Opinion ID: 1881042
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Whether the trial court erred in granting Cleary's motion for summary judgment.

Text: ¶ 19. The plaintiffs argue that the trial court erred in granting Cleary summary judgment. They allege that the trial court improperly: (1) considered affidavits which were not delivered to opposite counsel until the day of the hearing, and (2) relied on the affidavits of state agency employees as being conclusive of the Department of Health's position that the Cleary Ordinance did not conflict with its rules and regulations. The only facts the trial court had before it at the hearing on summary judgment were contained in the affidavits of Kenn Munn, Michael Slaughter, and Ralph J. Turnbo, Jr. Despite this bare record, Cleary claims that the chancellor properly considered the evidence before him and that his decision should be affirmed. ¶ 20. Turnbo's affidavit was filed with the Rankin County Chancery Clerk's office on April 2, 2003, and served via first class mail in compliance with M.R.C.P. 56(c). Yet, according to plaintiffs, neither their counsel nor the chancellor received this affidavit prior to the hearing. The chancellor was within his discretion in considering this affidavit in conjunction with the other affidavits and pleadings in ruling on the parties' motions. However, plaintiffs, charge that the chancellor's reliance on affidavits was erroneous in other regards. ¶ 21. Plaintiffs claim it was improper for the trial court to rely on the affidavits of Kenn Munn, Michael Slaughter, and Ralph Turnbo because none of them have the authority to speak on behalf of the Department of Health. They point to the case of Mississippi Dep't of Envtl. Quality v. Weems, 653 So.2d 266 (Miss.1995), for the proposition that a governmental agency may only act through its official policies, rather than its employees. In Weems, the executive director of the Department of Environmental Quality attempted to provide guidance as to how the MDEQ interpreted permit transfers between certain entitites. The chancellor, however, did not believe that the director had authority to bind the MDEQ, found that the MDEQ had not adopted rules and regulations to interpret the term transfer, and stated that an agency such as the MDEQ does not speak, nor set policy, through the letters of its Executive Director. It can only speak through its own official action. Weems, 653 So.2d at 273. Weems affirmed the chancellor's finding that the Commission of Environmental Quality's actions conflicted with the moratorium statute on permit transfers and the chancellor's decision to remand the action to the appropriate administrative agencies to adopt rules and regulations necessary for the proper adjudication of the case. Id. at 273, 282-83. ¶ 22. Cleary has defended the charges brought by plaintiffs by not only stating that it has the authority to enact its ordinance but that such ordinance was adopted with approval of both the MDEQ and the Department of Health. These contentions are supported by various affidavits which the trial court stated it considered in rendering its judgment. Kenn Munn, who served as manager of the Cleary Water, Sewer and Fire District and was also the secretary on its Board of Commissioners, stated that the Department of Health recommended that Cleary adopt its ordinance, that he worked closely with both the Department of Health and the MDEQ in drafting the ordinance, and that the ordinance was adopted after receiving review and comment from both the Department of Health and the MDEQ. Cleary also introduced the affidavit of Michael Slaughter, a professional engineer. In his affidavit, Slaughter did presume not to speak on behalf of any government agency, rather he stated that it was his expert opinion that the Cleary Ordinance was an appropriate measure to protect the health of the residents who lived within the Cleary District. It is apparent that neither of these individuals has authority to speak for the Department of Health as to whether Cleary's Ordinance conflicts with any departmental rules or regulations. ¶ 23. However, as mentioned above, Cleary also introduced the affidavit of Ralph Turnbo, director of the Department of Health's Onsite Wastewater division. Turnbo stated in his affidavit that the Department of Health did recommend that Cleary adopt an ordinance and policy regarding on-site wastewater systems, that members of the Department of Health, MDEQ, and the Cleary District met several times regarding this matter, that Cleary's ordinance did not unlawfully encroach upon the authority of the Mississippi State Department of Health, and that the subject ordinance was adopted after review and comment of both the Department of Health and the MDEQ. ¶ 24. We find that the chancellor did not err in considering any of the affidavits before him; however, we do find that he erred in granting summary judgment, as neither the statements contained in those affidavits nor the pleadings in the record support such a decision in the instant case. Based on the record before this Court, there is a genuine issue of material fact as to whether the ordinance enacted by the Cleary District conflicts with rules and regulations adopted by the Department of Health. Consistent with Weems, a determination should be made as to whether Cleary's Decentralized Wastewater Use Ordinance offends any of the Department of Health's policies. Summary judgment was also inappropriate as to the takings argument raised by plaintiffs, and addressed below.
¶ 25. Plaintiffs allege that enforcement of Cleary's Ordinance would be an unconstitutional taking of private property under both the federal and state constitutions. See U.S. Const. amend. V; U.S. Const. amend. XIV; Miss. Const. art. 3, § 17. This contention is based in large part on the Decentralized Wastewater Policy & Procedures document which accompanied one of the letters Cleary sent to its customers. This document required property owners to: (1) provide proof, at their own expense, that their septic system is working properly; (2) if unable to provide that proof, they are required to install a new septic system approved by Cleary; (3) the cost for the inspection and/or installation is borne by the property owner; (4) the property owner is then required to deed ownership of the septic system to Cleary as well as grant Cleary an easement to inspect and service the septic system, all without compensation; and (5) the property owner must pay a monthly charge for maintaining the septic system that is now owned by Cleary. ¶ 26. Cleary states that the Policy and Procedures document it sent to customers was repealed prior to submission of the parties' cross-motions for summary judgment. To support this contention, Cleary references the supplemental affidavit of Kenn Munn, which was purportedly attached to Cleary's Motion for Summary Judgment. In this affidavit, Munn stated that the Policy and Procedures adopted in conjunction with Cleary's Ordinance were repealed and he further stated that the Minutes of the Governing Authorities of the Cleary Water Sewer and Fire District, which reflected Cleary's actions, were attached to his affidavit as an exhibit. ¶ 27. Munn may have submitted Cleary's minutes as an exhibit; however, that exhibit is not attached to his affidavit in the trial record before this Court. We have been unable to locate the Minutes of the Governing Authorities in any of the documents in the record. As the chancellor made no specific findings of fact or conclusions of law in rendering his final judgment, there is no record before this Court indicating whether these challenged policies were in fact repealed, as Cleary contends, or are still in force. Further, the lack of a developed record from the trial court prevents this Court from determining whether the chancellor even considered plaintiffs' takings claim in rendering his judgment, something the Court of Appeals likewise failed to address. ¶ 28. We find that a genuine issue of material fact exists as to the status of Cleary's Policy and Procedures provision and as to whether the lower courts addressed or passed on plaintiffs' takings claim. Summary judgment is therefore inappropriate in this case, and we find that the trial court erred in granting Cleary's motion and that the Court of Appeals erred in failing to address this takings issue on appeal.