Benton Harbor City Commissioner Duane Seats has some questions about the city’s policy for the use of Dwight P. Mitchell City Center Park after The OutCenter of Southwest Michigan was unable to use of it for its Pride Fest this year.
Speaking during this week’s meeting of the city Economic Development Committee, Seats questioned how the upcoming Juneteenth celebration could be held at the park while the PrideFest was denied a permit. The OutCenter tells us City Manager Alex Little informed the group of a new policy that won’t allow “certain events” that pose “special problems” at the park. Seats pressed Little on that during the committee meeting.
“How in the world can we say that we support one thing but don’t support another?” Seats asked.
“Easily,” Little said. “We do it every day.”
Last year’s PrideFest ran into issues when demonstrators showed up and harassed those in attendance. The OutCenter was seeking a security plan for this year when it learned City Center Park wasn’t going to be available again.
Seats wondered what the rationale is for allowing some events at the park, but not others.
“Everybody has a right to the park. And how do you gain support from the city? So then you’re going to be in position where we’ll say that one person has the support, but another one doesn’t. What garners me to have more support than another?”
Seats stressed that he supports the Juneteenth celebration and that it’s going to be approved. However, he wondered if the city is putting itself in a precarious position with the new policy.
Little said the new policy has been cleared by the city attorney.
