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Council hears public question about possible city share of county jail settlement; staff to investigate
Summary
A resident asked why Dunkirk would be responsible for part of a county jail settlement reported in a local paper; city staff said they were not informed of any settlement negotiations, noted claims processes typically go to insurance carriers, and pledged to look into the matter.
During public comment, a city department head asked why the city would be responsible for a portion of a settlement reported in a local newspaper regarding a death at the county jail.
The speaker, identified in the meeting as Gary Fredericks, asked why Dunkirk would pay any portion of a settlement tied to a county-run facility and county employees. A city official replied that the county had not contacted the city about any recent settlement negotiations and that many tort matters are handled by insurance carriers; once a claim goes to insurance, the city may not track negotiations directly because of subrogation and insurer processes. The official said they were "not at liberty to assume what's going on" but that staff would look into the reported settlement and that the matter had not come before the council as a formal agenda item.
An article in the Observer was mentioned by the speaker as reporting a roughly $170,000 settlement amount and assigning portions to the county and the city; council staff did not confirm the figures at the meeting and said they would investigate. Councilors and staff emphasized they would seek clarification from the county and the city's law/insurance representatives before taking further action.
There was no formal motion or vote on the matter. The council did not commit city funds at the meeting; a staff follow-up was requested to determine whether the city is legally or contractually responsible for any portion of the reported settlement.
