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City, Livingston Area Chamber of Commerce reach settlement; $10,000 payment and joint statement part of agreement
Summary
After mediation the commission approved a settlement to resolve litigation with the Livingston Area Chamber of Commerce; the agreement includes a $10,000 payment, a waiver of claims and a requirement that $8,800 of funds be used for new business-support events hosted in the city.
The City Commission approved a mediated settlement with the Livingston Area Chamber of Commerce that resolves litigation filed in Park County District Court following a 2020 dispute over the convention and visitors bureau designation.
City Manager Grant Gager explained the settlement reached after a second mediation session. The agreement calls for a $10,000 payment to the Chamber, $1,200 of which will reimburse documented expenses and $8,800 of which must be used solely to host events that "support the Livingston area business community and/or enhance collaboration of Livingston area business owners." Those events must be hosted within the city and be open to Livingston-area businesses.
Under the settlement the Montana Municipal Interlocal Authority (MMIA), the city's insurer, waived any claim to funds awarded in the litigation. The Chamber will execute a general release of claims against the city, the Downtown and Visitor Improvement District (DVID/TBID), and associated parties. The city and the Chamber will issue a joint statement announcing the agreement.
Gager said the settlement was intended to draw a line under the long-running dispute and to direct funds toward programming that benefits the local business community. "This has been nearly five years in progress," Gager said, and staff sought a resolution that would let the community move forward without further litigation expense.
The commission approved the settlement in a roll-call vote after public comment and commissioner remarks that welcomed the resolution and urged moving on to other priorities.
