Residents ask council to allow rabbit show at Civic Center; council signals willingness to discuss accommodations

During the citizens forum March 4, Cameron Lewis, a Copperas Cove resident and FFA member, asked council to permit the Coppers Cove FFA Booster Club to host a long-running rabbit show inside the Civic Center as part of the city's RabbitFest. Lewis said the show is a 39-year local tradition and that rabbits are highly sensitive to heat, making indoor space necessary to avoid heat stroke and animal deaths for exhibitors.

Lewis said prior organizers (the Kempner 4-H club) had operated the show for years but the event dissolved after the 4-H club stepped down; the FFA booster club is seeking to reestablish the show but was blocked by Civic Center facility regulations. He offered mitigation measures—plastic flooring protection, trays, and full carpeting protection—that would prevent damage and disease transmission and asked council for an exception or accommodation, saying no other indoor facility is available in the city.

Richard Lewis, speaking afterward, supported his son and urged the city to consider adding or funding a multipurpose indoor facility in the long-term capital plan to support agricultural youth and exhibitions.

At the end of the meeting several council members expressed support for taking up the issue: Councilmember Rita Hogan asked to place discussion of accommodating the rabbit show on a future agenda and council members signaled support for exploring options to allow the show while protecting city property and complying with facility rules.

Staff did not make a formal amendment to Civic Center policy that night; rather, council asked staff to examine whether an exception or accommodations can be made and to bring options back for council consideration.