The mayor told rrspin.com following tonight’s council meeting City Attorney Gilbert Chichester met with Gatling’s attorneys recently to see if they could agree on a settlement that didn’t involve court. None was reached, the mayor said.
Doughtie hopes the injunction, which would allow the city to run the Roanoke Rapids Theatre during litigation and is part of the lawsuit the city filed against Gatling last month, will be heard next week. “I feel like time is money,” he said.
The seven page civil lawsuit contains four evidence exhibits which include the notice ending Gatling’s contract with the city, a letter demanding the property and past due rent back, the lease agreement with the city and the contract for Gatling and L&M Hospitality to buy the 8.822 acres of land on which the venue is located.
The city contends in the lawsuit it entered valid contracts with Gatling through the lease and agreement to buy the land. The city says it has complied with the terms of the documents and that Gatling has committed material breaches of the documents while the city has given notice they have not been corrected.
Chichester, who is on vacation this week, told rrspin.com last week it could be 90 days before the case is heard in court.
In other matters tonight council:
• Appointed former council member Madison Mullen as an honorary lifetime member of the beautification committee. “Madison has provided valuable service to the beautification committee and the city since his appointment in 1999,” the resolution adopted by council reads.
• Approved grant assurances for the Vine Street Community Development Block Grant.
• Amended the nuisance ordinance to address habitual violators of the law. The amendment would allow the city to remedy violations through a lien on the property which would be collected as unpaid taxes.
The amendment describes a habitual violator as one who owns property where in the previous year the city took remedial action at least three times under the nuisance ordinance.
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