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ORDINANCE NO. 3416
AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY
OF CORONA AMENDING SECTION 2.04.060(V) OF
CHAPTER 2.04 OF THE CORONA MUNICIPAL CODE TO
UPDATE THE CITY MANAGER’S SETTLEMENT
AUTHORITY FOR STIPULATED AWARDS OF
PERMANENT DISABILITY AND RELATED CLAIMS AND
EXPENSES WHEN THERE IS NO REASONABLE LEGAL
DISCRETION TO PURSUE ARGUMENTS OR DEFENSES
WHICH COULD LOWER THE AMOUNT OWED.
WHEREAS, Subsection (V) of Chapter 2.04 of the Corona Municipal Code (“CMC”) sets forth the duties of the City Manager; and
WHEREAS, the City Council of the City of Corona (“City Council”) desires to make certain changes to such duties as provided for herein.
NOW THEREFORE, THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF
CORONA, CALIFORNIA, DOES ORDAIN AS FOLLOWS:
SECTION 1. Subsection (V) of Section 2.04.060 (Duties) of Chapter 2.04 (City Manager) of Title 2 (Administration and Personnel) of the Corona Municipal Code is hereby amended in its entirety to read as follows:
“(V) To approve settlements of up to $25,000 for workers compensation claims which are processed in accordance with applicable law. Settlements in excess of $25,000 shall be approved by the City Council. Notwithstanding the foregoing, this authority limitation shall be applicable only to compromise and release agreements involving all claims, including future medical claims, as well as potentially disputable stipulated awards of permanent disability and related claims and expenses that the city is obligated by law to make, based upon formulas established by applicable law and objective medical guidelines. Therefore, this limitation shall not be applicable to either of the following, which can be processed and approved administratively by staff up to any amount: (1) routine payments for workers compensation medical, treatment or other costs or expenses that the city is obligated by law to make and which can be approved by the department head overseeing workers compensation claims, or his or her designee; and (2) stipulated awards of permanent disability and related claims and expenses, as described above, when there is no reasonable legal discretion to pursue arguments or defenses which could lower the amount owed, as approved by the City Manager following a review and
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recommendation by the City Attorney and/or of the relied upon advice and recommendation of the city's special legal counsel handling the workers' compensation matter.”
SECTION 2. CEQA Findings. The City Council finds that this Ordinance is exempt pursuant to Section 15061(b)(3) of the Guidelines for the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), which states that a project is exempt from CEQA if the activity is covered by the general rule that CEQA applies only to projects that have the potential for causing a significant effect on the environment. Where it can be seen with certainty that there is no possibility that the activity in question may have a significant effect on the environment, the activity is not subject to CEQA. This Ordinance merely amends the Corona Municipal Code to update the City’s purchasing regulations. Thus, there is no possibility that adopting this Ordinance will have a significant effect on the environment and no further environmental analysis is required.
SECTION 3. Invalidity; Severability. If any sentence, cause or phrase of this Ordinance is for any reason held to be unconstitutional or otherwise invalid, such decision shall not affect the validity of the remaining provisions of this Ordinance.
SECTION 4. Effective Date of Ordinance. The Mayor shall sign this Ordinance and the City Clerk shall attest thereto and shall within fifteen (15) days of its adoption cause it, or a summary of it, to be published in a newspaper of general circulation in the City of Corona. This Ordinance shall take effect and be in force on the 30th day after its adoption.
PASSED, APPROVED AND ADOPTED this 21st day of May, 2025. _________________________________________
Mayor of the City of Corona, California
ATTEST:
____________________________________
City Clerk of the City of Corona, California
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CERTIFICATION
I, Sylvia Edwards, City Clerk of the City of Corona, California, do hereby certify that the foregoing Ordinance was regularly introduced at a regular meeting of the City Council of the City of Corona, California duly held on the 7th day of May, 2025 and thereafter at a regular meeting held on 21st day of May, 2025, it was duly passed and adopted by the following vote:
AYES:
NOES:
ABSENT:
ABSTAINED:
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand and affixed the official seal of the City of Corona, California, this 21st day of May, 2025. _________________________________________
City Clerk of the City of Corona, California
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