Remember all the ballyhoo over the Pensacola City Council passing the alternative funding proposal for the bonds for the Community Maritime Park? The city staff has no plans to do anything on the bonds until after the environmental permits are in.
“It’s really just an alternative that we gave the council, the timetable depends on when the environmental is through,” says Dick Barker, city finance director. “We will be ready to go about 60-90 days after we get everything cleared (meaning the environmental, etc.). I’m thinking it’s going to be at least next spring, but if it’s ready to go before then, we’ll be ready to jump in and get started.”
Instead of working on the bonds now so that construction can begin immediately once the permits are approved, city staff will wait and delay the project a further 60-90 days. Who knows how much longer after that when construction will begin?
The council vote on the funding appears to be merely a political ploy to make the public think that the city and the city council are doing something on the park.
We need a strong mayor to push this project through.