Court Opinion

ID: 9673527
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-24 04:14:10.402917+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:16:22.699497
License: Public Domain

SHORT, Judge
(dissenting).
I respectfully dissent. The HCRRA decided to leave the loading dock in place only after weighing the governmental interest in the efficient allocation of staff and financial resources with the competing concerns of the local municipalities and local residents impacted by the decision. Cf. Steinke v. City of Andover, 525 N.W.2d 173, 176 (Minn.1994) (affording protection of immunity where county balanced political, social, and economic considerations in deciding to post traffic warning signs only at certain rights-of-way); Gutbrod v. County of Hennepin, 529 N.W.2d 720, 723 (Minn.App.1995) (granting immunity to government employee’s decision, based on consideration of risks and costs, not to repair immediately crack in road). The HCRRA’s discretionary decision is precisely the type of municipal act protected by statutory immunity. See Minn.Stat. § 466.03, subd. 6 (1996) (providing immunity from liability for performance of discretionary functions); see also Waste Recovery Co-op. v. County of Hennepin, 517 N.W.2d 329, 332 (Minn.1994) (recognizing statutory immunity is intended to prevent courts from passing judgment on “policy decisions entrusted to coordinate branches of government”) (citation omitted). The trial court properly granted summary judgment in favor of HCRRA, and I would affirm.