Opinion ID: 1205103
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: immunity of the state

Text: The court of appeals affirmed the summary judgment granted in favor of the State under the authority of its earlier decision in Gleave v. Denver & Rio Grande Western Railroad, 749 P.2d 660 (Utah Ct. App.1988). That case held that UDOT was immune from suit in determining the type of warning devices which should be required at railroad crossings. The determination of UDOT was held to be the exercise of a discretionary function for which immunity has been reserved by Utah Code Ann. § 63-30-10(1)(a). The court, in turn, relied upon our decision in Velasquez v. Union Pacific Railroad, 24 Utah 2d 217, 469 P.2d 5 (1970), where we held that the alleged failure of the public service commission (which at that time had the responsibility now reposed in UDOT) to require more adequate warning devices at a railroad crossing involved the exercise of a discretionary function for which immunity had not been waived. Gleave, 749 P.2d at 669. In Velasquez, we emphasized the statutory directive to the public service commission, which was to prescribe the installation of appropriate safety or other devices, and held that this language indicated a legislative intent to confer discretion on the commission in discharging that statutory duty. 24 Utah 2d at 219, 469 P.2d at 6. Plaintiffs now contend that Velasquez v. Union Pacific should be overruled because our later decision in Standiford v. Salt Lake City Corp., 605 P.2d 1230 (Utah 1980), narrowed governmental immunity. Plaintiffs urge that UDOT's decision to defer any improvement in the warning device at the Droubay Road crossing was an operational rather than a discretionary decision and that Velasquez has been overruled sub silentio by three later decisions of this court. We will consider these contentions in order. Our decision in Standiford v. Salt Lake City did not in any way impinge upon our prior decision in Velasquez. In Standiford, we clarified and narrowed the type of activities carried on by governmental entities which could properly be termed governmental functions. In the instant case, plaintiffs do not contend that UDOT's duty to determine the type of warning devices to be placed at a particular crossing is not a governmental function. Standiford did not deal with the further issue of whether, in the exercise of a governmental function, a particular duty is discretionary or operational. Plaintiffs' contention that UDOT's decision to defer improving the adequacy of warning devices at a crossing is an operational decision and not a discretionary one must fail. As pointed out earlier in this opinion, UDOT utilizes a surveillance team to evaluate the level of the hazards to motorists at hundreds of crossings where active warning devices are not in place. This team assigns priorities to those crossings where the greatest hazards exist. UDOT then upgrades the warning devices at those crossings with the highest priority until the limited available funds have been exhausted. Crossings with a lower priority must await financing for another year. Furthermore, UDOT's operation meets the four-step test for a discretionary function outlined in Little v. Utah State Division of Family Services, 667 P.2d 49, 51 (Utah 1983). First, a basic governmental objective is involved  the promotion of public safety at railroad crossings. Second, the evaluation of crossings and the assigning of priorities for upgrading the adequacy of warning devices now in place are essential to the improvement of public safety. Third, UDOT exercises basic policy evaluation, judgment and expertise in utilizing a surveillance team to weigh the degree of hazard at the crossings it inspects and to subsequently assign priorities to those crossings where the greatest hazard exists. Fourth, UDOT has the necessary statutory authority to determine which crossings are most hazardous and most deserving of the limited funds available for active warning devices. The duties of UDOT are not unlike those of the defendants in Rocky Mountain Thrift v. Salt Lake City, 784 P.2d 459 (Utah 1989), who had the responsibility to determine the design, capacity, and construction of a drainage system to carry away flood waters. In that case, we pointed out: Decisions made by defendants before the flood regarding the design, capacity, and construction of their flood control systems are the result of serious and extensive policy evaluation, judgment, and expertise in numerous areas of concern. These areas would include geological, environmental, financial, and urban planning and developmental concerns, and financial concerns, just to name a few. Id. at 463. We reaffirm our holding in Velasquez that the duties imposed upon UDOT in these particulars are truly discretionary functions and are therefore protected by governmental immunity. Our decisions in Bigelow v. Ingersoll, 618 P.2d 50 (Utah 1980), Bowen v. Riverton City, 656 P.2d 434 (Utah 1982), and Richards v. Leavitt, 716 P.2d 276 (Utah 1985), have not eroded our holding in Velasquez. In Gleave v. Denver & Rio Grande Western Railroad, a similar contention was made but rejected by the court of appeals. 749 P.2d at 669. In Bigelow v. Ingersoll , two automobiles collided at a highway intersection due to an improperly synchronized traffic light which allowed the plaintiffs to make a left turn in front of an oncoming vehicle which also had a green light. 618 P.2d at 53. Obviously, there was a malfunction which was completely unintended and unanticipated and did not result from the exercise of anyone's judgment. In Bowen v. Riverton City , two automobiles collided at an intersection because a stop sign had either fallen down or been knocked down. We held that Riverton City had a nondelegable duty to maintain its traffic signals in a reasonably safe, visible, and working condition. 656 P.2d at 437. We remanded the case for a factual determination of whether Riverton City was negligent in not responding sooner to notice it had received that the sign was down, since an earlier response might have prevented the accident. Again, in that case Riverton City did not contend that it had any discretion as to whether the stop sign should be promptly replaced. The city's duty was clear, and the only question was whether it responded reasonably once it had notice of the hazard. In Richards v. Leavitt , suit was brought against a city for negligently allowing trees, shrubs, and other growth to obscure the vision of motorists at an intersection and negligently failing to maintain a stop sign. 716 P.2d at 277. Our holding in a per curiam decision was simply that the maintenance of traffic control devices on streets is a governmental function and the presentation of a timely notice of claim under Utah Code Ann. § 63-30-13 was mandatory. 716 P.2d at 279. We did not have occasion to reach the question of what constitutes a discretionary function. We find no error in the court of appeals' opinion and sustain its affirmance of the trial court's judgment. HALL, C.J., and ZIMMERMAN, J., concur.