Special City Commission Meeting on Settlement Negotiations – August 11, 2025
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Special City Commission Meeting on Settlement Negotiations – August 11, 2025
A special city commission meeting was held on August 11, 2025, to discuss settlement negotiations and strategy related to the lawsuit Alejandra M. Roldan Jaramillo v. City of Sarasota (Case No. 2025 CA 000022 NC). The meeting included a closed attorney-client session, followed by a public reconvening and a unanimous vote to approve a settlement offer.
Discussion Items
- The commission convened a closed attorney-client session under Florida Statute 286.011(8) to discuss settlement negotiations and litigation strategy in the Jaramillo case. The session lasted from 11:03 A.M. to 12:00 P.M.
- City Attorney Joseph Polzak explained that no votes would be taken during the closed session.
Key Outcomes
- A motion was made by Commissioner Jen Ahearn-Koch, seconded by Vice Mayor Debbie Trice, to approve a settlement offer of $200,000 to the plaintiff, conditioned on the plaintiff providing a general release to the city. The motion carried unanimously by a 5-0 vote at 12:01 P.M.
- The meeting was adjourned at 12:01 P.M.
Additional Notes
- The agenda included a citizens' input period, but no members of the public signed up to speak.
- All five commissioners were present: Mayor Liz Alpert, Vice Mayor Debbie Trice, Commissioners Jen Ahearn-Koch, Kyle Scott Battie, and Kathy Kelley Ohlrich. Interim City Manager David Bullock arrived at 11:01 A.M.
Meeting Transcript
All right, good morning, everyone. I'm gonna call this August eleventh eleventh, twenty twenty-five special uh city commission meeting uh to order, and we'll begin with an invocation by the city auditor and clerk Griggs. Heavenly Father, we affirm our faith in thee. We seek your divine strength, wisdom, and guidance in the deliberations that affect the lives of each of the citizens of our community. In the name we pray, amen. Commissioner Ahern Coch, could you leave us in the pledge? I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and the Republic for which it is one nation under Godissible with liberty and justice for all. Thank you so much. All right. Um, any citizens' input. No. I don't believe so. Okay. No, no public input. Okay. All right. So we're gonna move on to um basically our only uh agenda item essentially for the day. Um, is agenda item two point one, a special closed meeting of the city commission for the purpose of discussing settlement negotiations and strategy related to the litigation expenditures in the matter of Alejandro M. Roydon Haramil, V City of Sarasota, case number twenty twenty-five, CA zero zero zero zero two, and C in the Circuit Court for the Twelfth Judicial Circuit in and for Sarasota County Civil Division. And I'm going to call upon our city attorney Paul Zak to explain the attorney client session process. All right, we are back in session for the special city commission meeting for the purpose of discussing settlement negotiations. And it's August eleventh, twenty twenty five, and I will um ask for a motion. Before that, mayor, I'd just like to formally announce we've obviously concluded the shade meeting in Alejandra M. Rolldon Haramello versus City of Sarasota. No votes were taken during the closed session, and it is twelve o'clock noon. Okay. Yes. Move that the city settle for the two hundred thousand dollars, provided um a general release to the city is uh given by the plaintiff. Is that a yes. Second. All right. Um, commissioners, if you will vote. Just a second here. There you go. Is that your vote? Yes. All right. The motion passes unanimously.
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