7-9-21 fdl city council to consider to negotiated settlement regarding lakeside park agreement

The Fond du Lac city council next week is expected to  take formal action on an out of court settlement regarding a Lakeside Park Enhancement agreement.  The council voted in May to back out of the agreement for a development project at the park, including a new restaurant near the Lighthouse Peninsula.  The business group had pledged millions of dollars toward the project including  building  the restaurant but was adamant about locating it on Lighthouse Point despite public opposition.  The negotiated settlement calls for the city to pay the business group Lakeside Forward a little more than $377,000, and will foreclose all liability that may have resulted from terminating the agreement.  The payment total includes nearly $308,000 for engineering, construction and other professional services, more than $41,000 for legal services, $15,000 for miscellaneous bills, and $13,000 for supplies and other miscellaneous costs.   City attorney Deb Hoffman says since the settlement amount will be paid for out of the city’s reserves, there will be  no increase in property taxes.    Hoffman said in a memor to the city council  if the agreement is not approved, LSF would file a lawsuit against the city. Hoffman says the agreement avoids the additional time and expense of litigation and the risk of increasing the amount of damages owed to the business group.