Special City Commission Meeting on Settlement in Doneisha Stanley Case – January 5, 2026
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Special City Commission Meeting (Attorney-Client Session) – January 5, 2026
The Sarasota City Commission held a special meeting on January 5, 2026, primarily to discuss settlement negotiations and strategy in the pending litigation Doneisha Stanley v. City of Sarasota. The meeting included a brief public comment period (no speakers), a closed attorney-client session, and a vote on a recommended settlement.
Public Comments & Testimony
- No members of the public signed up to speak during the citizens input period (Agenda Item I).
Discussion Items
- Closed Attorney-Client Session: The Commission recessed at 4:03 p.m. into an out-of-the-sunshine, attorney-client session (Room 109) to discuss settlement negotiations and strategy related to the litigation. The session lasted approximately 21 minutes (scheduled for 30 minutes) and concluded at 4:24 p.m. No votes were taken during the closed session.
- Settlement Recommendation: Upon reconvening, City Attorney Joseph Polzak confirmed the closed session was concluded and that the Commission could make a motion based on the discussion. The Commission discussed a recommended settlement amount of $99,500 in the matter of Doneisha Stanley v. City of Sarasota (Case No. 2024 CA 003177).
Key Outcomes
- Motion and Vote: Commissioner Jen Ahearn-Koch moved to approve the recommended settlement offer of $99,500; seconded by Commissioner Kyle Scott Battie. The motion passed unanimously with a 5-0 vote (Mayor Debbie Trice, Vice Mayor Kathy Kelley Ohlrich, Commissioners Ahearn-Koch, Liz Alpert, and Battie all voting in favor).
- Meeting Adjournment: The special meeting adjourned at 4:25 p.m., immediately following the vote.
Meeting Transcript
Good evening. I would like to excuse me, call this meeting to order. Uh, welcome to the January fifth, twenty twenty-six special attorney client session city commission meeting. And now we will have an invocation by the city auditor and clerk. We have to do it. Even though it's just us. Heavenly Father, we affirm our faith in thee, we seek your divine strength of wisdom and guidance in the deliberations that faith the lives of each of the sins of citizens of our community, and then we pray amen. And Vice Mayor, would you lead us in the pledge? Are there any changes to the order of the No Mayor? Okay. Do we need to approve the agenda? Okay. So um this is uh agenda item two point one is a special closed meeting of the city commission. Okay, no citizens input. Okay. Okay. Um so this is for meeting is for the purpose of discussing settlement negotiations and strategy related to the litigation expenditures in the matter of Denisha Stanley versus the City of Sarasota, case number twenty twenty-four, CA zero zero three one seven seven circuit court for the twelfth judicial circuit in and for Sarasota County Civil Division. And I will call upon City Attorney Polzak to explain the attorney client session process. Uh as you stated, this is pursuant to my previous request for a closed attorney client session to discuss the pending litigation you identified to which we're a party. Um just to note notice of this shade meeting was given in accordance with section two eighty-six point zero one one subsection eight Florida statutes and included the date, time, location, and name of the case to be discussed. For the record, the following individuals who are going to be present and authorized to attend the Shen Shade meeting are uh Mayor yourself, Mayor W. Trice, Vice Mayor Kathy Collier Ork, Commissioner Jen Aaron Coach, Commissioner Liz Elpert, Commissioner Kyle Scott Petit, Interim City Manager Dave Bullock, myself, Joe Pol's ex city attorney, a deputy city attorney, Joe Melanik, and a certified court reporter. Thank you. Sorry, yep. Uh, sorry, Mayor. Uh, just to for the record, the estimated uh length of time of the session is going to be thirty minutes. And from here we will convene into a closed door session, as you mentioned. Okay. And it is like four oh five, and we're estimating thirty minutes. Thank you. Yes, thank you. Yes. Thank you, Mayor. The city commission has concluded its shade meeting pursuant to section two eighty-six oh eleven subsection eighty four statutes. No votes were taken during the shade meeting. Yeah, I would move we um settle the uh case with the recommended amount. It is four twenty five PM and we're back in regular session. and we're back in regular session. Okay, so and the recommended amount for settlement is $99,500. Second, correct. Okay. Motion was made by Commissioner Ahern Koch and seconded by Commissioner Batti to uh agree to a settlement for $99,500 in the case of Denisha Stanley versus the City of Sarasota. Case number 24, 2024, CA 003177, Circuit Court for the 12th Judicial Circuit in and for Sarasota County Civil Dis Division. And oh, and we have a vote. We need to vote, please vote. Please vote. Oh well, there you'll try it again. All right. And it is unanimous, 50. Thank you very much.
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