Mayor Ashton Hayward has notified Robert de Varona that he wants the company out of the Pensacola International Airport by midnight tonight. If he doesn’t complete the task by 12 a.m. April 2, the City will “undertake the task itself and will have the property removed and placed in storage”… which sort of raises Pensacola politics to a whole new level vindictiveness. See letter: Varona.
The letter is counter to Article XXXVI of Varona’s contract with the city of Pensacola which gives de Varona 60 days “from such date of expiration or termination” to remove his property from the premises. See contract, page 39: Food Beverage Lease and Concession Agreement.
Even more remarkable is Airport Director Greg Donovan had sent de Varona a letter on Feb. 11 that clearly stated he had 60 days to get his equipment out of the airport: 
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Hayward drug this process out from September to March. According to City Attorney Jim Messer, he never needed city council approval. Now the mayor appears to be punishing de Varona for fighting to keep the business and going back on the commitments made by his airport director.
As in so many other incidents with city hall, there was no prior communication to the city council or de Varona that the mayor was going to take such a hardline on de Varona and then hand delivering such a letter two business days before it must be completed to avoid penalties and public humiliation.
Is this how the citizens of Pensacola want to do business? Apparently the Pensacola City Council has no say in the matter.
