SAN DIEGO -- The mediation over the sexual harassment lawsuit against San Diego Mayor Bob Filner has been completed, and the City Council will vote Friday on a proposal that could end the six-week saga, according to City Atty. Jan Goldsmith. 
 
 At issue in the mediation talks was the possibility of Filner’s resignation in exchange for the City Council agreeing to pay some of his legal fees and potential damages from a sexual harassment lawsuit filed against him by his former director of communications. 
 
 Late Wednesday night, an aide to a City Council member posted a video of Filner loading boxes into an SUV parked outside City Hall, reportedly after cleaning out his office and saying farewell to his staff. 
 
 The end of the mediation had come earlier Wednesday evening after three days of closed-door negotiations between Filner, his attorneys, Goldsmith and two City Council members, and overseen by retired federal judge J. Lawrence Irving, who donated his time. 
 
 All nine council members and numerous other officials have called for Filner's resignation, and a recall effort is underway. Goldsmith said last week that he was developing an "exit plan" for the mayor. 
 
 On Monday, Los Angeles attorney Gloria Allred and her client Irene McCormack Jackson also the first of the mediation sessions. 
 
 Details of the proposal were kept under wraps Wednesday night, even from council members who were not in attendance at the session. Friday's vote will be taken in a closed session. 
 
 More than a dozen women in recent weeks have accused Filner of sexual misconduct, including inappropriate touching. Another woman came forward earlier Wednesday. 
 
 Recall leader Michael Pallamary said Wednesday night that the recall will continue "until a resignation has been tendered by Filner." 
 
 Filner, 70, was elected in November, the city's first Democratic mayor in two decades. Almost immediately his confrontational, abrasive style resulted in friction with City Council members and business leaders. 
 
 Filner made a brief appearance at City Hall to talk to his staff Wednesday afternoon before returning to the last mediation session. He refused to answer questions from reporters. 
 
 "Nice to see you guys," he told reporters. 
 
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 tony.perry@latimes.com 
 
 Twitter: @LATsandiego 

 City Attorney Jan Goldsmith said Wednesday night that a proposed resolution has been reached to a sexual harassment lawsuit filed against Mayor Bob Filner and the city. 
 
 Goldsmith said the City Council, which must approve any settlement, will review the proposal on Friday. He said no details would be released until after then. 
 
 The city attorney appeared after the third day of mediation being led by retired federal Judge J. Lawrence Irving that many presumed would end with Filner agreeing to resign. In exchange, the city would likely agree to limit Filner’s legal and financial exposure with regard to the lawsuit. A major sticking point had been the reluctance of city leaders to make taxpayers foot the bill for Filner’s alleged wrongdoing. 
 
 Joining other city officials and Filner's attorney outside a downtown office building, Goldsmith said Irving called on all parties not to disclose details until after the council session. 
 
 Filner's former communications director, Irene McCormack Jackson, filed a sexual harassment lawsuit against the and Filner and the city. She is being represented by high-profile attorney Gloria Allred. 
 
 The Democratic mayor has been under siege for the past five weeks since allegations of inappropriate sexual behavior toward women surfaced. More than a dozen women have come forward to accuse Filner of sexual misconduct and unwanted advances, such as kisses, groping and derogatory comments. Additional women have also described awkward encounters with Filner in which he inquired about their relationship status or asked them out. 

 All nine members of San Diego City Council, California’s two senators and the Democratic National Committee want mayor Bob Filner to step down. 
 
 A recent poll of the city’s 1.3 million residents also found 81% think he should go. 
 
 But the 70-year-old serial groper is resisting their calls to resign, saying he’s taken an intensive course of behavioural therapy to sensitize himself to the issue and enable him to mend his ways. This is, after all, California. 
 
 Meanwhile, the government of the U.S.’s eight-largest city is in an uproar as a seemingly endless parade of women has come forward to claim the mayor made unwanted and improper sexual advances. 
 
 Among the accusers are his former communications director, a university dean, a retired Navy rear admiral and a great-grandmother. Some contend he cornered, groped and forcibly kissed them. 
 
 He’s not going to go on his own 
 
 The latest to go public is Dianne York, owner of a spa in nearby La Jolla. She told CNN Wednesday the 70-year-old fondled her buttocks during a photo shoot in front of several other people. 
 
