Councilmember says Hall’s absence ‘unfortunate’
by Sean Boone
Pensacola Councilman Jack Nobles told the IN on Monday that Sam Hall’s abrupt departure from last Thursday’s Council meeting was something that should not have happened.
“I think it was an unfortunate situation,” he says. “You need to have enough integrity to vote how you feel and with your conscious.”
Hall said he was leaving for a trip to Atlanta that evening, but later stated in his blog that he “exercised a strategic retreat” regarding his absence for an important port lease agreement vote between the Pate Stevedore cold storage company and the City.
In response to a PNJ report that Mike Pate–owner of Pate Stevedore Company–went to Hall’s home on Thursday night after the meeting to confront him about his absence, Nobles says it’s a part of being a government official.
“You know, I’ve had (quite a few) people come to my house in the 14 years on Council,” he says. “I’ve always welcomed them in. Some are angry, some are not, but for the most part you should sit down and explain to people your position on things. That’s what I’m paid to do.”
As far as going out of town on City business, Nobles says its typically something that is scheduled weeks in advance.
“I certainly have traveled out of town to attend seminars to know whats going on,” he says, but for the most part those are scheduled way in advance (to avoid missing a meeting). They know when I’m going out of town.
“Usually when you go for City (business) you go with another City member to get the information. You don’t normally go alone.”