[HISTORY: Adopted by the Board of Trustees
of the Village of East Hampton as indicated in article histories.
Amendments noted where applicable.]
[Adopted 12-17-1976 by L.L. No. 6-1976 (Ch. 39, Art. I, of the 1971 Code)]
[Amended 7-31-2018 by L.L. No. 12-2018; 7-31-2018 by L.L. No. 14-2018]
A.
As a qualification
for employment, in addition to any other qualifications imposed by
statute, all full-time employees, except police and local officers,
shall be full-time residents of the County of Suffolk, State of New
York for a period of no less than one year prior to application for
employment and throughout their employment.
B.
The Incorporated
Village of East Hampton, when hiring individuals to fulfill competitive
classifications, in accordance with § 23, Subdivision 4-a,
of the Civil Service Law, will first appoint residents of the Town
of East Hampton for all or any of its competitive classifications.
Each person who is hired for a non-competitive classification shall
be a resident of the Town of East Hampton for 60 days prior to the
issuance of the civil service list for said position and upon the
commencement date of his or her employment. Thereafter, subsequent
to the expiration of any probationary period, the individual hired
may reside anywhere in the County of Suffolk.
[Added 11-19-2021 by L.L.
No. 30-2021[1]]
[1]
Editor's Note: This local law also redesignated former Subsection
B as Subsection C.
C.
Notwithstanding
the foregoing residency requirement, the Village Administrator, Highway
Superintendent, Code Enforcement Supervisor, Public Safety Dispatcher
III, and department heads shall be full-time residents of the Town
of East Hampton throughout their employment.
Continuous full-time residence in said geographic
areas shall be a condition of continued employment by the Village
for all employees, except police and local officers, appointed on
or after the effective date of this article.
The provisions of §§ 3(2) and
30(4) of the Public Officers Law shall apply to the appointment of
a person to the Village Police Department to the extent that such
person shall be a resident of Suffolk County. In the event that said
statutory provisions are repealed or annulled, the residency requirements
heretofore set forth, applicable to persons other than those seeking
appointment to the Police Department, shall apply to those persons
seeking appointment to said Police Department.
[Adopted 7-30-1980 by Local Law
No. 9-1980 (Ch. 39, Art. II, of the 1971 Code)]
The purpose of this article is to provide legal
and financial protection for those individuals serving the Village
of East Hampton from losses which may be brought against them in their
individual capacity for actions taken while in the performance of
their official duties and responsibilities. In enacting this article,
the Board of Trustees of the Incorporated Village of East Hampton
finds that the State of New York has enacted similar provisions for
the legal and financial security of its officers and employees and
further finds that such security is also required for local personnel.
By enactment of this article, said Board of Trustees of the Incorporated
Village of East Hampton does not intend to limit or otherwise abrogate
any existing right or responsibility of the Incorporated Village of
East Hampton or its employees with regard to indemnification or legal
defense. It is solely the intent of this article to provide similar
coverage for local employees as is presently provided for state employees
so as to continue to attract qualified individuals to local government
service.
As used in this article, unless the context
otherwise requires, the following terms shall have the meanings indicated:
Any person holding a position by election, appointment or
employment in the service of the Incorporated Village of East Hampton,
whether or not compensated, or a volunteer expressly authorized to
participate in a municipally sponsored volunteer program, but shall
not include an independent contractor. The term "employee" shall include
a former employee, his estate or judicially appointed personal representative.
A.
Upon compliance by the employee with the provisions of § 35-8 of this article, the Incorporated Village of East Hampton shall provide for the defense of the employee in any civil action or proceeding in any state or federal court arising out of any alleged act or omission which occurred or is alleged in the complaint to have occurred while the employee was acting within the scope of his public employment or duties, or which is brought to enforce a provision of 42 U.S.C. § 1981 or 1983. This duty to provide for a defense shall not arise where such civil action or proceeding is brought by or on behalf of the Incorporated Village of East Hampton.
B.
