Bastrop City Council Passes Resolution Amid Political Divisions and Public Distrust

Council apologizes to Bridging Bastrop chair for offensive remarks made by Council Member Cheryl Lee, sparks debate over transparency and procedural rules

In a heated meeting on Tuesday, the Bastrop City Council approved a 4-1 resolution [URL: https://www.bastropcivicclub.com/ resolution.pdf] apologizing to Sheila Lowe, chair of the Bridging Bastrop Board, for remarks made by Council Member Cheryl Lee at a previous meeting. The resolution passed with Lee as the sole dissenting vote.

The controversy arose when the council, in a 4-1 vote on July 9, changed the name of the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Board to Bridging Bastrop at the recommendation of the board itself. Lee expressed concerns about the name change, criticizing the board's work and questioning its efficiency and understanding of the city's ADA compliance.

Sheila Lowe, chair of Bridging Bastrop, found Lee's remarks offensive, stating:

“I respected [Lee’s] comments, but I also found it slightly offensive that [Lee’s] remarks seemed to downplay the board’s work.”

In response, council members Cynthia Meyer and Kevin Plunkett sponsored the apology resolution. Meyer defended the resolution, referencing a letter from Lowe that explained the embarrassment and personal attack she felt from Lee's comments. Meyer said, "She's a volunteer. She expected something to be done. I would say that was pretty harmful to Ms. Lowe's reputation."

The meeting also debated a proposed change to lower the council's quorum from four to three members, which exposed political divisions and trust issues. Council Member Kerry Fossler proposed the change to prevent private discussions between council members, ensuring transparency in the council's operations. Fossler stated, "The people's business needs to stay in front of the people... This is the perfect invitation for us to say loud and clear how much we value transparency."

However, resident Cheryl Long criticized Fossler's proposal, citing a letter distributed by Fossler that accused three council members of dishonesty. Long called the proposal a "last-minute distraction," wasting time and taxpayer money on an unnecessary change.

Despite opposition, the proposal gained support from residents who favored increased transparency. The council plans to vote on the rule changes, including the quorum adjustment, on August 13.