The annual Christmas in the Park event at Teague’s 8th Avenue Park has become a cherished tradition for locals and visitors since it first began in 2016. However, recent changes within the event’s planning committee have prompted administrators of the City of Teague to form their own sub-committee to plan and facilitate the City’s Christmas events moving forward.
City Administrator/Secretary Theresa Prasil presented a brief history of the event and its committee to the Board of Aldermen Monday, December 17, 2018.
According to Prasil, the event was first conceptualized after the City received a large donation of Christmas decorations, lights, and inflatables from citizens Mike and Sherri Gregory in April of 2016.
With added participation from local businesses, volunteers, and City staff, the first Christmas in the Park event was a huge success.
Prasil told the Council that in 2017, the City first became aware of a Christmas in the Park Committee consisting of private citizens when Mr. Gregory presented plans for the future of that year’s event at the Chamber of Commerce Banquet.
At that time, Prasil sent a letter to the Committee to determine who was serving on the committee, its mission, and their plans involving the city-owned park. In July of 2017, Bill Bowers presented the committee’s dossier to the City Council.
With more businesses becoming involved and community fundraising efforts, the Committee was able to pay for the expansion of electricity to the west side of the park and further develop the Christmas event in 2017.
Now, with Mr. Gregory’s recent departure from the Committee, and the ownership of certain decorations and equipment in question, the future of the event is not so certain.
According to Prasil, between the four active Committee board members, some volunteers, and City staff, the park was able to open on schedule this year on November 28th.
“It’s a joint effort,” said Prasil. “It’s still a City park. We work together.
“The committee that currently exists is community volunteers. A lot of people thought the committee was the City’s committee.” she elaborated, “So there’s people that donated stuff to the City for decorations. People donated to the Committee – they’ve fundraised and purchased things for the Committee.
“There’s been some confusion on what belongs to who; there’s been some disagreements on certain items. We’re trying this year to get it organized.”
According to Prasil, the City and Committee are working to inventory the decorations and equipment. However, citing the current tension and uncertainty between the two entities, Prasil suggested to Aldermen that they establish a Christmas in the Park sub-committee under the City Council to provide structure to the planning of the event and ensure its continuation in the future.
Another potential issue is the Committee’s lack of 501(c)3 status, which Prasil says could become an issue when the new tax laws take effect in January 1, 2019.
According to Prasil, while the Committee maintains a bank account for monetary donations and funds raised, they do not operate under the traditional by-laws and operations of an official committee.
“It’s City property, it’s a City thing. We still need to figure out the structure between the two,” Prasil continued.
“We can merge them [the committees] together and create one sub-committee. If their committee and volunteers don’t want to do that we [the City] can still create one and then figure out how we can work together.
“We as a City have to look out for the best interests of the community and keeping that event going on.”
Prasil questioned Committee members in attendance, including Debbie Sanoja and Brittany Brown, as to whether the Committee would meet soon to reorganize and discuss the disassembly of this year’s decorations.
“When it [the park decorations] comes down what’s going to happen?” asked Prasil, “Are we going to work as a joint effort or not?”
“We actually need to call a meeting,” answered Sanoja. “We plan on regrouping, plan on getting more members, because of all the situations that happened. I mean it happened right at the time we needed to start decorating.
“Yes, we’ll have a meeting, but we plan on restructuring everything and having just as strong a committee as we always have.”
Prasil says the benefit of setting up a City sub-committee to plan and execute Christmas decorating and events would be a secure structure and financial auditing.
Furthermore, the City’s Christmas in the Parks committee would encompass all of the city parks, including 8th Avenue, Jefferson Park, and the Aycock Memorial Park downtown.
She reiterated that the current committee could choose merge with the City’s sub-committee or continue to operate in their capacity as community volunteers.
“So if it were combined like you’re talking about, then it could basically function the way it has been, but it would be under the auspices of the City with legal and financial protection,” clarified Alderman Jerry Ballew.
“We would hope that they [the current committee] would come aboard, but they don’t have to,” remarked Prasil, “I mean we would hope they would because we’ve worked as a team to get this [Christmas in the Park] done.
“Their funds that they raise are theirs…whatever they choose to do with it is theirs. I want to make that clear.” explained Prasil, “The one thing I put in place because of the confusion and controversy, is that only City owned and City donated property is what will be stored on City property.
“Due to the current issue we’re facing, I don’t want any more accusations of stuff being taken or not being taken that’s City owned,” she clarified.
“Do y’all have a problem merging with the City?” Alderman Ron Rasbeary asked committee board member Debbie Sanoja.
“We have to have a meeting,” answered Sanoja. “I can’t say yes or no. We are a committee, not one person can answer that.”
With the committee’s last meeting in November – and no meeting scheduled as of Monday’s council meeting, and a list of board members that had not been updated since 2017, Aldermen were motivated to accept Prasil’s suggestion to form their own sub-committee to insure that this year’s display is properly divided and future events continue without interruption.
“We have a park that has to be decorated,” said Prasil. “It’s a trend that has started that everybody enjoys. We have to protect it.
“My disappointment is, if their committee is more than just the three or four people that came out and decorated, they did not participate as they were.
“There’s not going to be another [Council] meeting before we end Christmas and there’s going to be everything to disassemble and figure out where it goes and what happens,” continued Prasil.
“And right now with all the accusations and people claiming that this is theirs and not the City’s, we have issues and its very stressful and it puts a lot of people in the middle. People’s names are being run through the mud. The City staff don’t want to go through it anymore so we’re asking for a committee to be formed and if their board wants to merge on and come on board we would like that, because they have been the driving force behind it, with the City.”
Alderman Ballew made the motion that the City establish the Christmas in the Parks sub-committee as recommended with one Alderman, one City employee, and seven community volunteers to coordinate and direct the Christmas activities in all the City parks.
With a second from Alderman Rasbeary and a unanimous vote, the new sub-committee was formed.
Council members will vote on the Alderman and City employee to serve on the committee, with Prasil and Mayor James Monks to select the community volunteers.
The Times will provide updates on the new sub-committee, its members, and meeting times as it becomes available.
As to the future plans of the existing Christmas in the Park committee, a meeting is set for Sunday, December 23rd.
Committee member Brittany Brown shared this statement with The “Times” on behalf of the committee:
“As a committee, we would like everyone to know, even those asking to remain anonymous, that we appreciate all of the support and assistance in making this year successful. We are thankful to have had the City of Teague’s help this year with set up and maintenance.”
The committee would also like to thank this year’s major donors, CenTex Credit Union of Mexia for their purchase of a new Rudolph, and Citizens State Bank of Teague for the purchase of a new Frosty.
The “Times” will continue to update readers on the formation of the City’s Christmas in the Parks sub-committee, as well as the Christmas in the Park volunteer committee.
