“I thought the public was entitled to have some input, so they could weigh in,” on the settlement, Procter said later of his closed session motion to delay the vote. But, overall, the settlement is, “Quite a relief, even though I think it’s good news, bad news; I’m happy that it was a unanimous decision,” but the issue is still unresolved until voters decide whether or not to switch to some form of district voting.“It was a great consensus, this meeting was very positive,” said Espinosa, who had supported the DOJ’s initial request for five-districts of voters. “I think it’s a positive step for the community and the council,” that could have been accomplished through more timely negotiations, she noted.Having voters decide on whether or not to switch to member district was the “Original offer to the DOJ from day one,” said Johnson.Stacks of studies turned the tide, he added, revealing that 52 percent of the city’s Latinos “hold the voting majority and do have the ability to elect the candidates. “Based on the numbers,” including the Latino majorities on the area’s two largest school district boards, the DOJ “decided to dismiss the lawsuit and put it to the voters. I’m very pleased we got to this point but very unhappy that we were forced to spend over $500,000 [on legal costs], and it will be more,” when the costs are finalized.The settlement of the lawsuit does not prevent reinstatement of same by the DOJ in the future, and both sides agreed to a stipulation of undisputed facts. The settlement agreement notes that nothing in it should be construed as an admission of liability by the city or an admission by the DOJ that the at-large method of electing the City Council does not violate the Voting Rights Act.The DOJ began investigating Santa Paula in 1998, when Espinosa was the only Latina on the council. Ray Luna was elected to the council last year in the same election that saw the passage of Measure I, a slow-growth initiative that blocked annexation and development of Adams Canyon. The proposal to develop mostly expensive homes Adams Canyon was cited by some opponents - an allegation echoed by the DOJ - as a way to further shrink Latino political power.