City lawyer's duties and settlement powers

The corporation counsel shall: (1) Prepare ordinances. Prepare bills for enactment into ordinances or amendments of ordinances when so requested by the council or any committee or member thereof or the mayor or any city officer; (2) Attend council meetings. Attend all council meetings in their entirety for the purpose of giving the council any legal advice requested by its members; (3) Prepare legal instruments. Prepare for execution and approve, as to form and legality, all contracts and instruments to which the city is a party and also approve, as to form and legality, all bonds required to be submitted to the city; (4) Settle claims. (A) By corporation counsel. Have the power to adjust, settle, compromise, or submit to arbitration, any action, causes of action, accounts, debts, claims, demands, disputes, and matters in favor of or against the city or in which the city is concerned as debtor or creditor, now existing or which may arise, not involving or requiring payment in excess of $5,000; provided the money to settle claims generally has been appropriated and is available therefor; and provided further, that a quarterly report of all settlements shall be filed with the council within 15 days after the end of each quarter; (B) Outstanding claims for or debts owed to the city. The corporation counsel shall determine whether any claim for the city or any debt owed to the city not in excess of $1,000 is collectible. If the corporation counsel determines that any claim for the city or any debt owed to the city is not collectible, the corporation counsel is authorized to advise the director of budget and fiscal services that any claim for the city or any debt owed to the city shall be stricken from the director of budget and fiscal services’ records and such claim for the city or such debt owed to the city is extinguished; and (C) Private claims adjustment service. Any private claims adjustment service that has been awarded a contract to provide coverage for liability by established bid procedures and where the deductible amount of any insurance is to be paid out of city funds, has the power to adjust, settle, compromise, or submit to arbitration, any action, causes of action, accounts, debts, claims, demands, disputes, and matters against the city for any injury or death to a person or damage to property; provided that before such service can commit the payment of any claim in excess of $15,000, it shall be first presented to the corporation counsel for approval; (5) Make reports. (A) Report of decision. Report the outcome of any litigation in which the city has an interest to the mayor and council; and (B) Annual report of pending litigation. Make an annual report to the mayor and council, as of January 15, of all pending litigation in which the city has an interest, and the status thereof; (6) Investigate workers’ compensation. Investigate all cases in which workers’ compensation is involved and appear on behalf of the city before the State workers’ compensation board; (7) Keep records. (A) Suits. Keep a complete record of all suits in which the city had or has an interest, giving the names of the parties, the court where brought, the nature of the action, the disposition of the case, or its status if pending; and (B) Opinions and titles. Keep a complete record of all written opinions furnished by the corporation counsel; and (8) Settle land acquisitions. Have the power to adjust, compromise, settle, or submit to arbitration, any land acquisition requests referred to this office by other city agencies or eminent domain actions, causes of eminent domain actions in favor of or against the city or in which the city is concerned as purchaser, seller, condemnor, or condemnee, now pending or that may arise, not involving or requiring payment in excess of $2,500; provided that the money to settle any specific land acquisition or eminent domain action generally has been appropriated and is available therefor; and provided further, that a quarterly report of all settlements shall be filed with the council within 15 days after the end of each quarter. )