At approximately 4:10 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 30 the jury in the Deer Creek Water Works trial between the City of Willow Park and the coalition cities, including Aledo, Hudson Oaks, Annetta, Annetta South and the Parker County Utility District No. 1, delivered a verdict on the case.
The jury determined that both Willow Park and the coalition cities had breached an original settlement agreement signed on September 8, 2006 by both parties and their legal representatives. The jury also determined that Willow Park breached the settlement agreement first, forcing the city to comply with the original terms of the September agreement and selling the Deer Creek Water Works system to the coalition cities.
Both parties are scheduled to meet with Judge Don Chrestman next week to determine the details from the jury’s verdict.
“We are just happy that we have gotten here,” Kathleen Wells, legal counsel for the coalition cities, said.
After nearly two days of testimonies, the jury spent approximately nine hours in deliberation determining its verdict.
“I told (Mark) Zeppa and (Allen) Taylor that speaking for Annetta South I want them to figure this out so we are done with it in the spirit of the September agreement,” Annetta South mayor Gerhard Kleinschmidt said.
The Community News will continue to follow this story and will provide additional information and comments in the coming week. For updates, visit www.community-news.com and read the November 7, 2008 issue of The Community News.