The Fourth District Court of Appeal this week ruled that the city must pay the plaintiff's attorney's fees, but imposed no other penalties. City officials said they changed the way they conduct closed sessions soon after the lawsuit was filed in November 1999.
Mel Shapiro, a longtime civic watchdog, filed the lawsuit, citing a violation of the Ralph M. Brown Act, which restricts what government bodies can discuss in private.
In October 2000, Superior Court Judge Judith McConnell sided with Shapiro, finding that the city violated the act several times. The council talked about environmental reports, relocating homeless people and other matters when they were bound only to talk about real estate negotiations.
Construction resumed recently on the ballpark project following more than a dozen legal challenges.
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