Court Opinion

ID: 9792022
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-31 02:22:08.468837+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T07:37:40.236681
License: Public Domain

BAKES, Chief Justice,
concurring in all but Part IV:
I dissent from Part IV of the majority opinion which states in part:
The statute invoked by the trial court provides a means for obtaining compensation for property that “was commandeered or otherwise used in coping with a disaster emergency and its use or destruction was ordered by the governor or his representative.” I.C. § 46-1012(3). Claims for compensation must be filed with the bureau of disaster services. I.C. § 46-1012(4). The trial court ruled that the landowners could not pursue their inverse condemnation claim, because they did not exhaust the administrative remedy given to them in this statute. However, the statute does not provide for compensation unless the use or destruction of the property was ordered by the governor or his representative. The declaration of state of emergency by the governor on June 14, 1984, did not refer to the use or destruction of landowners’ property. Neither IDWR nor any of the other governmental agencies is properly characterized as the “representative” of the governor in responding to the emergency. There is no evidence here that the governor designated any of the governmental agencies as his representative. Therefore, we hold that the landowners were not required to exhaust the remedy provided by I.C. § 46-1012, since that statute did not provide them with a remedy under the circumstances here.
Ante at 142, 786 P.2d at 533 (emphasis added). Because the director of the Idaho Department of Water Resources is properly designated as a “representative” of the Governor, I would affirm the trial *146court’s ruling that the landowners could not pursue their inverse condemnation claim because they did not exhaust the administrative remedy given to them in I.C. § 46-1012.
The majority opinion restricts the definition of “representative” too narrowly as if it was used in this statute to signify only a particular official known in the Idaho Code as “the governor’s representative.” While the use of the term “representative” no doubt includes the chief of the bureau of disaster services within the office of the Governor, there is nothing contained in the language of the State Disaster Preparedness Act excluding other representatives of the Governor who carry out emergency disaster relief measures. In fact I.C. § 46-1008(4) provides:
During the continuance of any state of disaster emergency the governor is commander-in-chief of the militia and may assume command of all other forces available for emergency duty. To the greatest extent practicable, the governor shall delegate or assign command authority by prior arrangement embodied in appropriate executive orders or regulations, but nothing herein restricts his authority to do so by orders issued at the time of the disaster emergency.
In conformity with the spirit and letter of the Act, a “representative” of the governor could be any official acting within the scope of his lawful duties and in conformity with a disaster emergency effort as declared by the Governor. Such an official would include the director of the Idaho Department of Water Resources who performs disaster related duties, including actions taken to prevent or minimize disasters before the occurrence of such calamaties. As the majority opinion correctly observes, ante at 186, 786 P.2d at 527, “All agencies of state government were required by the proclamation ‘to take action ... to arrest or alleviate the conditions perpetuating the state of extreme emergency.’ ”
The Idaho Department of Water Resources is part of the executive department of the state government and its director is duly appointed by the Governor in whom is vested the supreme executive power of the state. Idaho Constitution art. 4, §§ 5, 6; I.C. § 42-1701. Among the duties prescribed to the director is the duty “to perform such other professional duties as may be required of him by the governor.” I.C. § 42-1706. I believe the term “representative” of the Governor, as used in I.C. § 46-1012(3), includes the director of the Idaho Department of Water Resources, who must “perform such other professional duties as may be required of him by the governor.” I.C. § 42-1706. The State Disaster Preparedness Act envisions that the Governor and his representatives will cooperate and coordinate with other political subdivisions in meeting disasters. I.C. § 46-1003. Furthermore, the director of the Idaho Department of Water Resources is required by law to employ remedial means to protect life and property in an emergency situation concerning dams, reservoirs or mine tailings impoundment structures. I.C. § 42-1718.3 In performing the “professional duties as may be required of him by the governor,” and in employing the remedial means to protect life and property concerning dams, reservoirs, etc., the director is acting as a representative of the Governor.
*147Accordingly, I.C. § 46-1012(4) requires landowners to file with the bureau of disaster services a claim for compensation stemming from the destruction or use of property used in coping with a disaster emergency when such use or destruction was ordered by the Governor or his representative, in this case the director of the Idaho Department of Water Resources. The trial court did not err when it dismissed the plaintiff’s action for failure to file claims for disaster compensation pursuant to I.C. § 46-1012(4).

. 42-1718. Remedial means for protection of life and property. — The director shall immedi- • ately employ any remedial means necessary to protect life and property if either:
(a) The condition of any dam, reservoir or mine tailings impoundment structure is so dangerous to the safety of life or property as not to permit time for the issuance and enforcement of an order relative to maintenance or operation.
(b) Passing or imminent floods threaten the safety of any dam, reservoir or mine tailings impoundment structure.
In applying the remedial means provided for in this act, the department may in emergency do any of the following:
(a) Lower the water level by releasing water from the reservoir or lower mine tailings slurry level by releasing slurry from the mine tailings impoundment structure.
(b) Completely empty the reservoir.
(c) Take such other steps as may be essential to safeguard life and property.