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Public urges indemnification for council member; council adjourns to closed session
Summary
Public commenters urged the Ojai City Council to fully indemnify Council Member Leslie Rule for legal costs tied to a Brown Act dispute and to move the matter to a close; the council then adjourned into closed session to discuss an indemnification-related personnel/legal matter.
Multiple residents used public comment at the end of the June 17 special meeting to urge the council to resolve an indemnification question involving Council Member Leslie Rule and to end protracted litigation and staff time on the issue.
One longtime resident asked the council to "follow through on the city's offer for indemnification award," referencing an outside-firm recommendation and an earlier draft offer that he said cited a $125,000 figure for costs. "Please follow through on the city's offer for indemnification award adjusting the amount to verify legal services documented with time dated subject records," the speaker said.
Another commenter called for "complete indemnification," arguing that indemnifying Rule would be less costly in the long run and would remove a deterrent to community members seeking elected office. A third commenter urged the council to publish a clear accounting of staff and legal expenses related to the dispute.
After public comment, Mayor Ben Gilman announced the council would adjourn to closed session; the public portion ended with the council moving into the closed session item. The transcript records the public comments and the council—announced closed session; no closed-session deliberations or final actions are recorded in the public transcript.
The city did not announce any vote or final decision in open session; the matter proceeded into closed session for discussion per the city's agenda. Any decisions or final actions made in closed session will be reported in the minutes or at a subsequent public meeting as required by law.
