Independent News‘Pensacola’ Archives
Maritime Park mismanaged, not by CMPA, but by City
The daily newspaper, Mayor Ashton Hayward and City Administrator Bill Reynolds want the public to believe the financial woes of the Maritime Park are solely the fault of the Community Maritime Park Associates Board of Trustees. They conveniently overlook the under-performance of the city’s [...]
Council passes panhandling ordinance, ‘Cosson Rule’ for internet use
By Brandy Volovecky The Pensacola City Council voted to approve an ordinance to the city code that would prohibit aggressive panhandling in downtown Pensacola at its Committee of the Whole meeting on Monday. Councilwoman Sherri F. Meyers, District 2, expressed serious concern about the [...]
Oliver’s final report recommends mayor take control of maritime park
The Independent News has gotten a copy of consultant Randy Oliver's final report on the Community Maritime Park--the one that the mayor didn't share with the Community Maritime Park Associates Board of Trustees. The report has two recommendations not included in the draft that city circulated [...]
Hayward announces he is running for a second term
Mayor Ashton Hayward used his press conference on Southwest Airlines to announce that he is running for a second term. According to the daily, Hayward said deals like Southwest adding Houston and Nashville flights are "evidence he is delivering on the residents’ desire for strong, CEO-like [...]
Hayward’s Common $ense
city press release: Pensacola Mayor Ashton Hayward announced this afternoon that Navy Federal Credit Union and Pen Air Federal Credit Union have signed on to join Common $ense Pensacola, his financial literacy initiative. The two credit unions join Wells Fargo, Regions Bank, Hancock Bank, [...]
Viewpoint: At-Large Council Seats Do Not Equal Minority Representation
By: George Hawthorne, C.E.O., Diversity Program Advisors, Inc. The two types of City Council representation in Pensacola are at-large councilpersons, where the majority at the city level elects the representatives on the city council, and district councilpersons, where representatives are [...]
Why does Pat Bainter care about House District 2?
Pat Bainter is a powerful political consultant that has pumped over the years millions into the campaigns of Republican lawmakers in the state through a host of Electioneering Communications Organization. Organizations tied to Bainter are behind the negative mailers, which slam Ed Gray and Jack [...]
CMPA problem is process, not size
I wrote last month about the lack of a set process for the CMPA/City Council/Mayor to lease the parcels at Maritime Park. During the debate over the YMCA leasing parcel 8, the mayor announced that he had hired CBRE to help the city develop a plan for the park leases and other city [...]
Gunther says city and state ethics codes don’t apply to CMPA
Fred Gunther visited the Independent News and said that he believes that he did nothing wrong when he presented a competitive lease proposal for Parcel 1 at the Maritime Park. He said that he shouldn't have used the word "client" and that he would not have accepted a commission unless the CMPA [...]
More support to reduce Pensacola City Council
I was copied on this email to the Pensacola City Council: Dear Members of City Council, Due to scheduling conflicts, I will be unable to attend both the Committee of the Whole meeting tomorrow and Thursday’s City Council meeting. You will be considering a very important issue regarding [...]
Councilmen propose changes
Councilman Charles Bare is proposing several changes to the city's park ordinance. The email from Councilman Bare: I am proposing to the parks ordinances for the City of Pensacola. Key changes include: 1) Prohibiting smoking outside of motor vehicles on park property. 2) Setting [...]
Veterans Memorial Park Announcement
Earlier today, Pensacola Mayor Ashton Hayward announced a new foundation to oversee Veterans Memorial Park. Here’s the city press release: Pensacola Mayor Ashton Hayward joined City Council members and members of his Veterans Memorial Park Steering Committee this morning to announce the [...]