A three-year-old civil lawsuit alleging the Humboldt Waste Management Authority had made decisions for the purpose of closing of a nonprofit recycling center for its own gain, among other allegations, was settled out of court this week for $10,000, sealing the center’s fate.
The suit filed in October 2011 by the nonprofit Arcata Community Recycling Center against the HWMA — a joint powers authority with members including the county of Humboldt and five local cities — sought damages for several alleged actions, including civil rights violations, the taking or damaging of their property without compensation or due process and the intentional disruption of and interference with business relationships between the ACRC and other entities. The ACRC also accused the HWMA of misappropriating trade secrets and improperly awarding a public contract for recycling processing to Solid Waste of Willits in July 2011.
The settlement submitted to the Humboldt County Superior Court on Tuesday calls for the ACRC to drop its lawsuit with prejudice meaning that it cannot be refiled again in the future. In exchange, the HWMA will pay $10,000 to the ACRC.