Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Public Safety topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
City manager and city attorney flag rising liability costs and say Grants Pass ruling gives another tool for camping enforcement
Summary
City Manager Brian Cook warned rising liability rates under the Los Angeles County sheriff contract are stressing contract cities; the City Attorney said the Supreme Court's Grants Pass decision gives cities an additional enforcement option when individuals refuse services, though Temple City does not plan broad sweeps.
Temple City officials on July 16 described mounting liability pressure tied to the county contract for sheriff services and discussed how a recent Supreme Court ruling affects local enforcement of public camping ordinances.
City Manager Brian Cook said the liability rate that contract cities pay into the liability trust fund has risen sharply over the past decade, from about 3% of the contract amount to roughly 12.5%, a change that places significant pressure on municipal budgets. He said counties and contract cities are negotiating an amendment to the five‑year agreement and that the liability trust fund’s available cash was on the order of "about $150 million" in recent months. Cook cited a high‑profile payout reported by the Los Angeles Times — roughly $14 million for a single case — as an example of the claim sizes driving costs. He also noted that underlying insurance deductibles increased from about $3.5 million per occurrence to about $10 million over the last decade.
Cook said the city and other contract cities are urging the county to clarify liability and indemnity language, allocate responsibility more equitably and invest in risk mitigation such as training and discipline to reduce claim frequency. “We are at a point where it is a stress,” he said, urging continued negotiations during the next nine months.
Separately, the City Attorney briefed the council on the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in the Grants Pass, Oregon case, explaining that the court clarified that cities may cite or jail individuals for public camping when it violates a local ordinance. He said the ruling provides “one more tool” for jurisdictions to address encampments where individuals refuse offers of services, but he emphasized Temple City does not intend to undertake widespread sweeps and that the tool is aimed at individuals declining services.
Council members asked for context and suggested staff provide illustrative examples of recent payouts and relative trust‑fund resources in future briefings. City staff said they will continue to engage county officials and the Contract Cities Association to negotiate language that more precisely allocates liability.
