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APW authorizes $110,000 settlement in Edgar Powell case; councilors question outside counsel costs and FOIA handling
Summary
The committee approved a $110,000 settlement in Edgar Powell v. City of Evanston (alleged Open Meetings Act and FOIA violations); a council member noted outside counsel fees of about $144,000 and urged release of an investigative report.
The Administrative & Public Works Committee on June 22 approved Resolution 127-R-26 authorizing the settlement and release of all claims in Edgar Powell v. City of Evanston, 2021-CH-03744, for $110,000. The vote was 6-0.
During discussion, a council member said the claim related to alleged Open Meetings Act and FOIA violations and raised concern that outside-counsel fees totaled roughly $144,000, bringing the combined cost to nearly a quarter-million dollars. The councillor asked that the investigative report that had been the subject of earlier internal review be released, redacted as appropriate, so the public can see the findings; staff responded that an executive summary of the report had been released but the full report had not been published in full.
The speaker named the law firm that conducted the internal investigation (Martinson Hasbrook and Simon LLP) and referenced a separate summary document prepared by another firm. Staff confirmed that the records at issue had been released as part of the settlement.
Why it matters: Settlements paid from city funds and significant outside-counsel costs draw oversight questions from council members and the public about FOIA and open-meetings compliance and the city's record-release practices.
The committee approved the settlement and released the records referenced in the discussion as indicated by staff remarks during the meeting. The matter may inform future policy or administrative changes regarding FOIA handling and records management.
