Archive - Oct 2012 - News Article
October 5th
For Mammoth to have continued its legal fight with lawyers representing both Mammoth Lakes Land Acquisition and Terry Ballas, the town was subject to a “burn rate” of $1 million a month in legal costs, Town Manager Dave Wilbrecht said.
Speaking to a crowd at the Council Chambers on Thursday night, Sept. 27, Wilbrecht asserted that the legal costs in terms of attorneys fees and the costs of paperwork were so daunting that the town had little choice but to settle.
In sorting out the history of the town’s path toward a near-crippling $29.4 million, 23-year legal settlement, Mammoth Councilman Rick Wood said a big chunk of blame should go to North Mono County.
With Terry Ballas and MLLA having successfully moved the original breach-of-contract civil case from Mammoth to Bridgeport, North County jurors “stuck it” to Mammoth, then celebrated afterward, Wood said.
Most people are unhappy with the outcome of any legal-settlement cases.
But in the sometimes upside-down world of legal wrangling, universal disappointment is often a good thing, according to the mediating federal judge who helped steer the Town of Mammoth Lakes toward its $29.5 million, $2-million-a-year settlement with Mammoth Lakes Land Acquisition.
“I always tell people when I start a mediation, don’t expect to be happy at the end of the mediation,” said U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Elizabeth Perris.
CORRECTION: The print version of this story stated that the contract was approved by the teachers. That is incorrect. The vote is still being tallied. The Mammoth Times regrets the error.
Mammoth Unified School District teachers and administrators are hoping a contract to take five furlough days at the end of the school year averts a potential strike, according to union members.
Voting on the tentative contract ended Friday, Sept. 28 but the final vote has not yet been tallied, according to Mammoth Education Association (MEA) union president Michelle Quirsfeld.
October 2nd
By
George Shirk - Times News Editor
Most people are unhappy with the outcome of any legal-settlement cases.
But in the sometimes upside-down world of legal wrangling, universal disappointment is often a good thing, according to the mediating federal judge who helped steer the Town of Mammoth Lakes toward its $29.5 million, $2-million-a-year settlement with Mammoth Lakes Land Acquisition.
October 1st
By
George Shirk - Times News Editor
In sorting out the history of the town’s path toward a near-crippling $29.4 million, 23-year legal settlement, Mammoth Councilman Rick Wood said a big chunk of blame should go to North Mono County.
By
George Shirk - Times News Editor
Mammoth Mayor Matthew Lehman took off into the backcountry this past weekend, dropping by Rock Creek Resort for a slice of “Pie in the Sky.”
Anticipating a number of questions regarding the MLLA settlement, the town published the following expected questions.
By
George Shirk - Times News Editor
The Mammoth Lakes Town Council on Thursday put the town’s police department on the chopping block, proposing deep cuts as a result of the $29.5 million settlement with Mammoth Lakes Land Acquisition, Inc.
By
George Shirk - Times News Editor
Mammoth Town Councilman Michael Raimondo, the newest voice on the embattled five-member council, didn’t let his empty chair go silent Thursday night.
Writing from Mexico, where he is vacationing, the owner of Old New York Deli & Bagel Co. in the Village ripped into the $29.5 million settlement agreement the town made with MLLA.
“This settlement and the path taken to get to the settlement were executed and implemented in a fashion that did not and will not serve the community’s best interests.
By
George Shirk - Times News Editor
Mammoth councilmember Rick Wood said he wants to set the record straight on the events leading up to the town’s $29.5 million, 23-year settlement in the MLLA case.
