Two sides attempt mediation to settle lawsuit over sinking Friant-Kern Canal
Attorneys for the Friant Water Authority and Eastern Tule Groundwater Sustainability Agency agreed to mediation on Friday in an attempt to resolve a dispute over how quickly payment for repairs to the sinking Friant-Kern Canal should be handed over. During a status conference in Visalia, both parties told Tulare County Superior Court Judge Bret Hillman via Zoom that they will work with Gail Andler, a mediator with JAMS, Judicial Arbitration and Mediation Services, Inc., to find common ground in a breach of contract lawsuit filed in February against Eastern Tule by Friant Water Authority and Arvin-Edison Water Storage District. When the mediation will occur is a sticking point, though. Gina Nicholls, who represents Eastern Tule, said the GSA prefers mediation as soon as possible.