 Mr. Filner already faces a sexual harassment lawsuit filed by his former communications director, Irene McCormack Jackson, the first woman to accuse him of failing to keep his hands to himself. 
 
 She says he made numerous lewd remarks and suggested her work performance would improve if she came to the office without wearing underwear. 
 
 Negotiations between the city and Ms. Jackson’s lawyer, Gloria Allred, are reportedly stalled over the amount of money to be paid to her in compensation and whether Mr. Filner should be forced to resign. 
 
 The DNC plans to vote on a resolution Friday urging him to step down immediately. 
 
 Debbie Wasserman Schultz, the DNC chairwoman, urged him to resign in July. 
 
 Negotiations on the Jackson lawsuit — she’s also suing the city — began Monday when Mr. Filner was spotted at City Hall, followed by Ms. Allred. 
 
 Why would he? He’s a psychopath. He’s a narcissist. He’s a predator. He’s a criminal menace 
 
 It was the first time the mayor had been seen in public since announcing about three weeks ago he would undergo therapy after acknowledging he has disrespected and intimidated women. He has denied committing sexual harassment. 
 
 But last month, after Ms. Jackson filed her lawsuit, he acknowledged having “failed to fully respect the women who work for me and with me,” and admitted he was “embarrassed” by his actions. 
 
 Mr. Filner has vowed to remain San Diego’s leader, saying his focus after therapy “will be on making sure that I am doing right by the city in terms of being the best mayor I can be.” 
 
 He may not have a choice. The campaign to recall him began in earnest last Sunday, as volunteers fanned out over the downtown Gaslamp nightlife district and the finish line of a half-marathon foot race to gather signatures. 
 
 “He’s not going to go on his own,” said Michael Pallamary, a land-use consultant and recall committee chairman, at a rally outside City Hall. 
 
 “Why would he? He’s a psychopath. He’s a narcissist. He’s a predator. He’s a criminal menace.” 
 
 Organizers have until Sept. 26 to collect 101,597 signatures of registered voters. If the petition has fewer than that, the recall campaign will have 30 more days to gather additional valid signatures. 
 
 CNN affiliate KFMB reported local radio hosts hired skywriters to spell out “Surrender Bob” over the city last week. 
 
 National Post, with files from The Associated Press and Bloomberg News 

 Mayor Filner as he apologizes for disrespecting women (L) and the moment he announced he will undergo intense therapy in response to sexual harassment allegations. 
 
 San Diego Mayor Bob Filner has agreed to resign as part of a deal reached this week with city officials, NBC 7 News has learned. 
 
 Filner, spotted leaving City Hall with packing boxes Wednesday night, will formally vacate the office following a closed session of City Council Friday, according to several sources. 
 
 Filner's attorney has a letter of resignation drafted for his signature upon approval of the tentative settlement by councilmembers. 
 
 The mayor said goodbye to his staff Wednesday before he left his office at City Hall in his security detail’s SUV. Sources say the packing boxes in the backseat contained Filner's office effects. 
 
 San Diego Mayor Bob Filner Apppears in Public 
 
 NBC 7 San Diego cameras captured Mayor Bob Filner as he left the City Administration Building on Wednesday afternoon. (Published Wednesday, Aug. 21, 2013) 
 
 City officials announced just before 7 p.m. Wednesday a proposed solution had been reached in the scandal that has consumed the city of San Diego since it first broke July 10. 
 
 The firm Payne & Fears issued a statement on behalf of Filner Thursday afternoon: "Due to the confidential nature of mediation and settlement discussions, we are unable to comment or make statements about any of the terms." Read the full statement here 
 
 A public announcement will occur following the closed session according to Filner's attorneys but they don't identify who will make the statement. 
 
 Images: Mayor Under Fire 
 
 “I would encourage people to refer back to the City Attorney’s comments yesterday that much of the speculation cannot be confirmed until the Council is able to meet,” said City Council President Todd Gloria. 
 
 “This is a legal settlement we’re considering,” Gloria said. 
 
 In the last six weeks, more than a dozen women have come forward with tales of alleged sexual harassment and unwanted sexual advances. 
 
