Last Friday, Mayor Ashton Hayward let it be known that he would like the Pensacola City Council to schedule a joint meeting to give a construction update on the VT MAE project, discuss the County’s plans for selecting projects to be funded with the County’s allocation of RESTORE money, and discuss of how to work together to preserve Triumph Gulf Coast, Inc. and its distribution of $1.5 billion from BP settlement.
The one thing missing from Hayward’s list is a discussion of the city’s street repair and paving plans for the west side of Pensacola that he committed to do during the Local Option Gas Tax debate in July. The mayor has appealed the county’s decision on the allocation of the gas taxes, but went ahead and borrowed $15 million to to do the work. The Escambia Board of County Commissioners asked for a joint meeting to discuss the paving program, but Hayward convinced the council to not do it.
The word that got back to the commissioners was that Mayor Hayward didn’t want to hold any joint meetings until Council President Charles Bare was off the council.
On the county side, Mayor Hayward’s leadership team–City Administrator Eric Olson, CFO Dick Barker and Asst. City Administrator Keith Wilkins– has lost the trust and confidence of several commissioners. The mayor may believe the only way to reopen communication lines is to bring in the city council, even though Bare will chair the meeting. It’s unclear whether the Mayor will actually attend the joint meeting.
An update of VT-MAE construction may be of interest to the BCC, but the Pensacola City Council will have already had its special meeting on the topic. If the mayor is present to answer the questions of the commissioners, the BCC may be interested in the update.
On the county’s plans for RESTORE projects, the Pensacola City Council hasn’t been the driver of this issue. The four projects proposed by the mayor are Hollice T. Williams Park, Port of Pensacola – Berth 6 Restoration, Maritime Park – Public Marina, and General Daniel “Chappie” James, Jr. Memorial Park. With the loss of DeepFlex at the Port and the new economic study of the Port of Pensacola being requested, the commissioners will want to know if Berth 6 restoration is still a priority for the city. As far as the other city projects, the BCC appears to have little appetite to relinquish its authority over how the RESTORE dollars are spent.
On the future of Triumph Gulf Coast, a simple resolution might suffice, unless the mayor wants to propose funds for lobbying the state legislature.
If the Pensacola City Council approves the mayor’s joint meeting request, will the council get a commitment out of Mayor Hayward to attend the meeting?
The BCC will consider the request, if it’s passed by the council, and can make changes to the agenda. Don’t be surprised if a discussion of the mayor’s $15-million paving plan is added.
