San Jose officials this week will reckon with a political fight over a park important to the city’s Vietnamese community.
Councilmember Peter Ortiz is requesting a public discussion over who controls the contested Vietnamese Heritage Garden, after Councilmember Bien Doan’s office announced he would reserve the space every month for flag raising ceremonies when his detractor, Ha Trieu, typically hosts the events under his own group’s banner. City parks officials have locked residents out of the garden except for when community groups hold cultural events there.
The park is located in Doan’s district and his actions will be discussed at Wednesday’s Rules and Open Government Committee meeting. If Ortiz’s request is approved, the full council could discuss the issue by Thursday.
“Recently, there has been conflict between several community organizations and a Council office over the future of these events, leading to public concern and confusion over whether a single Council office is improperly running a separate reservation system for the Garden,” Ortiz wrote in a memo.