Title
Ordinance No. 25-48 amending Section 104 (Council Meetings; Procedure) of Part 1 (Elective Officers), and Sections 406 (Settle Claims) and 407 (Make Reports) of Part 4 (Powers and Duties of the City Attorney) all of Article 2 (Officers of the City) of Chapter 1 (Administrative, Personnel and Finance) of the Code of the City of Colorado Springs 2001, as amended, pertaining to housekeeping amendments related to City Council and City Attorney settlements
Presenter:
Wynetta Massey, City Attorney
Erik Lamphere, Employment/Litigation Division Chief
Body
Summary:
These amendments are intended to make these sections of the City Code consistent with proposed amendments to City Code ?? 1.5.503 and 1.5.506, which set the specific settlement authority granted to the City Attorney, Claims Review Board, and City Council. These provisions of Article 2 of the City Code streamline references Part 5 of Article 5 of Chapter 1 of the City Code, where the specific amounts of settlement authority are set forth. This housekeeping amendment (1) will make all references to the City Attorney's, Claims Review Board's or Council's settlement authority in the City consistent; and (2) will eliminate the need to amend Article 2 of Chapter 1 should settlement authority be changed in the future.
Background:
The City Attorney is responsible for conducting "all cases in court in this State wherein the City shall be party plaintiff or defendant, or a party in interest." City Charter ? 13-80. In the process of defending litigation against the City, facts, law, and circumstances are such that it is often in the City's best interests to settle. The monetary limits to the City Attorney's and Claims Review Board's authority to settle claims (City Code ? 1.5.503) and litigation (City Code ? 1.5.506) was established in 1990 and has not changed in 35 years. Based on the rate of inflation and other considerations, the City Attorney recommends an increase in settlement authority li...
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