LEWISTON – The Salvation Army will go ahead with plans for a gospel concert Sunday, Aug. 24, in Courthouse Plaza – with or without the city’s blessing.

Capt. John Bennett told the City Council Tuesday he was frustrated waiting for the city to create a new parks policy that would either move him out of the plaza permanently or let him use the space for regular Sunday services.

“So we’re going to go ahead and use it,” Bennett said. “We have an hour and half of gospel music scheduled and we’re going to do it.”

Bennett said local gospel singers The Blacksmiths would perform this Sunday in the park. Bennett did not say what time the concert was scheduled.

City Administrator Jim Bennett said he could not stop the Salvation Army from using the space without a written policy. He couldn’t support it either, without creating a precedent.

“Fundamentally, this comes down to our policies being a mess,” Bennett said. “We have been in the process of creating new policies and they are not done yet.”

The new policy would set Courthouse Plaza and the Bates Mill Fountain Park aside for arts and cultural events. Festivals and special events would be directed to Railroad Park and Veterans Memorial Park, according to drafts of the policy.

All other uses – including recreational, educational, political and religious activities – would be directed to Kennedy Park.

Administrator Bennett said city staffers have drawn up the policy but the law firm of Brann and Isaacson has not completed its review of it. The firm also represents the city of Auburn for labor negotiations and those Auburn issues have monopolized the firm’s time, he said.

“I will be more insistent that matters for this city be addressed sooner,” Bennett said.

He promised the matter would be on the council’s Sept. 9 agenda.

staylor@sunjournal.com