The City Council shall in all cases provide
competent legal counsel to defend any City Councilor, officer or employee
or the member of any City board or commission who is a party or is
threatened to be made a party to any threatened, pending or contemplated
action, suit or proceeding, whether civil, criminal, administrative
or investigative, by reason of the fact that said person is or was
a City Councilor, officer or employee of the City and shall pay or
indemnify such Councilor, officer or employee as against all expenses,
fees, judgments, fines and amounts paid in settlement actually and
reasonably incurred by them in connection with such action, suit or
proceeding, subject to the following sections.
Nothing herein shall be construed to prohibit
any such Councilor, officer or employee from seeking additional legal
counsel other than that provided by the City. However, nothing herein
shall be construed as to require the City to pay any fees or other
expenses incurred as a result of employment of such additional counsel.
The rights provided for in this chapter shall
not be deemed exclusive of any other rights to which those indemnified
may be entitled under any other statute, ordinance, agreement or policy
of the City.
In circumstances involving litigation or other
legal proceedings between two persons qualifying for the privileges
granted herein, the City Solicitor will not be required to represent
or otherwise participate on behalf of either party.