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Public urges council to indemnify Councilmember Rule ahead of closed session; commenters cite Brown Act ruling and cost of litigation
Summary
Members of the public urged the Ojai City Council to fully indemnify Councilmember Leslie Rule over litigation related to alleged Brown Act violations and asked the council to resolve the matter promptly to avoid further expense and deter candidate chilling.
Public commenters asked the council to resolve an indemnification matter before the council moved into closed session on June 17. Several speakers urged full indemnification of Councilmember Leslie Rule, citing comments about a superior‑court ruling and expressing concern that ongoing litigation and legal expenses discourage civic participation.
One commenter asked the council to provide an accounting of legal and staff costs connected to the matter; another said indemnifying Rule would likely be less costly in the long run than continued litigation. Star Child (calling from Zoom) directly called for full indemnification and for Rule to be allowed to participate in the closed session discussion. Additional commenters urged a public, fair resolution in conformance with state law and the city’s indemnification policies.
City staff reported the council had provided direction to the city manager and city attorney to contact outside counsel consistent with council instructions and that the council would adjourn to closed session. No closed‑session action was taken in public; the public record is limited to comments made before the council recessed for closed session.
