By Linda Sutter – September 22, 2024

RELEASE IN SETTLEMENT OF LITIGATION
LINDA SUTTER v. TRI-AGENCY EDA,
Del Norte Superior Court No. CVPT 23-1261

For and in consideration of the terms of this agreement, Linda Sutter, plaintiff in the above-entitled
action against Tri-Agency EDA and Wes White, Chair, and various Does, defendants, herewith agrees to
fully and finally conclude that action. The parties agree that the following recitals are correct:

1. The Tri-Agency is being dissolved through the joint action of its member agencies, the County
   of Del Norte, the City of Crescent City, and the Crescent City Harbor District adopting the
   TERMINATION AGREEMENT REGARDING TRI-AGENCY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY
   with the date of dissolution being September 16, 2024, which agreement is now fully executed
   and in force and effect.
2. In the nature of plaintiff Sutter’s contentions and prayers for relief in the lawsuit, the
   dissolution of Tri-Agency both accomplishes one of her prayers for relief and also prevents the
   remaining claims for compliance and court-supervised compliance with certain statutes. Thus,
   the lawsuit is effectively moot upon dissolution of Tri-Agency.
3. Tri-Agency has not admitted any of the allegations against it and does not do so by this
   released in settlement.
4. Sutter has incurred certain legal costs in the amount of $635.00 in filing and pursuing her suit
   and Tri-Agency, in order to achieve the economies of ending this suit and avoiding additional
   legal expense is willing to reimburse those costs to Sutter. A check in this amount drawn on
   good funds at Coast Central Credit Union will be exchanged for an executed copy of this
   Release and the Dismissal of the subject lawsuit as described below.
   NOW THEREFORE:
   In view of the facts stated above, and delivery of the described consideration, Sutter releases and
   forever discharges Tri-Agency EDA and its member entities, principals, officers, Board members, agents
   and assigns, and Wes White, Chair, from any and all claims, demands, damages, costs and attorney fees
   of any kind, known or unknown, claimed or unclaimed in her suit, existing up to the date of the Tri-
   Agency dissolution. Concurrently, with the execution of this Release, Sutter will executed a Dismissal
   with Prejudice terminating and dismissing her lawsuit.

Dated: September 12, 2024

THE BACKSTORY:

In September 2023, I submitted a Writ of Mandate against the Tri-Agency for the following violations.

* Violation of the Brown Act, 

* Continous violation of the California Public Records Act,

* Breach of Fiduciary duties, and waste of Public Funds.

This was after the joint committee decision of the City, County, and Harbor District had voted against the will of the people. 

The Tri-Agency held tight to wanting to take hard earned tax dollars with the hope that Oceanic Windfarms would pull the three agencies out of debt, however, this would have ended commercial and sport fishing.

The Tri-Agency began to crumble after that. Three County Board Members: Supervisors Valerie Starkey, Darrin Short and Joey Borges, were not going to trade our counties livelihoods to destroy commercial and sport fishing. Once they made that decision it caused the divide amongst the Tri-Agency which ultimately led to the dissolving of this agency because all three agencies had to agree to the amended agreement of the Tri-Agency and they could not.