By WJEZ Staff
Pontiac City Administrator Bob Karls says there are still details that need to be addressed before the city gives its blessing to a proposed community event this summer. Pontiac businessman Marlon Eilts is proposing what he’s dubbed the “Summer Shindig” in Pontiac’s Humiston Riverside Park. He’s envisioning a gathering that offers food and music along with alcohol, and that’s where the city has some questions and concerns.
Karls says city affiliated events have traditionally not allowed alcoholic beverages, so there are no current ordinances to determine what policies should be followed. City Attorney Alan Schrock spoke at the latest Pontiac City Council meeting about his conversation with state liquor commission regulators. He says the state issues between 4 and 5 thousand permits to allow these kinds of events every year, so Eilts’s request is nothing new.
In an interview on WJEZ, Karls said the council is now drafting new ordinances that will be discussed at the next meeting. For his part, Eilts hopes to recruit musical talent from Livingston County and national acts as well, so he’s told the council that he’ll need a decision by early February.
