DONALD LANK speaking at Wednesday’s Westminster City Council meeting (Tribune).

By Jim Tortolano
Orange County Tribune

A storm of protest over the proposed removal of two city commissioners on Wednesday night at the Westminster City Council meeting was followed by a withdrawal and an open question.

Councilmember Namquan Nguyen (District 4) has asked for the removal of Donald Lank from the city Parks and Recreation Commission and the city Traffic Commission, but on Wednesday night he changed his mind.

“We had a very good conversation,” said Namquan Nguyen, “and I have changed my mind.” He described the issue as a “second chance to work together with mutual respect.”

The council voted 4-0 in favor of taking no action on his original request. Councilmember Amy Phan West (District 1) was absent.

West was considering removing Alex Vaz from the Cultural Arts Commission, but – being absent from the meeting – the council voted to take no action, again on a 4-0 vote.

But City Attorney Scott Porter pointed out that since she had appointed Vaz – under city policy – she had the right to remove him from office without the consent of the rest of the council.

The issue of removing commissioners for no stated reason was widely criticized during the oral communications portion of the meeting.

Speakers claimed that the removals were “reprisals” for comments made by the commissioners. The two council members at issue were criticized by those who claimed that First Amendment rights were being violated, or that the council members were too sensitive to negative opinions.

“If you don’t have a thick skin,” said Deborah Mariscol, “you should not be a leader.”

Also on Wednesday, the council approved a time extension until 10 p.m. for the previously-approved special event permit application for a memorial for Ngo Dinh Diem – first president of the Republic of (South) Vietnam – to be held on Nov.1 at the Sid Goldstein Freedom Park in the Civic Center.

The regular meetings of Nov. 11 and 25 have been cancelled. The next scheduled meeting of the council is Nov. 18.