Juneteenth event organizer removed from Mecklenburg parks board amid fee dispute
A Mecklenburg County Park and Recreation Commission member and the board’s chair were removed from their positions last week following a dispute over venue fees for a Juneteenth event.
Apryl Lewis, appointed in November 2021 as the Central Region 2 commissioner, was unanimously removed from her position by the Mecklenburg County Board of County Commissioners during its June 7 meeting.
In the same meeting, parks commission chair Blanche Penn was not reappointed after a motion to do so died without a second. She served as a commissioner since 2018 and as chair since 2021, and her current term expires June 30. County rules permitted her to serve one more term.
Lewis said she is considering a defamation lawsuit against Park and Recreation Director Lee Jones and Park and Recreation Commission Vice Chair Mark Loflin. Lewis said she felt Jones and Loflin’s conduct and comments unfairly “portrayed (her) as a violent person” following a heated May 10 Park and Recreation Commission meeting where Lewis organized a protest of Park and Recreation’s fee charges. Lewis will meet with an attorney Tuesday, she said.
In an email sent to Penn May 11, Jones wrote he was disappointed in Lewis’ “less than professional” conduct and that she “stormed” toward him as he delivered comments assuring the protesters he was committed to equitable treatment for groups seeking to use Park and Recreation spaces. Penn said she felt Jones’ description of the events was inaccurate, and Dianna Davis, a member of the Park and Recreation North Advisory Council who attended the meeting, said she didn’t feel safety was an issue during the meeting.
Loflin refused to comment, and an automatic email response indicated Jones was away from his office until June 21 when The Charlotte Observer contacted him for comment. The Observer emailed Peter Cook, Park and Recreation deputy director. A response from Andrew Fair, Mecklenburg County deputy public information director, refused to comment beyond “what was shared at the (June 7) board meeting.”
At the June 7 meeting, Lewis addressed county commissioners about her conduct at the May 10 meeting. Before the meeting, she requested more than three minutes to explain her actions, but Chairman George Dunlap said she would receive the same amount of time as other speakers.
When Lewis’ microphone was cut at the three minute mark, one supporter protested that she “had not been heard.” Lewis left the podium and exited the chamber afterward.
County commission Vice Chair Elaine Powell said she didn’t feel Lewis’ “adversarial” behavior was appropriate for a board member and made the unanimously approved motion to have Lewis removed. No discussion occurred about not reappointing Penn. The Observer attempted to contact Powell but received no response.
‘Hoops and red tape’
The May 10 protest was intended to draw attention to what Lewis said is an equity issue. Charges to host events at county venues make it difficult for local nonprofits to use public space for their events, Lewis said, especially smaller community organizations. After months of negotiation with Jones failed to produce a satisfactory contract, Lewis organized a small protest, including herself and five children who were involved in the event, the Juneteenth Youth Experience.
Lewis said she first approached the commission hoping to negotiate terms to host the Juneteenth Youth Experience event at Romare Bearden Park on behalf of Action NC, a nonprofit advocating for education, economic justice and leadership development in “poor and working-income communities.”
“Since November 2021, I’d actually been pushing for fewer programming fees, partnership with grassroots organizations, especially when it comes to youth events,” Lewis said. “I wanted definitely to use Romare Bearden Park because it’s in the middle of everywhere, the middle of town, and I wanted the kids, the youth entrepreneurs, to feel spotlighted and appreciated. That conversation started in November.”
Lewis said “hoops and red tape” necessary for smaller organizations to utilize park space for events frustrated her. She began the process to reserve Romare Bearden Park on March 29.
“I asked whether we could host some kind of trainings or workshops so that my young entrepreneurs would understand exactly what it took to have a successful event with Park and Rec,” Lewis said. “They had a clear opportunity to develop whatever it took to ensure the youth understood what their expectations were to utilize the park.”
When she received the final contract, Lewis learned it would cost the organization $2,256 after a 50% fee waiver was applied due to Action NC’s nonprofit status. The contract also required an amusement permit, a tent/canopy permit and a written statement from volunteers committing to provide cleaning services after the event.
‘They can’t help us’
Lewis’ frustration mounted when she pushed for a 75% waiver.
“I never asked for a 100% fee waiver obviously, because I understand operational costs, I get that,” Lewis said. “Nothing changed though.”
