A settlement with the Chorus Line strip club has been finalized, and the City of Davenport is set to pay more than a quarter of a million dollars.
As News Eight first reported Wednesday, the city will pay $270,000 to the Chorus Line in a case that dates back to 2009. That's when the city denied the Chorus Line its adult entertainment license and shut the business down for a year.
Attorney Mike Meloy represented the gentleman's club, and said the city drug the case out.
"The city fought everything, the city appealed everything, the city challenged every court ruling," said Meloy.
The settlement includes Meloy's attorney fees.
"It means taxpayers are ultimately going to pay for this fiasco," said Meloy.
Law firm Lane and Waterman represented the city in the case and issued a statement saying, "The city has always sought to follow its ordinances when dealing with cabaret and business licenses."
Meloy, though, said he hopes the settlement will be a wake-up call for both Davenport and City Administrator Craig Malin.
"In my opinion, any other city employee who was involved in costing the city over a quarter of a million dollars would probably be terminated," Meloy said.
In light of the lawsuit, the city is considering changes to how it deals with licensing hearings by using arbitrators instead of city staff. The City Council unanimously voted to move that idea forward Wednesday night.