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With little fanfare, the City Council unanimously approved a $345,499 settlement stemming from a lawsuit filed by a motorist against the Liberty Police Department.

According to city officials, Gladstone resident Courtney Wilson was traveling west on Missouri Highway 152 when she was rear-ended by officer Wendi Mason. Wilson’s vehicle then struck another vehicle in front of her. The accident happened Nov. 14, 2006.

The city has a $25,000 deductible policy through MARCIT, an insurance pool that covers many municipalities and counties in the area. The settlement is one of the largest the city has reached in recent years.

The city also paid a $500,000 settlement to Liberty One Stop in 2007, but that was not covered by the city’s liability insurance. That lawsuit stemmed from a dispute over an intersection improvement project at Pleasant Valley Road, Liberty Drive and Interstate 35 that the owners of the convenience store claimed harmed their business. One Stop has since closed.

Dougherty Historic District

The council voted unanimously after the fact to overrule the Historic District Review Commission, which had earlier denied a certificate of appropriateness for vinyl replacement windows at 311 W. Kansas St., a residence in the Dougherty Historic District.

Diane Mead, the owner of the house, had replaced the windows on the second story of her 1912 bungalow without first seeking approval from the city. Exterior changes cannot be made to structures in historic districts without approval from HDRC, and vinyl widows are generally prohibited.

Mead said she did not know about the rule until she had already replaced the deteriorated windows. Since then, she said she had acquired from the city the rule booklet and distributed it to her neighbors.

In other business

The City Council also:

• approved a final development plan for a two-story, 42,621-square-foot cardiology unit at Liberty Hospital.

• approved a 25-year agreement with the Missouri Department of Conservation for the state agency to take over management of the eight ponds at Fountain Bluff Sports Complex, which includes restocking them with fish. The city would still be responsible for maintaining the area and monitoring water quality.

• voted unanimously to spend $138,023 with American Emergency Vehicles for a new ambulance to replace a 1999 model. The city will get the new ambulance in November.

• sent to second reading Monday, July 13, a $13,000 contract with Pattie Banks Associates for neighborhood planning services.

Liberty Editor Angie Anaya Borgedalen can be reached at 781-4941 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

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