Once again, the Pensacola News Journal tries to lynch Escambia County Commissioner Lumon and blame him and Commissioner Steve Barry for a developer pulling out on a deal to buy 540 acres in the Beulah community, known as OLF-8. However, the meeting video depicts a very different story.
WHAT HAPPENED
Last Thursday, the Escambia County Commission voted 4-1 to not extend the 30-day deadline for Beulah Town Center, LLC, to agree on the language for the developer to buy the OLF-8 from the county.
- Commissioner Ashlee Hofberger’s motion: “We proceed with the initial 30 days that we gave them. After that 30 days, we proceed to negotiate with any other offers that come in, and we get briefed on those at the next Board of County Commissioners meeting.” Chairman Mike Kohler seconded the motion,
On Friday, Beulah Town Center notified the county that it withdrew its offer, which had dropped from $50 million last month to $45 million. “After dedicating the past eight years to working toward an agreement for the purchase of OLf-8, we are disappointed that a resolution could not be reached. While we’d hope for a different outcome, we respect the county’s position and the process. Though this chapter is closing, we remain committed to pursuing meaningful opportunities that reflect our experience, expertise, and long-term vision.” Read OLF-8-2-7-25.
- The letter was leaked to Studio 850, News Journal and WEAR-TV. Though we were omitted from the distribution, I received a copy via a public record request/
Commission Steve Stroberger has advocated for Beulah Town Center since he was sworn in last November. He was the lone opposing vote for Hofberger’s motion. Stroberger, who ran Kohler’s campaign in 2022 and served as his aide, blasted his fellow commissioners, calling the process a “sham,” according to the once-daily newspaper.
WHY IT HAPPENED
Having watched the meeting, it is clear that Stroberger needed to convince his former boss, Chairman Kohler, to extend the deadline. Both Barry and May appeared to be amenable to giving Beulah Town Center another 30 days or, at least, until Feb. 20, but Kohler wouldn’t budge initially: “I just don’t like to go back on my word.”
- At the Jan 9 board meeting, a motion to give the 60 days to work out the details failed. The final motion had a 30-day deadline (Sunday, Feb. 9).
Later, Kohler softened his position, “I would just ask the board to get ’em to Feb. 20th, and then at that point, if we can’t, I think that’s fair.”
Stroberger said, “The reason why this morning, we said March 25 is because Commissioner May is not going to be here on the sixth (Mar. 6), and our attorney was going to be gone on the 20th (Feb. 20). I don’t know why we’re going backwards. Again, this is the definition of gridlock. We have something here that we can be voting on. Let’s vote on this.”
However, no motion had been made. Kohler said, “We don’t have anything we can vote on.”
Stroberger insisted the board should vote but didn’t make a motion. Instead, he referred to the discussion at the Agenda Review earlier in the day. He said, “This is what we agreed on. This is what we were going to vote on. If we’re not going to vote on it, I don’t know what we’re doing.”
Commissioner May injected that he would change his schedule and be at March 6 meeting “if it helps.”
- In the void, Commissioner Hofberger made her motion. Kohler seconded, and four commissioners voted in favor of the motion.
Amazingly, Kohler told the PNJ that he was “embarrassed” that the board didn’t follow through on the extension discussed at the Agenda Review, adding, “I don’t understand how anyone will work with our board when we don’t even honor what we said we’d do.”
- I think Kohler used the wrong pronoun based on the meeting video. As chairman, he controls the agenda and the discussion. Plus, he didn’t have to second Hofberger’s motion.
OH, NO
An unfortunate quip during the Agenda Review may have also impacted the Thursday night vote. Near the end of the hour-long discussion on OLF-8, Beulah Town Center’s architect, Brian Spencer, said, “Commissioner Hofberger, I just want to appeal to you. This is different than buying a new washhouse business. This is so much more complex.”
- Commissioner Hofberger owns the Wash Room, which she launched in 2022. I’m not sure she appreciated the comment.
