Westminster council delays creation of Tet foundation, asks staff for cost and staffing analysis

The Westminster City Council stopped short of creating a new nonprofit to raise money for the city's Tet parade, directing staff instead to return with an analysis of the costs and staff time required before moving forward.

The action followed more than two hours of public comment and a heated council discussion about the Westminster Community Foundation's (WCF) troubled history and who should run any new fundraising group.

Why it matters: Speakers on both sides said they want the Tet parade to continue but disagree about how to do it. Several residents urged the council not to use general fund dollars for the parade; others said a community-run nonprofit is the appropriate vehicle. Council members said they do not want another foundation that will be subject to political influence or that lacks governance and continuity.

Council action and context - Councilmember Carlos Manzo made the motion that staff prepare a written estimate of the time, attorney and staff costs, and other fiscal impacts associated with establishing a new Tet foundation and return to the council before an establishment decision. Councilwoman Amy Fan West seconded the motion. The motion passed on a 3-2 vote (Yes: Fan West, Councilmember Mark Nguyen, Vice Mayor Carlos Manzo; No: Councilmember Nam Kwan Nguyen, Mayor Chi Charlie Nguyen).

Public debate - A string of residents and volunteers criticized how the WCF operated after its 2023 creation, saying the board later lacked quorum and could not complete promised fundraisers. Camilla Overbeek, a frequent critic of the council's handling of the foundation, told the council: "Until this council handles the outstanding issues with WCF, it has no business starting yet another foundation." (public comment) - Supporters of a Tet-focused nonprofit framed the event as an important cultural celebration that needs an organized fundraising vehicle. Community volunteer Gigi Vo said the parade "holds deep cultural significance" and urged local businesses to donate so the city would not need to pay from the general fund. - Several speakers, including past WCF participants, described the foundation's initial success raising about $40,000 but said turnover and governance failures prevented follow-through for 2025 fundraising.

Council members' concerns - Vice Mayor Carlos Manzo said he supported a foundation in principle but insisted a successful group must be autonomous from the council and not use taxpayer funds: "If they can generate the funding, so we don't expend any taxpayer funds for this, then we should go down that route." - Mayor Chi Charlie Nguyen, who proposed the new, narrowly focused Tet foundation, told colleagues he did not want the city's general fund to pay for the parade and said the city must avoid repeating the WCF's problems. He described the new entity as a narrower vehicle focused on fundraising for the Tet parade and related Tet cultural activities only.

Next steps and related actions - The council directed staff to return with a written cost and staffing analysis before the council would decide whether to establish the new Tet foundation. - Separately the council voted unanimously to return an item about the Westminster Community Foundation to a future meeting so the body and council can consider bylaw or appointment questions that residents said contributed to WCF's problems.

What the council did not do - The council did not formally establish the proposed Tet foundation tonight, and it did not authorize staff to begin incorporation or to accept donations on its behalf.

Looking ahead - Staff will prepare an item that lays out estimated city attorney and staff time, filing and incorporation costs, and proposed governance language for a Tet-focused nonprofit. The item will return to council for further direction. Residents and volunteers who spoke urged the council to use existing community organizations and business sponsorships where possible rather than rely on the general fund.