Tooele County officials mull 'punitive options' in effort to stop concert

TOOELE, Utah (KUTV) — Tooele County officials met privately Tuesday to discuss legal options in their effort to stop a large country music concert scheduled for Saturday at a venue near Grantsville.

Commissioner Shawn Milne said he wants the event to happen the right way — and Saturday is simply too soon for that to happen.

“Citizens have reached out over the weekend and said overwhelmingly that they do not want this to proceed — whether it’s because we affected their graduating seniors’ end of school year or whether it’s other businesses who have played by guidelines."

Tooele County has indicated it will not issue a mass gathering permit — a requirement for events likely to exceed 1,000 guests even before the pandemic.

Milne says Utah Business Revival is circumventing the rules and hasn’t engaged directly with the local government about their planned event.

Eric Moutsos, the event organizer, said he has reached out to county officials, who have not responded.

Moutsos’ revival events are protests of government restrictions during the pandemic — rules he believes are heavy-handed and unconstitutional.

Milne declined to discuss specific legal options they have to punish organizers of an unsanctioned event, saying only that there are multiple options on the table and no decision has been made.

He said there would likely be a public decision prior to the event.

MORE: Sprinklers, power shut-offs, police: Kaysville leaders considered it all to stop concert

Asked whether concert attendees could also be subject to any sort of consequence, Milne said only that he’d advise people not to go.

“They’re going to have to do what they have to do,” Moutsos said of the county when asked what he’d do if faced with jail or fines.

“I feel like we, as Americans, are doing what we have to do under the circumstances because businesses are dying all over the United States, especially Utah.”

The Tooele County Sheriff's Office indicated Tuesday it had spoken with Moutsos and doesn’t have any intention of going to the concert other than for an unforeseen emergency.

Department spokesperson Lieutenant Eli Wayman said un-permitted events aren’t police business.

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