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Savannah attorney backs parks ordinance, cites new state sovereign-immunity protection
Summary
City Attorney Bates Lovett urged council to approve a parks-and-playgrounds ordinance that he said would extend added sovereign-immunity protection to municipal recreational areas under a new State law; council members asked for assurances the ordinance would not limit the city's ability to add parks.
City Attorney Bates Lovett briefed the Savannah City Council on a proposed ordinance on Nov. 7 that would regulate city parks and recreational areas and—he said—take advantage of a recently enacted State law that provides an additional layer of sovereign-immunity protection for municipally designated recreational areas.
Lovett recommended the ordinance for council approval and explained that the State law, as described in his presentation, could reduce the city’s exposure to certain lawsuits arising from recreational activity on designated property. Alderman Tony Thomas requested that the ordinance be written so it would not constrain the city’s ability to add new parks in the future.
Why it matters: The ordinance could change the legal exposure and management of city recreational properties; council members asked questions about flexibility and long-term implications for parks planning.
What was said: Lovett outlined the ordinance’s purpose and summarized the State law’s effect on sovereign immunity as presented; he recommended approval. Thomas asked staff to ensure the ordinance would not limit future park additions. The transcript does not identify the statute by citation; the ordinance and any statutory references will appear on the regular meeting agenda for formal consideration.
Next steps: The parks ordinance was discussed during the work session and related language is on the regular meeting agenda for formal action. The work session minutes record Lovett’s recommendation and council questions but do not show a final vote at the Nov. 7 session.
