A settlement agreement was reached in the Open Meetings lawsuit that was filed against Shoreline’s Deputy Mayor Fimia and three other council members.

It took half a million dollars of taxpayer money to get to this point, money which would not have been spent if some 20 months ago, Fimia et al simply acknowledged their mistake and paid their $100.00 fine. Let’s face it, people do make mistakes; these folks were just loathe to fess up.

We can now expect to hear a repeated litany from Fimia’s political supporters: that the lawsuit was frivolous; that it was initiated because one of the plaintiffs lost an election to Fimia in 2003; that the plaintiffs’ legal bills were funded by deep pocket developers. Wrong. What Fimia’s supporters assiduously avoid is the issue that should concern us all, and that issue is the law. Three responsible private citizens recognized that the law had been violated and took it upon themselves to seek justice. To believe that someone would enter into a costly lawsuit because of a failed political election is ludicrous. And the idea that big money was steering the effort is erroneous speculation on the part of Fimia’s team. For Bronston Kinney and other Fimia stalwarts who have repeatedly accused everyone from Pro Shoreline to big developers for funding the plaintiffs’ suit: you are wrong. The money came from the pockets of everyday citizens. It came from money raised at garage sales. But ultimately this money was no match for the $341,000 which was provided to Fimia et al through the city.

And here’s the bitter irony: the final bill of $500,000 will ultimately be paid by Shoreline taxpayers; the very people who wanted to see Fimia, Chang, Way and Ransom brought to justice.

Sally Corbett

Shoreline