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City council unanimously votes to use school buses as transportation for Something in the Water festival

Posted at 4:23 PM, Apr 02, 2019
and last updated 2019-04-03 07:41:00-04

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. - It was a big vote in Virginia Beach Tuesday night regarding the Something in the Water festival.

In a vote of 10-0, the Virginia Beach City Council unanimously voted to use school buses will be used to transport people during the event later this month.

The resolution was approved with the following conditions:

  • Buses don't run past 7 p.m. Sunday (originally proposed as 11 p.m.)
  • The school board gives a positive vote
  • 100% liability is held by the promoter and none by the city

City Manager Dave Hansen will now take that decision to Superintendent Aaron Spence, who will then present it to the school board.

The school board must agree on the terms before the buses are considered "shuttle buses" for the festival.

City leaders say "public safety personnel have made preparations for large numbers of visitors, and much like a holiday weekend, the efficient movement of people will be necessary to maintain public safety and good order."

Something in the Water festival map

The festival has agreed to reimburse the city for all of the costs associated with the school bus agreement. At this time, the city says the estimated cost is $170,984, but the exact amount won't be known until the completion of the event.

Per the council's terms, bus drivers should only be volunteers and not be required to perform the shifts required for agreement; the inside of the buses be cleaned and inspected at the conclusion of the agreement by a supervisor or third party and that there is a placard that discloses the ongoing video monitoring from the interior bus cameras.

The buses are scheduled to shuttle people from the Dam Neck area along General Booth Boulevard. City leaders say about 4,500 cars will be able to fit in the lot. The festival will be held from April 26 to 28 at the Oceanfront during College Beach Weekend.

Artists like Gwen Stefani, Usher, Snoop Dogg and Diddy will be performing at the event.

Click here for our full coverage on the Something in the Water festival.