[HISTORY: Adopted by the Board of Trustees of the Village of Great
Neck Plaza 4-2-2003 by L.L. No. 1-2003.
Amendments noted where applicable.]
A.Â
The purpose of this chapter is to provide legal and financial
protection for those elected and appointed officials, counsel, and employees
serving the Village from claims that may be made against them in their individual
capacities for actions taken while in the performance of their duties and
within the scope of their office, appointment, or employment with the Village.
B.Â
By enactment of this chapter, the Board does not intend
to abrogate or otherwise limit any existing right or responsibility of the
Village or its elected and appointed officials, counsel, and employees with
regard to indemnification or legal defense.
As used in this chapter, the following terms shall have the meanings
indicated:
The Board of Trustees of the Village.
Any person holding an office or other position by election, appointment,
or employment in the service of the Village, whether or not compensated, or
a volunteer expressly authorized to participate in a municipally sponsored
volunteer program, including, but not limited to, the Mayor, Deputy Mayor,
Trustees, board and commission members, Village Justice, Acting Village Justice,
Village Attorney and other legal counsel, whether performing retainer or nonretainer
services. The term "employee" shall include a former employee as well as such
employee's estate or judicially appointed personal representative.
The Village of Great Neck Plaza. References to the Mayor, Treasurer,
Trustees, Village Attorney, and Village Clerk, refer to the respective Mayor,
Treasurer, Trustees, Village Attorney and Village Clerk of the Village.
The benefits accorded employees of the Village under § 18
of the Public Officers Law shall be available in addition to defense and indemnification
provisions conferred by any other enactment.
A.Â
The Village shall be liable for, and shall assume the
liability to the extent that it shall save harmless, any employee for any
negligent act or tort, provided such employee, at the time of the negligent
act or tort complained of, was acting in the performance of such employee's
duties and within the scope of such employee's office, appointment, or
employment with the Village. Such liability and saving harmless shall not
apply when a civil action or proceeding is brought by or on behalf of the
Village, including but not limited to cross-claims and third-party claims
interposed or brought by or on behalf of the Village.
B.Â
In addition to the requirements of Subsection A of this section, the Village shall provide for the defense of any civil action or proceeding brought against an employee and shall indemnify and save harmless such employee from any judgment of a court of competent jurisdiction, including, but not limited to, judgments for punitive or exemplary damages, fines or penalties, or in the amount of any settlement of a claim; provided, further, that in the case of a settlement, the duty to indemnify and save harmless shall be conditioned upon the approval of the amount of settlement by the Village. Whenever such action, proceeding, or judgment is for punitive or exemplary damages, fines or penalties, such defense, indemnification, and saving harmless, shall only pertain when such action, proceeding, or judgment arises out of a negligent act or other tort of such employee committed while in the proper discharge of such employee's duties and within the scope of such employee's office, appointment, or employment, subject to the limitations as more fully set forth in Subsection C. The Village is authorized and empowered to purchase insurance to cover the cost of such defense and indemnification. The duty to provide for a defense as set forth in this chapter shall not arise where such civil action or proceeding is brought by or on behalf of the Village, including but not limited to cross-claims and third-party claims interposed or brought by or on behalf of the Village.
C.Â
The duty to defend, indemnify, and save harmless set
forth in this chapter shall not pertain if, based upon the facts and circumstances
then known to the Board, the employee's actions were not within the scope
of such employee's office, appointment, or employment or not within the
scope of such employee's duties. It shall be conclusively presumed that
such actions were not within the scope of such employee's office, appointment,
or employment or not within the scope of such employee's duties, when
the actions were:
D.Â
No action or special proceeding instituted hereunder
shall be prosecuted or maintained against the Village or such employee unless
notice of claim shall have been made and served upon the Village in compliance
with § 50-e of the General Municipal Law. Every such action shall
be commenced pursuant to the provisions of § 50-i of the General
Municipal Law. The foregoing shall be a defense against any claim by a plaintiff
or petitioner against an employee or the Village, but shall not limit the
obligations of the Village under this section to an employee if the provisions
of this subsection are not enforced by the court against the plaintiff or
petitioner.
E.Â
It shall be conclusively presumed that any action taken by the Mayor, Deputy Mayor, any Trustee, Village Clerk, Village Attorney or any other employee of the Village, while at any Village meeting, or otherwise when acting, including, but not limited to, speaking, with regard to the Village or Village activities, or applications presently before or proposed to the Village, is an action within the scope of his or her office and in the discharge of his or her duties. In the event of any doubt, the benefit of the doubt shall be in favor of the employee of the Village. The intent of this Subsection E is to give the broadest coverage and protection permitted by law to the employee of the Village.
