According to the invoices of Penzone Enterprises, Mayor Ashton Hayward and his staff knew about Incoa wanting to lease warehouse space at the Port of Pensacola in February. However, City Administrator Eric Olson failed to share that information with the council on Monday.
Dave Penzone is the mayor’s consultant on pensions and the airport. Earlier this year, he was asked to consult on the Port of Pensacola.
On Feb. 22, Penzone met with Councilman Brian Spencer, developer Steve Grimes and Mayor Hayward “regrading Port matters and utilization of Port resources” for 90 minutes. He also had a 12-minute phone call with Assistant City Administrator Keith Wilkins regarding “Project Indigo lease and information associated with proposed usage at Port and due diligence regarding prospective tenant.” Project Indigo is Incoa – see 18-00270 – Incoa Deal Points Overview – Indigo.
Paul and Steve Grimes have proposed a three-story, mixed-use development known as The Imperium at 120 W. Government St. Spencer’s firm, SMP Architecture, was hired for the design.
Update: Councilman Spencer has told Inweekly that he and Grimes didn’t discuss Project Indigo with Penzone and the Mayor. Grimes shared his thoughts on the port and the city’s waterfront.
If either Wilkins or Penzone did any due diligence on Project Indigo, it should be presented to the city council at the regular meeting on Thursday.
At the agenda review, City Administrator Eric Olson told the council that no one with the mayor’s office had been involved in the negotiations with Incoa. He didn’t tell the council that the mayor’s office had known about the project since at least February. Looking at overview, it’s difficult to imagine that the Incoa proposal was done without help and input from Port Director Amy Miller, her Economic Development Manager Clark Merritt and Rebecca Ferguson, the mayor’s economic policy coordinator.
Four days after his phone conversation with Wilkins, Penzone and Mayor Hayward met with Moffat & Nichol, the consultants hired to conduct visioning process for the Port of Pensacola. At the agenda review, Councilman Larry Johnson expressed concern that the Incoa proposal was being brought to the city council before Moffat & Nichol study has been completed.
Johnson was shocked that the mayor hadn’t been involved in the negotiations. Wilkins needs to share with Councilman Johnson and the council what was said in his February phone call with Penzone. How did the mayor’s office handle Project Indigo before and after that call? Did the mayor not want to negotiate with Incoa?
Penzone, Miller, Merritt and Ferguson should address the council, too.
See Penzone-Port-invoice.