Bradenton Beach’s Sunshine lawsuit may be nearing a conclusion.
City attorney Ricinda Perry said Dec. 3 that the city received a $350,000 joint settlement payment from defendants John Metz and Tjet Martin, as well as a $500 settlement payment from Patricia Shay.
Perry said defendants Bill and Rose Vincent also agreed to each pay $500 to settle with the city, but the city had yet to receive the Vincents’ payments.
Perry said, as a part of the settlements, the defendants agreed not to pursue an appeal against a ruling from Judge Edward Nicholas of the 12th Judicial Circuit Court requiring three of the defendants — Metz, Martin and Reed Mapes — to pay the city $369,498 as compensation for attorney’s fees.
Nicholas’ ruling also exempted Shay and the Vincents from the ordered settlement of $369,498 because they had agreed to $500 settlements with the city earlier in the dispute, although those deals failed because the other defendants didn’t sign on.
The only defendant the city has yet to come to terms with is Mapes.
If Mapes fails to settle for the $19,498 remainder of the attorney’s fees, Perry said the city could appeal to enforce collection.
But Mapes has asked for the same $500 settlement Shay and the Vincents received, and he gave commissioners until Dec. 4 to consider his offer. An update was not available at press time.
Mayor John Chappie called for a shade meeting to discuss negotiations with Mapes in private.
“I want to make the city as whole as possible,” Chappie said.
Commissioners reached a consensus to proceed with a shade meeting to discuss the lawsuit but did not set a date or time.
Shade meetings are allowed to discuss pending litigation and settlement, according to the Sunshine Law, a series of regulations intended to guarantee public access to government meetings and records.
In other matters, city commissioners also:
- Voted 5-0 to authorize residents to landscape a city right of way on 10th Street North to create a remembrance area for a neighbor who recently died;
- Voted 5-0 to apply to recertify as a Tree City U.S.A. community;
- Voted 5-0 to waive the event permit fee and authorize the Anna Maria Island Privateers to park Santa’s sleigh in a right of way for the Annual Privateers Christmas Party and Fundraiser at the Drift In, 120 Bridge St., at 5:30 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 19.
- Voted 5-0 to approve a final reading for a special events ordinance that would allow city staff to review and approve special event permits rather than the commission.