prager. “We can make this very public,” Prager said he told Minikus, “or we can do this as we’re taught in the Torah, you keep it quiet.”
“I brought this to light, and I am heartbroken to hear council members say I have a choice. This is Yom Kippur; my holiest day and you have two candidates who are Jewish.”
“If you allow political booths at the festival, but you can count on it that I will say it was prejudiced.”
During oral communications, citizens said pretty much they didn’t like what they see, while others wondered what the fuss was all about.
“Since I’ve been coming, I’ve been pretty much disgusted. I’ve watched representatives threaten people, which they say they didn’t, I’ve watched council members demeanor people, which they say they don’t, and I’ve watched arguments like little children, fighting back and forth, said Bob Youngsma.
“I’ve watched things voted on that are purely a power play, and it’s pretty disgusting.”
Long-time resident Tom Moore said, “I have found over the past couple of years, the fabric of democracy in this city has frayed, and in fact, torn.”
“I speak to my friends outside of Cypress and they see what occurs in this Chamber as a black comedy of small-town politics, the ham-fisted approval of a trash contract, bumbling $1.3 million waste of taxpayer money to fight an existing law, and the cowardly swapping of district maps at the 11th hour,” he said.
“And now, an autocratic mayor who is trying to prevent candidates from presenting themselves at the annual Fall Festival. In essence, he called out Mayor Minikus for accusing Council member Frances Marquez (in the past) of leaking confidential information, which is crime, without providing any proof. What is just as disturbing is that Mayor Minikus lays out these verbal attacks without any pushback from the ruling majority.”
Moore inferred in a series of other statements that Minikus was a bully, “bullying other Council members,” which is a direct violation of the city’s civility code.
“I am deeply concerned about the tone of our mayor,” said resident Marilyn Rhames. “ and I can’t tell you, how much I care as a resident, how every person, particularly someone in leadership, speaks to his colleagues.”
“I think Mayor Minikus does not fully comprehend how you come across to your fellow council members. You come across as condescending, rude and arrogant and it’s not a good look for you, because I know you’re a nice guy, but you really have a lot of work to do.”
Pearl Bolter, said “what’s going on here, why are people so concerned and up in arms about this and why are we not talking about the great things in our city, which is what we should be talking about.”
She complimented the police department, the business community, and the city’s overall infrastructure. “Why should Cypress be defined by its trash contract,” she wondered. “We are lower than the median of cities around us and we have the lowest sales tax so why are we not supporting the amazing city,” Bolten said.
Regarding the political booths, the ban does not apply to “informational booths” from current elected officials or the Cypress City Council. They will still have a booth entitled
“Meet Your City Council member,” which will presumably be open for visitation to all citizens who attend the festival.