Posted: 8/6/03

Intimate Treasures collects $5000 in lawsuit against city of FL

A Forest Lake business that specializes in selling X-rated merchandise has agreed to a settlement offer from a lawsuit filed against the city of Forest Lake late last year.

City Administrator Chip Robinson said Monday that Intimate Treasures, 119 N. Lake St., agreed to drop its suit in lieu of a $5000 payment. The decision was reached during a settlement conference Monday in federal court in St. Paul, he said.

Last year, the downtown business sued the city saying its First Amendment rights were violated when the city would not OK its expansion plans in the Forest Theatre building.

Robinson said the city withheld approval of the expansion for two months because it was in process of adopting an adult use ordinance and it had yet to see plans for the expansion.

The business sued the city over the constitutional grievance and sought monetary damages to cover attorney fees and lost income.

Initially, Intimate Treasures sought $22,000, Robinson said.

The lawsuit was handled in federal court by the League of Minnesota Cities on behalf of the city.

The city is required to pay a $500 deductible charge plus 15 percent of the settlement, Robinson said. The cityís league insurance policy will cover the remainder.

Robinson said he authorized approval of the settlement on Monday to bring the matter to a close and halt the rise of legal bills tied to the lawsuit.

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