With the oversight and direction of Federal Magistrate Judge John Maughmer, the City of Lee’s Summit will pay a $15.5 million settlement to Ted White. These terms were established by an agreement which resolve all of Mr. White’s claims against the City and Ken Conlee, the City’s former police chief.

“We have stated in the past that the City would not make any payment unless and until there was clarity regarding its legal obligations,” said Lee’s Summit Mayor Randy Rhoads. “These matters have now been resolved and the City is fulfilling its legal obligation and is hopeful that this settlement provides closure for Mr. White and his family.”

Conlee has agreed that the settlement can be paid through his Management Agreement with the City. Conlee’s Management Agreement was signed on November 19, 1996, and in effect prior to the current indemnification ordinance, which was enacted into law on September 6, 2001. The new ordinance would have made it unlawful to pay such a settlement.

The settlement will be paid out of the City’s current financial reserves. The City is currently pursuing reimbursement to the City for part of the settlement from the City’s insurance policies.
The long term impact of the settlement is not fully realized but should not have an immediate impact on the City’s current operating budget or on the delivery of City services. The City strives to fulfill its policy of maintaining a 20% reserve balance for emergency purposes.