It is illegal for city employees to do work on private property, and Mayor Diane Delaware says it has to stop.
In the past, Delaware said city workers were jumping the gun when it came to certain work on citizens’ private property. Without following the proper procedure of allowing citizens to file claims, she said the city was getting sued.
“We were being sued a lot,” she said. “We were trying to do the nice thing and go help a citizen. But in the end, those citizens would come back and make claims against us; claims that were even greater than the initial claim.”
Delaware said such practices have recently happened “on her watch.”
“That is what made me very watchful of this,” she said, during the Board of Mayor and Aldermen meeting. “We do not go on private property to do work.”
Delaware reminded city workers and citizens that there is a process when a claim is made against the city. She said the citizen should first file a claim at the city clerk’s office.
“That is why we have liability insurance,” she said. “I want all our department heads and (elected officials) to know...we know the rules. We do not direct or ask city employees to go upon private property to do any work.”
Delaware said she was even contacted by a local attorney who told her the city’s pattern of doing such work would keep him in good business with a number of citizens seeking legal action afterward.
Delaware said the process was recently correctly followed, and it worked smoothly.
“And we hope for it to continue to work if we just do what we are supposed to do,” Delaware said.
