Rea settlement hearing set for early December

A settlement in the City and Borough of Wrangell’s lawsuit against former Wrangell Medical Center administrator Noel Rea and six recalled members of the WMC Board of Directors will have to wait until at least early December.

Attorneys David Shoupe and Jon Dawson, who represent Rea and the former board members and in the case respectively, asked Judge William Carey on Nov. 19 to schedule the hearing with the expectation that all parties will have agreed to the settlement – and that an iPad and laptop computer are returned to the city.

Bob Blasco, who represents the borough in the case, was the first to speak up about the timeline of the case.

“We have made a lot of progress,” Blasco said. “We have a final settlement agreement that has been reviewed by all counsel and confirmed by six of the seven defendants. We’re waiting for one more confirmation which, from my understanding we may get tomorrow. Assuming that, we’re going to get this off to the assembly Nov. 27, their next meeting.”

After the hearing, Borough Mayor Don McConachie confirmed the plan to review the settlement in executive session during the assembly’s next meeting.

Blasco added that he was planning on meeting with both Shoupe and Dawson regarding the return of an iPad and laptop the city claims belongs to the hospital.

The next status hearing is set for Dec. 3 at 4 p.m. in Wrangell’s First District Court.