Varona Enterprises has the food concessions contract at the Pensacola International Airport. That contract expires March 31,2014. Robert de Varona sent a letter on Jan. 3 to Mayor Ashton Hayward and the Pensacola City Council requesting a decision on who will have the new contract.
The city did get proposals and the mayor presented his choice to the city council in late September. When it looked like his recommendation wasn’t going to be approved, Councilman Larry Johnson tabled the issue. Four months later, Hayward has yet to place the issue back on the agenda. While several council members have told the Independent News that they are ready to vote on the proposals, their hands are tied because the city attorney has said that only the mayor can bring it back up for a vote.
de Varona is concerned that there is little time for the winning proposer to design, purchase, construct, install, hire and train for the new operations to be open by April 1.
Read letter: Varona.