The Lake County Commissioners has unanimously agreed to pay $40,000 to settle a lawsuit involving a statue of a Civil War general.
The plaintiff, Lake County Voices of Reason, Inc, had sued the commissioners alleging that they had violated the Florida Sunshine Law when they met privately with the curator of the Lake County Historical Society, according to documents filed in the Fifth Judicial Circuit Court case.
The meeting allegedly concerned a possible transfer of a statue of Confederate Gen. Edmond Kirby-Smith to Lake County. Leesburg commissioners opposed the relocation of the statue to Lake County.
The trial had been set for April 15. The Commissioners agreed to the settlement at the Dec. 19. The parties submitted a settlement agreement to the court whereby the plaintiff’s attorney fees and costs would be paid by Lake County. The court granted the motion to dismiss the lawsuit.