 Todd Gloria Reacts to City's Mayoral Deal 
 
 NBC 7 reporter Brandi Powell asks San Diego City Council President Todd Gloria about his thoughts on Mayor Bob Filner's pending resignation. (Published Thursday, Aug. 22, 2013) 
 
 Filner has admitted to disrespecting and at times intimidating women, saying that he needed help. He announced he would enter a treatment program for an undisclosed disorder or illness. 
 
 Under investigation for alleged “pay to play” schemes with developers, Filner disappeared from public view for three weeks and surfaced Monday in time for a mediation session with city officials. 
 
 Over three days of negotiations in the downtown San Diego high-rise located just blocks from City Hall, officials reached a deal. 
 
 Goldsmith: 'We've Reached a Proposed Solution' 
 
 After 3 days of mediation with embattled Mayor Bob Filner, San Diego city leaders have reached a "proposed solution" regarding Filner's possible ousting from office. San Diego City Attorney Jan Goldsmith speaks briefly about this latest development on August 21, 2013. (Published Wednesday, Aug. 21, 2013) 
 
 U.S. Rep. Scott Peters speculated the agreement involves picking up Filner's legal fees. “The hard thing for the City Council is going to be, he’s not going to leave for free,” Peters said Thursday. 
 
 Attorney Gloria Allred, who represents the mayor's former communication director Irene McCormack Jackson, described an agreement that would exchange payment of legal fees for Filner's resignation as “callous and unholy.” 
 
 “There should be no payoff for Mayor Filner,” Allred said. 
 
 "If the deal required that the city council pays him one dollar, then I for one think they should vote against it." 
 
 Councilmember Scott Sherman said he'll need to see the details of the deal before making a decision. 
 
 On the one hand, he'd like to see the voters voices be heard through the recall process but it's not guaranteed the recall effort will be successful, he said. 
 
 “If we’re looking at a small bit of attorney’s fees and maybe a payout to a couple of these victims and we’re absolved of everything else then yeah, I’d much rather have the mayor out that way,” Sherman told NBC 7 News. 
 
 As with any negotiations, until the agreement is approved and signed, it’s still tentative. 
 
 At several times during his time as mayor, Filner has come to terms with an opponent only to change his mind. 
 
 For example, Filner agreed to a deal with the Tourism Marketing District then refused to adhere to the terms. 
 
 He also pulled permits for a remodeling project by Jack-in-the-Box in North Park and meddled in the development of a multi-unit complex called CentrePointe. 
 
 Once the agreement is approved by Council and Filner resigns, San Diego city government will enter a period of interim leadership. 
 
 Council President Todd Gloria will take on the role of acting mayor under the city charter. According to the charter, Gloria would not give up his position on the Council during this time. 
 
 Read the city charter here 
 
 There could be at least one primary special election within 60 to 90 days. 
 
 Filner, a Democrat, was asked by his own party chairperson to resign amid allegations of inappropriate behavior with women. Earlier this week, The Democratic National Convention leadership announced its members would vote on a resolution regarding Filner Friday at their meeting in Scottsdale, Ariz. 
 
 On Friday evening San Diego Councilmember Kevin Faulconer released the following statement regarding Friday's closed meeting: 
 
 “Protecting taxpayers has always been my top priority. This case is no different. I joined these mediation discussions to ensure the City gets the best deal possible for taxpayers. We must put this civic dysfunction behind us and return to providing City services to San Diegans.” 
 
 Read Related Stories:
– It looks like San Diego Mayor Bob Filner will be out of a job as soon as tomorrow, reports the Union-Tribune. After three days of closed-door negotiations, Filner last night reached a tentative settlement over the many, many, many sexual harassment allegations against him. The city council will formally consider the deal at 1pm tomorrow, but a host of outlets, including NBC San Diego, say it calls for Filner to resign immediately. A special election to replace him could get under way as soon as Saturday. The Los Angeles Times reports Filner was seen loading boxes into an SUV outside city hall last night. Pressure has certainly been mounting since at least 17 women came forward with allegations of groping, headlocks, and inappropriate comments. In addition to the full San Diego city council and the Democratic National Committee calling for his resignation, a recent poll says 81% of San Diego residents want to see Filner take a hike, the National Post reports.