Insurance pool counsel briefs council on liability, open-meetings and electronic communications

Sam Light, general counsel for the Colorado Intergovernmental Risk Sharing Agency (CRRSA), gave a training for Commerce City elected officials and staff about municipal liability, insurance coverage and risk management for public officials.

Light described CRRSA as "the city's insurance provider for property and casualty coverage" and explained it is a public-entity pool that covers many Colorado municipalities. He told the council the pool provides public officials liability coverage, and he described common legal risks for elected officials: open meetings law violations, open-records requests, executive-session procedures, social-media and electronic communications, and the line between legislative and administrative roles.

On the open meetings law, Light warned that Colorado courts construe rules in favor of openness…