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Tampa leaders to discuss future of music festivals

Posted at 6:44 AM, Aug 25, 2016
and last updated 2016-08-25 06:49:52-04

On Thursday morning, Tampa City leaders will discuss potential changes following problems and deadly overdoses at the recent Sunset Music Festival.

Mayor Bob Buckhorn has already said that he doesn't want it back.

"This is not the type of event Tampa wants to be known for," Buckhorn told ABC Action News.

A number of city leaders say this past year's festival was simply out of hand. Two people died and nearly sixty others were sent to the hospital.

The city council is trying to determine how to prevent these issues at other events across the city. A large number of those incidents were drug related.

Mayor Buckhorn has stressed that events like the Sunset music festival attract drug use. Drug use, along with heat add up to the perfect storm.

The event also put a major strain on St. Joseph's Hospital with an enormous amount of calls. Those calls hampered their emergency work with other patients. The same can be said for the Tampa fire department.

"This event actually did tax our emergency medical response resources," said chief Thomas Forward.

On Thursday morning, department heads with police, fire and the Tampa Sports Authority will meet with the city council to discuss concerns and ways these issues can be prevented going forward.

The group will also be looking at how other cities have handled similar problems.

The council meeting is set for 9 a.m. on Thursday.