PONTIAC - Pontiac again will be showing its respect to the Mother Road with new murals and possibly a festival for mural painters.

The City Council voted Monday to pay $2,500 to Bill and Jane Diaz of Diaz Sign Art for the 200-square-foot mural on the south side of the Route 66 Hall of Fame and Museum, 110 W. Howard St. The council also approved letting the Diazes paint another mural depicting Route 66 and Pontiac on the side of their own building at 628 W. Lincoln Ave.

Both murals needed city code variances because they would exceed limits in the ordinance.

In other business, the council also heard about a new tourism promotion proposal.

The museum mural will depict a traditional Route 66 road sign with "Pontiac, Illinois" written in a red ribbon at the bottom. It also will feature the Chicago and St. Louis skylines.

On a related note, Bill Diaz promoted the idea of having a "walldog" festival, which would bring artists to town to paint murals. Diaz pitched the idea to the council as a way of enhancing the appearance and tourism in downtown Pontiac.

Diaz also provided examples of what an event can do to a smaller community.

"In the case of Belvidere, Illinois, there were 300 (artists) and their tourism shot up 400 percent and now bill themselves as the city of murals," Diaz said. "We found that the smaller towns are actually more ideal … and will do with an historic event, a business that the town used to have or a landmark."

City administrator Bob Karls said this may be the thing the city needs to get people to move away from the museum to the downtown area. He also said the city is fortunate to have the Diazes as local artists.

Mayor Scott McCoy said he will plan a later date to discuss any future plans for a festival with Diaz.

VIP program

McCoy and Pontiac tourism director Ellie Alexander also unveiled a new tourism concept to the council in the form of a VIP (Visitor in Pontiac) program. The program would have tourists wear pins indicating that they are tourists and may receive discounts at downtown businesses and respectful greetings from local public safety officers and city officials.

McCoy and Alexander also promoted the idea for Pontiac to be known for its swinging bridges in brochures to display at trade shows.

"We are one of the very few communities that have swinging bridges, let alone three of them," McCoy said. "We said that this is unique, and these brochures will be wrapped around that."