Call it a concert conflict compromise; after a series of lively debates at City Hall, the decision was made to allow a praise-worship service and a fundraising rock concert to both take place at the Hancock Park pavilion on Halloween.
“Two permits were issued,” stated City Manager Allison Martin via email in response to The Nugget’s queries on Monday morning.
That means the Christian-based praise event called Faithfully Testify can take place from 3 to 7 p.m. and then Spirits Tavern’s annual rock show will take the stage from 8 p.m. to midnight, with music and alcohol sales ending at 11:30 p.m. for the latter event.
Though it originally appeared that the matter was coming to a vote, the call was ultimately made on an administrative level by Martin herself.
“After much research, our attorney determined that the line requiring the council to approve a first-time event was a COVID-era provision that should have been removed from the [application] form at the end of the pandemic,” explained Martin. “As such, the review and permitting process is under the jurisdiction of the city manager as established by ordinance.”
That decision came after a trio of well-attended meetings in which local residents spoke for or against submitted event applications which had requested the pavilion on the same spooky night.
The most recent discussion occurred at the May 18 meeting when Mayor Sam Norton made the decision to open up the floor to attendees even though that’s not the traditional work session format.
“We’re going to be kind of coloring outside the lines a little bit,” he said. “All I ask of the public is to please direct your comments and angst to me because I’m the one sitting at the table. … Don’t call each other out. And just remember we are a small community and everybody’s trying to do the best they can. And we will all see each other at Walmart.”
WHERE TO PARK
The discussion kicked off with Faith Mihok, of Faithfully Testify, reiterating her stance that she had done everything that was asked of her to secure the pavilion on Halloween night.
“I have followed protocol,” she said. “And all this has gotten drummed up. We just want to have our event and by the time this next vote happens it will be seven months of waiting for this.”
Mihok originally submitted her application to the City on November 11 of last year.
Meanwhile, Sabrina Walker of Spirits Tavern said that she held back her application until April because in years past her fundraising concert hasn’t been approved until much closer to the event.
Council members had tabled a vote on the matter at a previous meeting in hopes of finding a compromise between the two parties. It was a point that council member Johnny Ariemma made clear at the work session.
“I really looked at it. And I prayed about it and looked at it,” he said when addressing Mihok. “But an application is just that, an application is a request. This governing board at this table determines what we’re going to do. So thank you for applying, you did everything correct by the book, no question about it. But I look forward to going to both events. Yours and theirs. There’s no reason in the world we, as Christians, can’t share the park.”
Throughout the process, Mihok maintained that she had applied for the pavilion properly and did not want to alter her initial request.
Meanwhile, supporters of Faithfully Testify said the City was showing favoritism for not simply approving the event.
“If you are to make her change her event based on somebody else applying right now it looks like you’ve left the window open for a better or more impressive or higher revenue event to come in and swoop in and take the space,” said Brandon Parham. “ … It doesn’t do any favors for our community. … It almost looks like a headhunting situation.”
Shenanigans Irish Pub owner Deb Rowe also took to the podium and said that she’d like to see the two sides find a way to share the space.
“We’re neighbors,” she said. “You mentioned, Faith, that you guys have a business on the square. And to me it’s going to surprise a lot of people, but as Amy Ray would say ‘I’m a God-fearing lesbian.’ And I am certain that it says in The Book to love your neighbor as yourself, so ultimately, I hope that the two of you guys can come up with something that fits that.”
That meeting ended with the declaration that a vote was on the way at the June 1 meeting.
“If it was an easy decision, we wouldn’t have a room full of people here,” said Norton. “But we will vote on it and we will vote to give staff direction.”
However, that vote never occurred, and instead the decision came from Martin herself. At the June meeting, Norton explained that the City would be switching back to the pre-COVID protocol.
“It takes the politics out of it and puts it where it should be,” he said, “with a professional staff.”
When asked to elaborate on her reasoning behind her decision, Martin indicated that she followed the City’s ordinance.
“The applications were assessed against the parameters of the ordinance,” she said. “The ordinance also allows for modifications to the submitted applications. Given that, I made the decision to allot time for each applicant’s event and provided those modifications in writing to the applicants.”
Meanwhile, Walker said she was fine with the decision, but her frustration with the whole process was apparent.
“This entire thing could have been a non-issue if the City’s administrative offices handled things correctly from the beginning," she said via text. "Hopefully this will encourage the council and staff to review and revise ordinances and application processes.”
The Nugget reached out to Mihok for comment but, as of press-time, had received no response.