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Council debates $3,000 settlement over driving-range lights after engineering fixes
Summary
City staff recommended settling a lawsuit with neighbors over driving-range lighting after commissioning an engineering study and implementing shielding; some councilmembers opposed the payment and criticized the city’s handling of complaints.
City staff presented a proposed settlement to resolve a lawsuit brought by neighbors over lighting from the municipal golf-course driving range. Mr. Williams said the city acquired the golf course in September 2024 and that Wright Engineering conducted a lighting study; the city implemented the recommended shielding and other corrective measures. Neighbors Joseph and Karen Flynn filed suit in early 2026; they offered to settle if the city confirmed the implemented fixes and reimbursed attorney fees. The Flynn family sought a fee payment originally reported at about $7,000; staff negotiated a $3,000 payment and recommended settling to avoid protracted litigation.
Explaining the staff position, Mr. Williams said settlements can deliver “clarity, certainty, and finality” and that litigating the case would likely cost the city substantially more than the proposed payment. He described the settlement as a pragmatic choice after the city completed the engineering fixes outlined by Wright Engineering.
Several council members objected to paying legal fees. One council member said the dispute should have been resolved more quickly and called settlement “the price of government behaving badly.” Another member warned against conflating unrelated complaints about the golf course with the Flynn litigation and thanked staff and golf-course employees for their ongoing efforts to mitigate impacts.
The city attorney reminded the council that executive-session discussions are confidential and cautioned against public disclosure of executive-session content during the debate.
Council scheduled the settlement for formal consideration at the upcoming council meeting. The staff packet and the Wright Engineering report are available in the agenda backup for members and the public to review prior to the vote.
