HomeMy WebLinkAbout1979 03-13 City officials insured DISPATCH EXTRA/ne ds
st pout dispatch Tuesday,March 13,1979 9,2nd Section
City officials insured
Barry Evans,Maplewood's
Maplewood officials shouldn'tnew manager,also backed the Ma pie wood
face more lawsuits because they insurance purchase."The pur-
are going to be covered by public P is to protect public officials business,and Maplewood is big
officer's liability insurance,ac- from a large(court)award thatp.
cording to an•insurance agent. could be dvastating,"Evans business,I don't think people will
worry about whether you have
"I don't think people take two said. insurance,"Ekblad reiterated.
looks to see if you have insur- Blank contended the city's "3M has gone to self-insurance
ance(before they sue),"Jerome pastpractice of financing the le- but I don't think that will stop
Ekblad said recently.City Coun- gal defense or claims for public
oilman Norman Anderson had official liability"places an anybody from suing them."
asked whether the Forum Incur- un-
predictable demand on the re- The Forum insurance policy,
ance Company's coverage of ources of the city.' Ekblad said,provides$1 million
Council members and appointed coverage for the city's elected
and hired officials,for$5,040 a " .•For example,a court
officials,em to ees and mem-
year,would encourage lawsuits verdict against the city in the hers of board and commission
against the city. • amount of$1 million would Be added the city would pay the
cause a 36 percent increase in first$2,500 of any claim success-
the city taxes for one year,"
EEBLAD,SPOKESMAN for Blank said. fully brought against it.
the Maplewood Agents Insurance
Committee,and former Acting Noted Ekblad:"People will 1
Manager Eric Blank recom- try to sue on a lot of different
mended that the Council pur- things."Those include disagree-
chase the insurance coverage_ ments over zoning decisions,em-
After some discussion,the goon ployment and civil rights
cil,by unanimous vote,followed
1 their suggestion.
"IF YOU'RE going to sue big