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Odessa council approves $60,000 settlement in Matthew Coday lawsuit, 4-2
Summary
After executive session, the council voted 4-2 to approve a $60,000 settlement agreement in the Matthew Coday v. City of Odessa matter; the governing board provided no public detail on negotiation specifics beyond the vote.
The City Council of Odessa voted 4-2 to approve a settlement resolving the lawsuit filed by Matthew Coday against the city.
After an executive session in which council discussed pending litigation, a council member moved to settle the Coday lawsuit for $60,000 under the city’s confidentiality rules; another member seconded the motion. The motion passed on a recorded voice count described during the open meeting as 4 to 2. No additional details of the settlement terms were made public in the open-session record beyond the settlement amount and the council’s vote count.
Council returned from executive session and announced there had been no action taken during the closed meeting. Immediately afterward, a motion was made in open session to approve the settlement; the motion passed 4-2. The minutes do not record which council members voted yes or no on the settlement in the excerpt provided.
Speakers who addressed the council before the executive session urged the council to consider the broader implications of settling or litigating municipal claims. Public commenters encouraged the council to evaluate each case individually and to consider whether routine settlement decisions set unwanted precedents. Other public commenters urged the council to consider the personal impact on the plaintiff in this case when evaluating resolution options.
The council did not provide additional public detail about factual findings, the basis for the settlement, or non-monetary terms in the open meeting record.
