Seadrift holds final meeting before election, prepares for future council

During a special meeting held April 30, Seadrift City Council took action to prepare for incoming candidates from the May 2 election.   

Council unanimously voted to update the city’s election process, clarifying the order of operations by which the city integrates new elected officials following an election. In addition, Seadrift Interim-City Secretary Irma Parker stated that a new team of trained election volunteers was prepared to facilitate the upcoming and future election.

“This election was administered by the three ladies right there, and they handled this election. They came to me for directions or questions that they may have had, but, in the future, these three ladies right here can run your election because they’ve been trained. I’m very proud of them, I’m happy to work with them,” Parker said. “They did not attack any of the citizens that came in and gave them a hard time and there were some who did. When they are in charge of an election, they have the same authority as a district judge. They could have called the police and had those people come out.”

A budget work session was also conducted by council which went over several of the city’s financial concerns, such as unfunded mandates for Americans with Disability Act compliance, police email network laws, sewer plant updates and new election machines. Part of it also involved proposing update permitting fees, Parker said.

“Council can meet and call a session, and some of the items didn’t make it to the last council meeting, so it was asked for a meeting to be held again. One of the key things was to discuss the budget workshop session items. We wanted to provide as much information as we could to future possible council members that are present,” Parker said.

During public comments, election candidate Michael Trowbridge pushed back against the timing of the meeting due to its close proximity to the election. Former candidate Deede McGhee also spoke out against posts made by Parker on Facebook to candidate Danny Evans, reciting a comment made in response to the post.

“I see nothing in here that warrants having this special session. In two days, the city is going to vote to decide the fate of this quorum, a two thirds majority. We can’t wait two days? I stand before you right now to request that this council do nothing more than make a motion and second to adjourn without any discussion,” Trowbridge said. “Anything more can be construed as nothing more than being malicious.”

“The city secretary is not a random citizen commenting on Facebook. She is involved in the election process and she is speaking publicly in the middle of an active election while attacking a candidate. She accused the candidate of spreading disinformation and causing contention and trying to disrupt and possibly being the person who reported the city to Texas Commission on Environmental Quality,” McGhee said.

In response, Parker said that the city had not engaged in any form of election interference.

“We have not interfered with the election in any form or fashion. It has been conducted the correct way, but I cannot say it has been previously. But that’s not anything to do with this present election,” Parker said.

Along with the election-related items, Seadrift City Council also approved an agreement with Lynn Engineering for the city’s reverse osmosis water production plant for a total of $70,000. According to council member Alysa Jarvis, the project was originally funded by a Texas General Land Office grant and needed immediate action.

“If we don’t spend the money, we lose that money,” Jarvis said.

Action was also taken on the new welcome sign to Seadrift with council unanimously voting to select a location and to consider donation of palm trees from Seadrift Police Chief Cheyenne Beaver. 

The sign received criticism from Seadrift mayoral candidate Bill Cathey, who criticized the material quality of the sign and its impact on the city’s hotel occupancy tax fund, which is generated from taxes placed on hotels and which may only be drawn on for projects that increase tourism. In the sign’s defense, Seadrift council member Tracey Johnson stated that the signs would not draw more than one third of the approximately $200,000 in the budget.

“This is a sign that sings of craziness. You already passed this last month, and to cut our $200,000 fund in half, and I fear you are going to spend more money tonight. There will be lighting, surveying,” Cathey said. “The boats being produced are of a 3D foam that would last three to seven years. UV rays will destroy them, so expensive paint will have to be applied. The small print also says that heat above 85 will destroy them as well.” 

Also during the meeting, a wooden replica of the Mary Jo shrimp boat was donated to the Seadrift museum by Beaver and her family. Presenting the replica, Beaver stated that the donation was a symbolic reminder of the industry that originally helped build Seadrift and that she hoped it would reinforce the cultural identity of the bayside town.

“I come to you not only as the chief of police of our great city, but also as a granddaughter as well. It is with a deep sense of pride and gratitude for the community of Seadrift, a place that has been an integral part of my family's history for generations, that I come to you. My grandparents hold a profound appreciation for this town and all that it represents. They believe strongly in giving back to the community that shaped their lives and they instilled in our family the importance of preserving the stories and traditions that define Seadrift," Beaver said. "Seadrift was once a thriving fishing and oystering community, a place where hard-working families built their lives on the water. That legacy is an essential part of the town's identity, and it deserves to be preserved for future generations to understand and appreciate." 

Seadrift City Council meetings are held at 6:30 p.m. at Seadrift City Hall on the second Tuesday of every month. For more information or to see upcoming agendas, visit seadrifttx.org/.