HomeMy WebLinkAbout2001-01-09 - AGENDA REPORTS - FRIEND OF COURT BRIEFS POLICY (2)CITY OF SANTA CLARITA
AGENDA REPORT
CONSENT CALENDAR City Manager Approv
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Item to be presented by: Carl Newton
DATE: January 9, 2001
SUBJECT: RESOLUTION ADOPTING POLICY CONCERNING THE CITY'S
PARTICIPATION IN FRIEND -OF -THE -COURT BRIEFS
DEPARTMENT: City Manager 1
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City Council adopt a Resolution consenting to the City's participation in friend -of -the -court
briefs.
Recently the Legal Advocacy Committee of the League of California Cities recommended that
the City adopt a resolution consenting to the City's participation in friend -of -the -court briefs.
Participating in friend -of -the -court briefs allows the City to support other public agencies in
cases which have the potential to affect the City's policies, authority or liability.
The resolution will authorize the City Attorney or City Manager to add the City as a
participant in friend -of -the -court briefs. This discretion is given because frequently there is
insufficient time to place the issue of friend -of -the -court participation on the City Council
Agenda for Council approval due to the extremely short time period within which such briefs
must be filed.
The League has an extensive process for evaluating friend -of -the -court briefing efforts and will
recommend City participation in briefs with legal issues that are of statewide significance and
are ones in which cities have a common interest in the same outcome. The League's review
process involves collective review by as many as 24 City Attorneys from all regions of the state
as well as the city officials who sit on the League's board of directors.
FISCAL IMPACT
The cost of joining the friend -of -the -court brief will not exceed $200.
ALTERNATIVE ACTIONS
1. Decline to adopt the resolution consenting to the City's participation in friend -of -the -
court briefs.
2. Other action as determined by the City Council.
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Resolution adopting policy concerning the City's participation in friend -of -the -court briefs.
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