After no progress in meetings and phone calls on a cheaper contract, Lewis brought youth organizers to the Park and Recreation Commission’s May 10 meeting. Penn said she told Jones the group could arrange a protest prior to the meeting.
The protesting group — Lewis, one other adult and five to six children — initially demonstrated outside the Eastway Regional Recreation Center. Penn invited one of the children to the meeting to speak after spotting the protesters outside before the meeting began.
“I originally invited in just the one little girl to speak to us and tell her story … because I saw them sharing their hearts, crying their eyes out and asking ‘Why come, they can’t help us,’” Penn said. “The others came in, but I didn’t really say anything then, I didn’t want to get into any confrontation at the time.”
One of the children spoke to the commission, Penn said. After she finished, attendees gave her a standing ovation and Jones took the podium. Penn previously told Lewis only the girl would be allowed to speak.
When Jones began to speak, Lewis said she had an “outburst” after taking issue with his response. Penn said Jones was at the podium speaking when Lewis interrupted.
Lewis said she felt Jones’ claims that all groups were treated equitably were untrue, since she knew Charlotte nonprofit Partners for Parks received 100% waivers on some events.
Penn, who is an ex officio member of the Partners for Parks leadership board, confirmed the organization has received 100% waivers. Jones is also an ex officio member of the Partners for Parks board. The nonprofit partners with Park and Recreation to “facilitate community outreach and education as a fundraising liaison,” according to the group’s website, and helps maintain Mecklenburg County parks.
Lewis said she’s concerned that the county is only interested in partnering with larger nonprofits that have the capacity to offer additional services. This would leave smaller groups with less revenue barred from equal access to park space, she said. According to the organizations’ 990 forms, Partners for Parks’ assets total $4.63 million $4,625,597. Action NC’s assets total $255,980.
When Jones finished speaking, Lewis said she and her group decided to “disrupt the meeting to display (their) opposition” before leaving. Lewis said she stepped forward and addressed Jones directly, saying she “wanted to talk about … your lies right now,” before the group began chanting “Park and Rec is unequitable.” The protesters left shortly after the chanting ended, Lewis said.
Penn said Lewis and the protesters left peacefully, and she went out to speak with them afterward and did not condone Lewis’ actions.
“I told (Lewis), ‘What we can’t do is all this kind of stuff,’ because I’m a mediator,” Penn said.
Around five security officers responded to the meeting after Lewis’ demonstration, she said.
“If we had the (security) come out every time someone raises their voice, there would be a lot of security needed at meetings,” Davis said.
‘Different opinions’
Following the incident and hoping to ease tension from the May 10 meeting, Penn sent an email on May 11 to members of the Park and Recreation Commission and Board of County Commissioners to “address and shed light” on the incident and clarify Lewis had not resigned.
“She exercised her 1st Amendment right. As Mr. Jones stated last night, there are multiple sides to any story and I understand that many of you are not aware of what Ms. Lewis was upset about,” Penn wrote. “As your Chair, I did go out and address Ms. Lewis and her youth group to gather more information about what they were so upset about. I also communicated with her and urged her to allow for a follow-up conversation with Director Lee Jones in hopes of finding a meaningful resolution.”
In a response email, Jones said that other attendees at the meeting had “different opinions” about the situation.
“The behavior was less th(a)n professional, appropriate or demonstrative of a board appointed Park & Recreation Commissioner. She stormed towards me as I was speaking and called my comments lies,” Jones wrote. “She … called me last week and stated that if she did not get what she wanted, she would resign her role as a PRC Commissioner and would dedicate her efforts to making my life less than comfortable.”
Davis said she’s disappointed in the county commission’s decision not to reappoint Penn because of her service record for Park and Recreation.
“I’m going to speak to the commissioners and express this,” Davis said. “(Penn’s) abilities and commitment is hard to find. She has served this community for such a long time and knows the Park and Rec department very well.”
Penn did not take part in Lewis’ actions and should not be held accountable for them, Davis said.
Despite her removal and concerns about the process, Lewis said she has been able to meet the requirements of the contract and still plans to hold the Juneteenth event at Romare Bearden park.
“Right now my main focus is moving forward and still having a great event for our youth,” Lewis said.
This story was originally published June 13, 2022 at 2:46 PM.
