Robert Varona, whose contract for food concessions at the Pensacola International Airport expires on March 31, has sent the following letter to Mayor Ashton Hayward and the Pensacola City Council:
Dear Mayor Hayward and Members of Council:
Ever since the City Council rejected the Mayor’s proposal to give OHM the airport food and beverage contract on January 23rd, there has been no contact with from any city officials regarding the plan for a smooth transition of the food and beverage services. Varona’s contract will expire March 31st, 2014, just 8 weeks away – yet I haven’t heard of any city plan in place beyond “considering finding temporary concessions vendorsâ€, per a Pensacola News Journal article on January 29th.I wrote you a letter dated January 3, 2014 specifically offering the Mayor and the City to develop a plan for a smooth transition of the food and beverage contract in order to protect the interests of passengers, airport employees, and the citizens of Pensacola. An excerpt from my January 3 letter reads as follows:
“Regardless of the decision you make, I am strongly recommending that a transition plan of some kind be instituted to protect passengers, employees, constituents and citizens from any disruption in service. As in the past, I am willing to work with you for a smooth transition regardless of the final decision of the City.â€I have had no response from the Mayor or any city official.
The consequences of not having a plan in place will be extremely hurtful to our 30+ employees who are the ones to lose the most. They depend on their paychecks. Additionally, this could lead to disruption in food and beverage services to our Pensacola International Airport passengers. Tourism is vital to our economy and disappointing tourists is not in the best interest of thousands of citizens of this community.
In the interest of airport employee job security, the traveling public, and the citizens of Pensacola during this transitional period, Varona’s is willing to pay to the Airport (the City of Pensacola) a MAG (Minimum Annual Guarantee) of $397,000 – the exact sum OHM offered, paid in advance and pro-rated for a six month period, for a total of $198,500, to continue operating for six months, until September 30, 2014, just as we have for the last ten years. Not only will this guarantee to the Airport a sum deemed by the Mayor himself to be “in the best interest of the City†when proposed by OHM, it will ensure minimal disruption during the crucial summer tourism season. I am open and willing to negotiate any details.
Thank you for your attention and consideration of this matter.
Sincerely,
Robert de Varona
President
Varona Enterprises of Florida, Inc