(A) Until the disposition of a claim or lawsuit becomes final, all claim and litigation records shall be confidential and shall not be subject to any right of inspection by any person not a city officer or employee acting within the scope of their official duties.
(B) When the disposition of a claim or lawsuit becomes final, claim and litigation records shall then be subject to public inspection, except for those records, or portions thereof, that are exempt from disclosure under the state Inspection of Public Records Act. For the purpose of this section,
FINAL shall mean when the settlement agreement has been signed by all the parties when the final decree has been entered by the court, or, if the former events are not applicable, when the city closes the case.
(C) Settlement agreements, final judgments and releases executed pursuant to the final disposition of a claim or lawsuit shall not be confidential. No settlement agreement entered into in order to settle claims or litigation against the city may contain provisions providing for the confidentiality of the settlement documents or provisions prohibiting disclosure of the reasons for entering into the settlement.
(D) Records protected pursuant to division (A) or (B) of this section shall be made available as necessary for purposes of audit or defense. Any person performing such audit or providing such defense shall keep such records confidential, except as required otherwise by law.
('74 Code, § 1-15-11A,B) (Ord. 95-1983; Am. Ord. 66-1986; Am. Ord. 53-1995) Penalty, see § 2-8-2-99