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City attorneys tell Cottage Grove council to 'stay in your lane' and avoid personal liability
Summary
City-contracted attorneys gave council a 60–90 minute training on the legal limits of elected officials' authority, Oregon Tort Claims Act exposures, and social media/public-records pitfalls, urging members to act as a body and defer operational direction to the city manager.
Tamara Russell, general counsel for City County Insurance Services, and Carrie Connolly of Local Government Law Group gave the Cottage Grove City Council a focused training about what elected officials may and may not do without triggering legal or insurance exposure. The presentation, delivered during the council’s March 23 meeting, outlined practical rules under the city charter and state law and included a caution about social media and public-records retention.
Russell told the council that the most effective elected bodies are those that operate “as a team” and emphasized the legal importance of acting through a majority of the…
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