We here at Crossfade have been trying to get Miami commissioner Marc Sarnoff's side of the Ultra Music Festival story for approximately 48 hours.
Today, we finally got a chance to talk to his spokesperson about the commissioner's attempt to curb Ultra's second weekend.
"We are not talking about shutting down Ultra," Sarnoff's rep says. "We are trying to contain it."
UPDATE #2 The resolution has been voted down. And City of Miami commissioners have approved Ultra Music Festival 2013's second weekend.
See also:
-Ultra 2013: City of Miami to Vote on Resolution "Disapproving" of Second Festival Weekend
-Ultra 2013: Commissioner Wants To Kill Second Weekend Because Attendees Are On "Mind-Altering Drugs"
-Ultra 2013: Organizers Willing to Work With City on Downtown Traffic, Security Concerns
-Irvine Welsh Defends Ultra: "I'm Disappointed in Miami, the Fest Breathed Life Into a Dead Downtown"
At tomorrow's City of Miami commission meeting, there are actually two resolutions concerning Ultra Music Festival being voted on.
One is on whether to disapprove of closing down the northbound lanes of Biscayne Boulevard in front of Bayfront Park. If that resolution passes, the city would let the Florida Department of Transportation know it does not approve, but the decision is still left to FDOT.
The second resolution would be to disapprove of the Bayfront Park Management Trust's decision to grant approval for two weekends of Ultra. If that resolution passes, it could wipe out a second weekend of Ultra. Why? According to the city code, the commission's decision trumps that of the trust. Still, as the spokesperson admits, the city attorneys would need to look into whether or not that would effectively kill it -- and it doesn't seem to Crossfade like that would be an easy task.
When asked if Marc Sarnoff received the letter that Ultra sent us this morning detailing their security and traffic plans, the spokesperson said he hasn't had time to speak with the commissioner about it. But he is aware of what's at stake: Ultra's reported $79 million economic boom is something a lot of people benefit from.
Sarnoff's rep confirmed that the city has been getting emails and calls from festival-goers concerned about their travel plans and the festival dates.
And yes, they are listening to you.
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