St. Joseph City Commissioners have tabled a request from a downtown business to be allowed to hold outdoor musical performances beyond the time currently allowed by city ordinance. At a Monday meeting, Tom Jennings with the Sand Bar Grille asked commissioners to allow outdoor shows with music through midnight on Fridays and Saturdays for the summer. The current rule only allows for amplified music through 10 p.m. While the conversation started out focused on the noise aspect, in the end, it was COVID-19 that caused the commission the greatest concern. Commissioner Lynn Todman said the plan sounds risky.
“I would feel moderately comfortable doing it once, but to suggest that it could happen eight to 16 more times this summer, these gatherings, seems to be tempting fate,” Todman said.
Jennings said he wanted to hold events to raise money for charity while giving musicians a break.
“If there’s one group that’s hurting for their business, it would be entertainment,” Jennings said. “Obviously, this has been dramatic all over the country. It’s my little contribution to help some bands and some groups.”
Mayor Mike Garey said in this year of coronavirus, the commission does have to take public health into consideration. In the end, the matter was tabled. Todman said if the Berrien County Health Department signed off on the idea, she might feel better about it. The commission will look at the request from Jennings again in two weeks.