Subject to the conditions set forth in Subsection A above, the employee shall be entitled to be represented by the Incorporated Village of East Hampton's Attorney or special counsel appointed by the Incorporated Village of East Hampton; provided, however, that the employee shall be entitled to representation by private counsel of his choice in any civil judicial proceeding whenever the Incorporated Village of East Hampton's Attorney determines, based upon his investigation and review of the facts and circumstances of the case, that representation by the Incorporated Village of East Hampton's Attorney or special 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 his choice. The Incorporated Village of East Hampton's Attorney shall notify the employee in writing of such determination that the employee is entitled to be represented by private counsel of his choice. The Incorporated Village of East Hampton's Attorney may require, as a condition to payment of the fees and expenses of such representation, that appropriate groups of such employees be represented by the same counsel. If the employee or group of employees is entitled to representation by private counsel under the provisions of this subsection, the Incorporated Village of East Hampton's Attorney shall so certify to the Incorporated Village of East Hampton's Board of Trustees. Reasonable attorney's fees and litigation expenses shall be paid by the Incorporated Village of East Hampton to such private counsel from time to time during the pendency of the civil action or proceeding, subject to certification that the employee is entitled to representation under the terms and conditions of this section by the head of the department, commission, division, office or agency in which such employee is employed and upon the audit and warrant of the Incorporated Village of East Hampton's Treasurer. Any dispute with respect to representation of multiple employees by a single counsel or the amount of litigation expenses or the reasonableness of attorney's fees shall be resolved by the court upon motion or by way of a special proceeding.
C.
Where the employee delivers process and a request for a defense to the Incorporated Village of East Hampton's Attorney as required by § 35-8 of this article, the Attorney shall take the necessary steps, including the retention of private counsel under the terms and conditions provided in Subsection B of this section, 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.
A.
The Incorporated Village of East Hampton shall indemnify
and save harmless its employees in the amount of any judgment obtained
against such employees in any state or federal court, or in the amount
of any settlement of a claim, provided that the act or omission from
which such judgment or settlement arose occurred while the employee
was acting within the scope of his public employment or duties. The
duty to indemnify and save harmless prescribed by this subsection
shall not arise where the injury or damage resulted from intentional
wrongdoing or recklessness on the part of the employee.
B.
An employee represented by private counsel shall cause
to be submitted to the Board of Trustees of the Incorporated Village
of East Hampton any proposed settlement which may be subject to indemnification
by the Incorporated Village of East Hampton, and if not inconsistent
with the provisions of this section, the Mayor shall certify such
settlement and submit such settlement and certification to the Incorporated
Village of East Hampton's Attorney. The Attorney shall review such
proposed settlement as to form and amount and shall give his approval
if, in his judgment, the settlement is in the best interest of the
Incorporated Village of East Hampton. Nothing in this subsection shall
be construed to authorize the Incorporated Village of East Hampton
to indemnify or save harmless an employee with respect to a settlement
not so reviewed and approved by the Incorporated Village of East Hampton's
Attorney.
C.
Upon entry of a final judgment against the employee
or upon the settlement of the claim, the employee shall cause to be
served 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 Mayor, and if not inconsistent with the provisions of this
section, such judgment or settlement shall be certified for payment
by such Mayor. If the Attorney concurs in such certification, the
judgment or settlement shall be paid upon the audit and warrant of
the Incorporated Village of East Hampton's Treasurer.
The duty to defend or indemnify and save harmless
provided by this article shall be conditioned upon delivery to the
Incorporated Village of East Hampton's Attorney, at his office by
the employee, of the original or a copy of any summons, complaint,
process, notice, demand or pleading within five days after he is served
with such document 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 Incorporated Village of East Hampton 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 Incorporated
Village of East Hampton provide for his defense pursuant to this article.
The benefits of this article shall inure only
to employees as defined herein and shall not enlarge or diminish the
rights of any other party, nor shall any provisions of this article
be construed to affect, alter or repeal any provision of the Workers'
Compensation Law.
The provisions of this article shall not be
construed to impair, alter, limit or modify the rights and obligations
of any insurer under any policy of insurance.
The provisions of this article shall apply to
all actions and proceedings pending upon the effective date thereof
or thereafter instituted.
Except as otherwise specifically provided in
this article, the provisions of this article shall not be construed
in any way to impair, alter, limit, modify, abrogate or restrict any
immunity available to or conferred upon any unit, entity, officer
or employee of the Incorporated Village of East Hampton, or any right
to defense and/or indemnification provided for any governmental officer
or employee by, in accordance with or by reason of any other provision
of state or federal statutory or common law.
