Appointed Empire Village attorney Brad Wierda has reached a settlement agreement regarding the lawsuit against Empire and Village of Empire President Sue Palmer.
Terry Bacon sued in Leelanau County Circuit Court, alleging that Palmer violated the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) and the General Law Village Act (GLVA) by failing to produce public records and writings of a village officer which Bacon requested.
After the lawsuit was filed, Palmer, through their attorneys, produced a pair of electronic documents “Meetings through March 2023,” and “Notes for Appointment to WWStudy task Force.”
Bacon requested these documents through FOIA in June 2023.
Palmer failed to produce these documents in the original form.
The Village agreed to pay Bacon $750 in the settlement.
The parties agreed to the stipulation and orders for dismissal without prejudice.
