Eggemeyer Fired Over Angry Cactus

Eric Eggemeyer has officially been canned from the Design and Historic Review Commission (DHRC), following his vocal opposition to a cactus sculpture proposed to mark the entrance of a planned new restaurant, the Angry Cactus.

The decision to remove Eggemeyer from the board comes following Tuesday’s DHRC meeting, during which Eggemeyer voiced opinions that entrepreneur Timothy Condon’s sculpture was “too large”, too eye-catching and not historical enough for the city’s historical center.

After fielding numerous phone calls from citizens of San Angelo, city councilman Rodney Fleming spoke with Eggemeyer and determined that the differences in opinion were too great for the commissioner to continue to serve under Fleming’s appointment.

“I disagree with Eric Eggemeyer’s point of view on this sign,” Fleming said in an interview Wednesday. “I don’t have any problem with it, and it’s becoming such a hotbed topic and I’m getting phone calls over it and every single phone call I’ve got has been for this sign. I haven’t had a single person tell me they were against it. And I’m for it. I’m for anything with business, as long as it fits in. It passed our legal standards as far as the city, it’s our historical committee that has a problem with it.”

Fleming said he appointed Eggemeyer to the DHRC roughly a year ago, and up until now, has not had any major issues with Eggemeyer’s representation on the board. However, commissioners are appointed by councilmembers to essentially serve as an extension of themselves, and after some discussion, Fleming said he did not feel that Eggemeyer was the right person to fill the seat.

Fleming said that despite having spoken with Eggemeyer Wednesday morning, he was unable to reach him via telephone or text message later that afternoon to relay his decision.

"I wanted to tell him in person," Fleming said. But Eggemeyer did not answer or return the numerous phone calls. Ultimately, Fleming said, he left word of his decision on Eggemeyer's voicemail, which prompted a response.

"Eric was very upset," Fleming said.

He said the course of the conversation then turned to spite, when Eggemeyer told Fleming: "You're not even from San Angelo. You're from Mason, so what do you know about historical San Angelo?!"

Fleming, a resident of San Angelo for over 20 years, was incensed by the statement. He mentioned a recent report that lists San Angelo as one of the state's fastest-growing cities, as well as the Air Force base, and said he felt Eggemeyer was devaluing any and everybody in the community whose roots stem from beyond city limits.

“Because he is an appointee of mine, I feel like my appointee should…have the same views that I have, and clearly, we do not,” Fleming said. 

Fleming emphasized that as a small business owner himself, he is familiar with the hardships of governmental red tape small business owners face, and is an advocate for entrepreneurs.

One of the biggest issues between councilman and appointee, Fleming said, was Eggemeyer’s encroachment on business marketing strategies and his view that the cactus has no historical reference. 

“Neither does a truck at the top of a restaurant. He (Eggemeyer)…said that [the cactus has no historical significance] and I said, ‘A cactus is the epitome of San Angelo and west Texas, so if you want to talk about historical significance, a cactus is that way.’

“He wanted the face taken off the cactus and I was like, ‘well that’s a marketing thing,’” Fleming continued. “We shouldn’t be involved in telling people how to do their logos and their marketing.’ I don’t want anybody telling me how to market Angelo Home Team and what kind of logo I can use and draw and put on my sign.” 

Overall, Fleming said, the debate revolving around the cactus has been questionable, particularly the notion held by some commissioners that the sculpture is “phallic”, “kitsch” or “offensive”.

“That’s the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard,” Fleming said.

On Wednesday afternoon, Fleming visited the city clerk and submitted a formal letter asking for the removal of Eggemeyer from the board. In his place, he said, he is appointing Debbie Cunningham, a local insurance agent and realtor.  

“The biggest thing is she’s a small business owner and she sees the hardship,” Fleming said as to why Cunningham was chosen. “I really sympathize with small business owners that are battling the big government system on these things. In Tim’s case, he’s having to waste time and money on this situation, where it should never even have come up. We should not be talking about this at all.”

With the paperwork underway, Fleming intends to have the council vote on his appointment of Cunningham at Tuesday’s meeting.

Eggemeyer was not available for comment at the time of publication.