Berkeley Municipal Code Ch. 7.12 Public Liability Fund

There is established in the City Treasury a public liability fund. There shall be deposited in such fund in each fiscal year an amount deemed appropriate and budgeted by the City Council. (Ord. 7154-NS § 1, 2010; Ord. 4578-NS § 1, 1972)

Expenditures from the public liability fund shall be made solely for the purposes of paying public liability claims investigation and adjustment costs, legal defense costs, costs for legal advice obtained to prevent lawsuits, costs to file lawsuits, and payment of any settled public liability claim or judgment. Such payments are hereby authorized to be made without further authorization from the City Council, except that payment of any settled public liability claim, the amount of which is more than fifty thousand dollars, shall be authorized by the City Council. (Ord. 7929-NS § 4, 2024; Ord. 6665-NS § 1, 2001; Ord. 4578-NS § 2, 1972)

All public liability claims and matters related thereto shall be handled through the City Attorney. The City Attorney is authorized to retain claims investigation and adjustment firms and legal defense firms the attorney deems necessary or desirable and is authorized to reject or settle public liability claims as, in their sound judgment, is in the best interest of the City. Quarterly reports shall be made to the City Council of all settled public liability claims. (Ord. 5470-NS § 1, 1982; Ord. 4578-NS § 3, 1972)