Hudson mayor Craig Shubert says ice fishing shanties in city park may lead to prostitution

A discussion on whether to allow ice fishing at a park took an unexpected turn at Tuesday's Hudson City Council meeting when the mayor suggested that setting up ice shanties could lead to prostitution.

After several minutes of discussion about whether ice fishing should be permitted at a city park, Mayor Craig Shubert said he wanted to raise some "data points" for council to consider. He suggested council discuss the issue with the fire chief before making a final decision, and then turned his attention to whether ice shanties would be allowed.

"Does someone come back next year and say, 'I want an ice shanty on Hudson Springs Park for x amount of time?'" Shubert asked. "And if you then allow ice fishing with shanties, then that leads to another problem. Prostitution. Now you've got the police chief and the police department involved."

Hudson Mayor Craig Shubert: '...Ice fishing with shanties leads to another problem. Prostitution.'

Council President Chris Foster, who was sitting next to Shubert as he made the statement, appeared to be caught off guard by the mayor's concern.

Foster then turned back to the audience and said, "OK."

Council member Chris Banweg then triggered laughter from his colleagues when he stated, "So, I'm not in favor of shanties."

Hudson City Council did not take any action following the discussion on whether to allow ice fishing or ice shanties in the community.

Shubert did not immediately reply to email and text messages from the Beacon Journal seeking additional comment.

However, Shubert released the following statement to WJW (Channel 8):

“My comment about ice fishing, the permitting of shanties on lakes, and prostitution stems from my experience as a former television news reporter covering law enforcement agencies, which have made arrests for acts of prostitution in ice fishing shanties. When discussing proposed legislation, it is wise to discuss the potential for unintended consequences. My statement was to enlighten council that the future permitting of ice shanties may lead to other issues.”

Shubert made national news last year when he called for school board members to resign over an optional book in a college-level class at Hudson High School that he called "child pornography."

Summit County Prosecutor Sherri Bevan Walsh's office reviewed the allegations and subsequently released a blistering rebuke into the mayor's false claim and the scores of threats against school board members that followed.

Hudson resident Amanda Weinstein, wife of state Rep. Casey Weinstein, tweeted a video clip of the mayor's comments about ice fishing and prostitution.

Weinstein wrote: "Hudson mayor thinks ice fishing leads to prostitution! Put your poles away boys!*

"*Same guy who thinks creative writing classes are child pornography."

Weinstein's tweet drew numerous comments, including:

"O. M. G."

"I love watching the guy next to him try to keep a straight face."

"That’s how I got into prostitution it all started with ice fishing."

"A few years ago in Stow, the city was considering developing an area similar to Hudson's First and Main. The opposition to this development thought this would create a row of bars. Unlike the Mayor, they didn't project any further."

"No one had any questions? They just let this hang out there?"

"The level of awkwardness in the silence, did he think anyone was going to co-sign and yell “OF COURSE!”

"Prostitution in an ice fishing shanty? - that’s cold."

"This sounds like a really ridiculous episode of Parks and Recreation"

"The look on the face of the guy beside him is PRICELESS!!!! Seriously, I would have thought this was an SNL skit."

However, at least one legislator wasn't seeing the humor in the situation.

On Thursday, Hudson City Council member Nicole Kowalski tweeted: "Such a shame that our wonderful town of Hudson, OH has made national (international?) news yet again."

Reporter Phil Keren can be reached at 330-541-9421, pkeren@thebeaconjournal.com, or on Twitter at @keren_phil.

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Hudson, Ohio, mayor says ice fishing could lead to prostitution