LAKE FOREST

In an effort to speed up the process for considering lawsuits against the city, the council voted recently to delegate rejection authority to the city’s director of finance. The city has 45 days to take action on a claim before it is automatically denied. As a member of the California Joint Powers Insurance Authority, the city must send most claims to a CJPIA administrator for processing before being brought to the City Council for consideration. In some cases the 45 days had already passed. By bypassing the council, claims that should be approved and paid will no longer be automatically denied. Information: (949) 461-3400.