BEVERLY HILLS—An attempt to resolve litigation involving the proposal for the Westside Subway extension route was rejected after a mediation session came to an acceptable agreement. Representatives from the City of Beverly Hills, the Beverly Hills Unified School District, the Federal Transit Administration (FTA), the federal Department of Justice (DOJ) and Metro participated in a 10-hour mediation session involving a seasoned mediator and retired judge.
According to a press release from the City of Beverly Hills, the mediation settlement ended with an agreement from all parties that was later rejected by the Metro Board.
“We feel the agreement brokered by the mediator was both reasonable and fair to all sides,” said Beverly Hills Mayor Lili Bosse. “We were very excited at the conclusion of the mediation that we had reached a framework for settlement and equally disappointed by its later rejection by the Metro Board.”
Beverly Hills School Board President Noah Margo said, “Although we have at times been unfairly portrayed in the press as unreasonable, we were willing to work with the mediator to broker a solution that represented a true compromise. We continue to be committed to working out a solution that allows Metro to fulfill its goals, while protecting our school’s future.”
“We have always preferred a negotiated solution to litigation,” continued Board President Margo. “The mediator, along with the representatives from Metro, FTA and DOJ, did a good job of listening and working things out. It is our hope that the Metro Board, which now includes new members, will also come to the realization that a mediated settlement is in the interest of the entire region.”
