LAKEPORT, Calif. – The county of Lake and the city of Lakeport have reached a final settlement agreement in a nearly two-and-a-half-year-old lawsuit filed after the county's former sheriff cut off the Lakeport Police Department's access to shared law enforcement records.
County Counsel Anita Grant said the Board of Supervisors emerged from closed session on Tuesday and voted unanimously to accept the proposed settlement with the city of Lakeport in the case, filed in May 2013.
The settlement calls for the county to pay the city's attorney's fees and costs in the amount of $69,901.81. Grant said that settlement is not covered under the county's insurance.
Grant said once both sides have signed off on the final paperwork, it will be dismissed in Mendocino County Superior Court, where the case was moved a month after it was filed at the city of Lakeport's request.
The city filed the lawsuit in response to former Sheriff Frank Rivero's action to cut the Lakeport Police Department off from access to the Records Information Management System, or RIMS, in April 2013, as Lake County News has reported.
The suit alleged breach of a longtime contract in which the agencies worked cooperatively to share dispatch services.
The city argued that the dispatch services contract allowed Lakeport Police to use RIMS to access records of its own calls for service through dispatch and related law enforcement information gathered by the county and other agencies.
Lakeport City Manager Margaret Silveira told Lake County News that the city's access to the records was restored immediately after Mendocino County Superior Court Judge Cindee Mayfield granted the city a temporary restraining order in July 2013.
The following month, Mayfield granted the city a preliminary injunction in the case.
Since then, Silveira said there have been no issues with access.
Brian Martin defeated Rivero in the June 2014 primary election. Following that change in county personnel, “settlement discussions have reached the point where the City is satisfied its Lawsuit is no longer necessary,” the settlement agreement states.
Silveira said the suit was handled on the city's behalf by attorney David Ruderman of the firm Colantuono and Levin PC.
Since the suit was filed, the firm has gained Lakeport's city attorney contract, with Ruderman now regularly appearing at Lakeport City Council meetings in his city attorney role.
With Tuesday's action by the Board of Supervisors, “I think it's pretty much done,” Silveira said of the suit.
On Wednesday, county officials had not yet signed the final version of the settlement document, which already bore Ruderman's signature along with those of Lakeport Mayor Martin Scheel and acting City Clerk Kelly Buendia. City officials signed the document on Tuesday.
Silveira said the city continues to work with the county under the dispatch services contract.
However, Sheriff Martin and Lakeport Police Chief Brad Rasmussen are working on creating an updated contract, Silveira said.
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County, city of Lakeport reach settlement agreement in law enforcement records lawsuit
- Elizabeth Larson
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