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Ojai City Council moves to closed session on whether to indemnify Council member Leslie Ruehl in Brown Act lawsuit
Summary
The Ojai City Council took public comment and then adjourned into closed session to consider whether to reimburse Council member Leslie Ruehl for legal defense costs in litigation alleging Brown Act violations. Speakers urged the council to indemnify Ruehl and questioned the size and advice of outside counsel bills.
The Ojai City Council took public comment Tuesday and then adjourned into closed session to consider whether to reimburse Council member Leslie Ruehl for legal defense costs in a lawsuit alleging violations of the Brown Act.
Why it matters: The question of indemnification could determine who pays Ruehl’s legal bills and may itself trigger further litigation if the council refuses to pay. Speakers at the meeting argued that state law requires cities to provide defense in such cases and said the city has already spent substantial outside counsel fees on the matter.
During a public-comments period, resident Robin Gerber urged the council to “indemnify” Ruehl so that “public service is valued and protected,” and criticized what Gerber described as retaliatory conduct…
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