City manager seeks council approval to sign amicus brief in City of Milton liability case; resolution to be added to Tuesday agenda

The interim city manager asked the council to add a resolution to Tuesday’s agenda asking the city to join other municipalities as amici in a legal appeal involving the City of Milton.

Miss Hallman summarized the facts provided by the requesters: a vehicle left the roadway, struck a planter in a median located within the city right‑of‑way, and the driver died; a trial court and the court of appeals upheld a $35 million verdict against Milton on the ground the city had a ministerial duty to keep the road safe. Milton is seeking Supreme Court review of the question whether the planter constituted a road defect requiring repair, and more than 60 cities have been asked to join amicus briefs supporting Milton’s appeal.

Miss Hallman said national and regional municipal groups have filed supportive briefs and that she would distribute a proposed resolution for council review prior to Tuesday’s meeting. She asked for the item to be added to the agenda so council could decide whether to sign on with other cities. No council action was taken in the work session; members agreed to review the proposed resolution before the regular meeting.

The work session included no legal analysis beyond the summary provided by staff. The proposed resolution will be provided to council members for review before they decide whether Villa Rica will join the amicus filing.