Murrieta reports four settlements tied to SoCal Gas litigation; city says insurance will cover costs

The Murrieta City Council reported several settlements reached in litigation involving Southern California Gas Company and residents, and the city attorney said the agreements will be paid from insurance proceeds rather than city funds.

City Attorney (reporting out after closed session) said the council met in seven closed sessions and "we'll be reporting out settlements that are all being paid solely from insurance proceeds, no city dollars." The report named multiple cases that the city is a party to, including Burrell v. Southern California Gas Company (Riverside County Superior Court case RIC2002687) and others listed by the city attorney.

Council authorized settlements in several matters: the city attorney reported a $50,000 settlement in the matter of Mickey Dean White, a $275,000 settlement in Alejandro and Nancy Salazar's case, a $175,000 settlement in Sergio and Blanca Flores' matter, and a $2,750,000 settlement in Deborah Kilpatrick and the estate of the decedent's case. The city attorney said those payouts will be handled through insurance, and the city manager was authorized to sign the settlement agreements.

The council recorded no additional reportable action on the other closed session items except that the council provided direction on a public employee evaluation; no personnel action was announced.

The city attorney also noted the council will take a related public action (Item 4 on the agenda) in connection with the litigation report.

What happens next: Staff indicated the city manager is authorized to execute the settlement agreements; no city general‑fund dollars will be used for the reported payouts according to the attorney's report.