City of Columbus - File #: 1032-2008

• File #: 1032-2008
• Version: 1
• Type: Ordinance
• Status: Passed
• File created: 6/11/2008
• In control: Judiciary And Court Administration Committee
• On agenda: 7/7/2008
• Final action: 7/9/2008
• Title: To authorize and direct the City Attorney to pay the settlement amount to Law Offices of Daniel R. Mordarski, LLC, counsel for Mr. Wulf, in the case of Walter Wulf, et al. v. City of Columbus, et al., pending in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Ohio, Eastern Division; to authorize the expenditure of the sum of Seventy-Five Thousand and No/100 Dollars; to authorize the City Auditor to transfer $25,000 within the General Fund from the Department of Finance and Management to the Department of Public Safety, Division of Police, and to declare an emergency ($75,000.00).

Date	Ver.	Action By	Action	Result
7/9/2008	1	CITY CLERK	Attest
7/8/2008	1	MAYOR	Signed
7/7/2008	1	Columbus City Council	Approved	Pass
7/7/2008	1	COUNCIL PRESIDENT	Signed
6/23/2008	1	CITY ATTORNEY	Reviewed and Approved
6/23/2008	1	Atty Drafter	Sent to Clerk's Office for Council
6/20/2008	1	Atty Drafter	Sent for Approval
6/19/2008	1	FINANCE DIRECTOR	Reviewed and Approved
6/19/2008	1	Atty Drafter	Sent for Approval
6/19/2008	1	Auditor Reviewer	Reviewed and Approved
6/19/2008	1	CITY AUDITOR	Reviewed and Approved
6/18/2008	1	Atty Drafter	Sent for Approval
6/18/2008	1	Finance Reviewer	Reviewed and Approved
6/18/2008	1	Finance Reviewer	Reviewed and Approved
6/13/2008	1	Safety Reviewer	Reviewed and Approved
6/13/2008	1	Safety Reviewer	Sent for Approval
6/13/2008	1	SAFETY DIRECTOR	Reviewed and Approved
6/12/2008	1	Atty Drafter	Sent for Approval

Explanation

This Ordinance is submitted to settle the lawsuit known as Walter Wulf, et al. v. City of Columbus, et al., Case No. C2-07-527 in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Ohio, Eastern Division, in the amount of Seventy-Five Thousand and No/100 Dollars ($75,000.00). On May 9, 2006, the plaintiff, Walter Wulf, was bitten by a police deployed canine during the search of a warehouse. Mr. Wulf, as it turns out, was an employee of the warehouse and was authorized to be in the building. He suffered injury to his left arm and back.

With the passage of this legislation and subequent payment of this settlement, along with other smaller claims known at this time, the Division of Police will have used its entire 2008 budget of $225,000 for the settlement of claims. A total of $25,000 is requested to be transferred from the Finance Department's citywide account to the Division of Police to cover small claims settled on its behalf by the City Attorney's Office. Any further large settlements this year will require additional transfers from the citywide account.

Title

To authorize and direct the City Attorney to pay the settlement amount to Law Offices of Daniel R. Mordarski, LLC, counsel for Mr. Wulf, in the case of Walter Wulf, et al. v. City of Columbus, et al., pending in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Ohio, Eastern Division; to authorize the expenditure of the sum of Seventy-Five Thousand and No/100 Dollars; to authorize the City Auditor to transfer $25,000 within the General Fund from the Department of Finance and Management to the Department of Public Safety, Division of Police, and to declare an emergency ($75,000.00).


Body

WHEREAS, on May 4, 2005, the plaintiffs filed a lawsuit in the Franklin County Court of Common Pleas, Case No. 07CVC-05-6102, against the City of Columbus and Officers Carlson, Ward, and Vass and Sgt. Zoretic; the case was subsequently removed to the United S...