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HomeMy WebLinkAboutExecutive Session-Litigation Strategy-Montana Fair Housing vs C CommissionMemorandum REPORTTO: HonorableMayorandCityCommission FROM: TimCooper,AssistantCityAttorney GregSullivan,CityAttorney ChrisKukulskiCityManager SUBJECT: MontanaFairHousingv.CityofBozeman MEETINGDATE: November23,2009 AGENDAITEMTYPE: ExecutiveSession RECOMMENDATION: Discusslitigationstrategy. BACKGROUND: OnJune10,2009,MontanaFairHousing,Inc.,(MFH)aprivate,notfor profit,organizationinMissoula,filedacomplaintwiththeMontanaHumanRightsBureau allegingtheCityofBozemanengagedindiscriminatoryhousingpracticesonthebasisof disability,familialstatus,age,and/ormaritalstatusinviolationoftheMontanaHumanRights Act,Title49,Chapter2,andtheGovernmentalCodeofFairPractices,Title49,Chapter3.The particularchargesrelatetoprovisionsintheCityofBozemanUnifiedDevelopmentOrdinance allegedtolimit,preferordiscriminateagainstpersonsbasedondisability,maritalstatusand/or ageintermsofhousingopportunitiesinthecity. TheMontanaDepartmentofLaborandIndustryisthestateagencywhichenforcesMontana's discriminationlaws.TheHumanRightsBureauoftheDepartmentreceivesandinvestigates complaintsofillegaldiscrimination.Thecaseisassignedtoaninvestigatorwhoconductsan informalinvestigationtodetermineifillegaldiscriminationoccurred.Theinvestigatorobtaineda positionstatementfromtheCity,whichwasforwardedtothechargingpartyforarebuttal. Theinvestigationmustbecompletedwithin120daysinhousingcases.Ifthecasecannotbe resolved,aFinalInvestigativeReportsummarizingtheinvestigationisissuedtotheparties.In thisreport,theinvestigatorrecommendsafindingof“reasonablecause”tobelievethatillegal discriminationoccurred,or“nocause”tobelievethatillegaldiscriminationoccurred. ThebureauconcludeditsinformalinvestigationonOctober8,2009.Intheoriginalcomplaint andthroughvarioussubsequentamendments,MFHallegedthattheCitydiscriminatedunder sections49-2-302,MCA(aidandabetunlawfuldiscrimination),49-2-305(3).MCA(publish statementsthatindicatediscriminationbaseduponaprotectedclass),49-2-308,MCA (discriminationbythestate),49-3-204,MCA(licensing),and49-3-205,MCA(governmental services).MFHclaimstheadopted,published,andenforcedordinancesdiscriminate,andplace alimitationorpreferencebasedondisability,ageandmaritalstatus.  Theinvestigatorfound“nocause”foraviolationof49-2-302,49-3-204,or49-3-205,MCA (GovernmentalCodeofFairPractices).Theinvestigatoralsofoundthattheevidencepresented didnotsupportachargeofmaritalstatusdiscrimination.Theinvestigatordidmakeafindingof “reasonablecausetobelieveunlawfuldiscriminationoccurred”onthebasisofdisabilityandage. Ifareasonablecausefindingisissued,theBureaustaffattemptstoconciliatethecasewiththe parties.Conciliationmayincludecompensationforanylossesincurred,modifyinganypractices havinganadverseeffectonprotectedclasses;andtakingotheraffirmativestepsneededto eliminatediscrimination.IinformedtheBureauthattheCitywouldwelcomemeaningful,good faitheffortstoresolvethiscasethroughconciliation. MFHsubmittedaproposedconciliationagreementtotheBureauonOctober21,2009.The proposalfromMFHwasveryaggressiveinitsreach,withlittleornoreasonablerelationshipto theactualfindingsoftheinvestigator.NeverthelessIsubmittedaresponsetothatproposalon November2,2009.Iprovidedeachofyouwithcopiesofthatproposalandresponse previously.OnNovember9,2009,theBureauChiefcontactedmetoreportthatMFHwasnot interestedinmycounterproposal,andshe(ortheHearingsBureau)wouldbecertifyingthe matterforacontestedcasehearing. Whenconciliationisnotpossible,theDepartmentofLaborandIndustrywillholdapublic hearing.Ahearingexaminerwillconductaformalhearingsubjecttotherulesofevidenceand procedure,similartoanon-jurytrialindistrictcourt.ThehearingexaminerwillissueaFinal AgencyDecisionregardingwhetherdiscriminationoccurred.Ifappropriate,thehearingofficer willawardmonetarydamages,andotheraffirmativerelief.Thisdecisioncanbeappealedtothe MontanaHumanRightsCommission. FISCALEFFECTS: Unknownatthistime Reportcompiledon:November18,2009