F.Â
Upon entry of final judgment against an employee or upon the settlement of a claim, as provided for in Subsections A and B above, the employee shall serve a copy of such judgment or settlement, personally or by certified or registered mail, within 30 days of the date of entry or settlement, upon the Village Clerk, and, if not inconsistent with the provisions of this chapter, such judgment or settlement shall be certified for payment by the Village Clerk. If the Board concurs in such certification, the judgment or settlement shall be paid upon the audit and warrant of the Treasurer.
Subject to the conditions set forth in §§ 12-5 and 12-8, an employee shall be entitled to be represented by the Village Attorney or other counsel designated by the Board or the Village's insurance carrier; provided, however, that the employee shall be entitled to representation by private counsel of such employee's choice in any civil action or proceeding whenever the Village Attorney, or other counsel designated by the Board or the Village's insurance carrier, determines, based upon the Village Attorney's, other counsel's, or the insurance carrier's investigation and review of the facts and circumstances of the case, that representation by the Village Attorney or other designated counsel would be inappropriate or whenever a court of competent jurisdiction, upon appropriate motion or by a special proceeding, determines that a conflict of interest exists and that the employee is entitled to be represented by private counsel of such employee's choice. The Village Attorney, or other counsel designated by the Board or the insurance carrier, shall notify the employee, in writing, of such determination that the employee is entitled to be represented by private counsel of such employee's choice. The Board or the insurance carrier may require, as a condition to payment of the fees and expenses of such representation, that the same counsel represent appropriate groups of such employees. If the employee or group of employees is entitled to representation by private counsel under the provisions of this chapter, the Village Attorney, other designated counsel, or the insurance carrier shall so certify to the Board. Reasonable attorneys' fees and litigation expenses shall be paid by the Village or the insurance carrier to such private counsel from time to time during the pendency of the civil action or proceeding, upon the audit and warrant of the Treasurer or the approval of the insurance carrier. Any dispute with respect to representation of multiple employees by a single counsel or the amount of litigation expenses or the reasonableness of attorneys' fees shall be resolved by the court upon motion or by way of a special proceeding.
Where the employee delivers process and a request for defense to the Village Attorney as required by § 12-8, the Village Attorney shall take the necessary steps, including the retention of private counsel under the terms and conditions provided in § 12-6, on behalf of the employee to avoid entry of a default judgment, pending resolution of any question pertaining to the obligation to provide for a defense. In the event that insurance is available for such defense, in lieu of the foregoing, the Village Clerk shall forward such process to the insurance carrier or carriers that are responsible for providing such defense.
A.Â
The duty to defend, indemnify, and save harmless provided
by this chapter shall be conditioned upon delivery to the Village Clerk by
the employee of the original or a copy of any summons, complaint, process,
notice, demand, or pleading, within five days after such employee is served
with, or actually receives, such document, whichever is earlier, and the full
cooperation of the employee in the defense of such action or proceeding and
in defense of any action or proceeding against the Village based upon the
same act or omission and in the prosecution of any appeal. Such delivery shall
be deemed a request by the employee that the Village provide for such employee's
defense pursuant to this chapter.
B.Â
In the event that the Village or its insurance carrier
recommends settlement of any such action or proceeding, and the employee refuses
to agree to the settlement, the Village and its insurance carrier, if any,
shall have no liability for any judgment, including, but not limited to, judgments
for punitive or exemplary damages, fines or penalties, or any settlement to
the extent that the amount of such judgment or settlement exceeds the settlement
recommended and refused by the employee.
A.Â
The benefits of this chapter shall inure only to employees
as defined herein and shall not enlarge or diminish the right of any other
party, nor shall any provision of this chapter be construed to affect, alter
or repeal any provision of the Workers Compensation Law.
B.Â
The provisions of this chapter shall not be construed
to impair, alter, limit, or modify the rights and obligations of any insurer
under any policy of insurance.
C.Â
The provisions of this chapter shall apply to all actions
and proceedings pending upon the effective date thereof or thereafter instituted.
D.Â
Except as otherwise specifically provided in this chapter,
the provisions of this chapter shall not be construed in any way to impair,
alter, limit, modify, abrogate, or restrict any immunity or any right to defense
and/or indemnification available to or conferred upon any unit, entity, officer,
or employee of the Village by, in accordance with, or by reason of any other
provisions of state or federal statutory or common law.
If any provision of this chapter or the application thereof to any person
or circumstance shall be held unconstitutional or invalid in whole or in part
by any court of competent jurisdiction, such holding of unconstitutionality
or invalidity shall in no way affect or impair any other provision of this
chapter or the application of any such provision to any other person or circumstance
to the maximum extent permitted by such determination.
Pursuant to the authority granted to villages by Municipal Home Rule
Law § 10(1)(ii)(e)(3), the provisions with regard to defense and
indemnification of officers and employees of public entities of § 18
of the Public Officers Law are hereby superseded in their relation to the
Village to the extent required, if at all, that such provisions in said § 18
are hereby supplemented, but not diminished, by the additional indemnification
and hold harmless provisions set forth in this chapter.