Danforth v. Department of Public Works

845 So. 2d 650, 2002 La.App. 4 Cir. 0529, 2003 La. App. LEXIS 1550, 2003 WL 21203879
CourtLouisiana Court of Appeal
DecidedMay 14, 2003
DocketNos. 2002-CA-0529, 2002-CA-1991, 2003-CA-0089
StatusPublished

This text of 845 So. 2d 650 (Danforth v. Department of Public Works) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Louisiana Court of Appeal primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Danforth v. Department of Public Works, 845 So. 2d 650, 2002 La.App. 4 Cir. 0529, 2003 La. App. LEXIS 1550, 2003 WL 21203879 (La. Ct. App. 2003).

Opinions

JACHARLES R. JONES, Judge.

The Appellant, the Department of Public Works for the City of New Orleans, appeals the judgment of the Civil Service Commission, reversing the Department’s decision to terminate the employment of the Appellee, Elmo Danforth, for violation of New Orleans Code, Article X, section 2-971 et seq., the Domicile Ordinance for the City of New Orleans. Also, the Department of Public Works, in a subsequent, consolidated matter, appeals the judgment of the Civil Service Commission granting Mr. Danforth immediate enforcement of the judgment. Additionally, a third case, involving the exact same issues as the second consolidated matter was consolidated therewith. We must note that it is an ineffective use of the Courts time to continuously file appeals when a pending appeal is dispositive of the case. Following a review of the record, we affirm the judgment of the Civil Service Commission.

Facts and Procedural History

In February 1995, Mr. Elmo Danforth, a Senior Civil Engineer with permanent status with the Department of Public Works (hereinafter “the Department”), was domiciled outside of Orleans Parish. On August 11, 1995, the City of New Orleans’ Chief Administrative Officer issued revised CAO Policy | ^Memorandum # 19, which required all employees to be domiciled in Orleans Parish, unless they were domiciled outside of Orleans Parish on February 16, 1995. On February 16, 1995, Mr. Dan-forth was domiciled at 416 Glenmeade Court in Gretna, Louisiana where he resided until his divorce in 1999, at which time his’ wife was awarded use of the marital home. Mr. Danforth secured another apartment in Gretna while the property partition issues were pending. He sought ownership of the marital home. In August 2000, the Department discovered that Mr. Danforth lived in the Gretna apartment and no longer lived at 416 Glenmeade Court. Mr. Danforth was placed on emergency suspension and notified that disciplinary action would follow. Immediately thereafter, Mr. Danforth acquired and moved into an apartment in Orleans Parish, as well as changed his driver’s license and voter’s registration to reflect the change of address to Orleans Parish. At his pre-termination hearing, Mr. Danforth provided his lease for the apartment, his driver’s license, and his voter registration reflecting the Orleans Parish address; however, the Department decided to terminate his employment. He appealed this decision to the Civil Service Commission (hereinafter “the Commission”) who reversed his termination by the Department on January 7, 2002. It is from this judgment that the Department appeals. Addi-[652]*652tionaUy, the Department appeals the judgment of the Commission dated June 24, 2002 in two separate appeals. Said judgment granted a Motion to Enforce Decision filed by Mr. Danforth, and reinstated him to his former position with all back pay and benefits. These three matters have been consolidated on appeal.

Discussion

The first issue raised by the Department is whether the Commission acted arbitrarily and capriciously, and committed manifest error in reversing the Utermination of Mr. Danforth. The Department argues that although Mr. Danforth’s actual domicile was in Jefferson at the time the Domicile Ordinance became effective, he failed to file a declaration of exempt status as required by the Domicile Ordinance. The Department avers that Mr. Danforth provided misleading information when listing a New Orleans address on requested documentation. Also, the Department argues that once Mr. Danforth left the Jefferson Parish domicile, regardless of the grounds for leaving, it was incumbent upon him to acquire a domicile in Orleans Parish.

In response, Mr. Danforth argues that he did not file a declaration to exempt his Jefferson Parish domicile on Glenmeade Court because he was never provided with the form requesting the declaration. Mr. Danforth also argues that he used the New Orleans address to receive mail in light of his marital difficulties, and was not establishing this location as a domicile. Further, Mr. Danforth argues that he had not established a new domicile because he was forced to leave the Glenmeade Court property by court order, although he had the full intention to acquire permanent occupancy of the marital home upon partition of the marital property.

A reviewing court should not reverse a commission conclusion as to the existence or absence of cause for dismissal unless the decision is arbitrary, capricious, or an abuse of the commission’s discretion. Jones v. Louisiana Department of Highways, 259 La. 329, 250 So.2d 356 (1971). We do not find that the decision of the Commission was arbitrary, capricious, nor an abuse of discretion. The Commission reasoned:

[t]he Appellant did not leave his domicile voluntarily. A judge ordered him from his domicile. At the time of his termination, he was still attempting to regain possession of his domicile in a divorce proceeding, and had not established a new permanent domicile. Further, once the 14Appellant learned that the Appointing Authority held a different view of his circumstances, he immediately complied with the Policy rather than challenge the Appointing Authority’s interpretation of the policy.
Under theses circumstances, the Appointing Authority has failed to establish that the Appellant knowingly violated the City’s domicile policy. (Emphasis added)

The significant factor to consider in this instance is that Mr. Danforth had not abandoned his domicile. Technically, his domicile was still at the Glenmeade Court location, although temporarily residing elsewhere, pending a resolution of the partition of property. Further, once Mr. Danforth was notified of his potential violation, he immediately remedied the situation by establishing a domicile in Orleans Parish, becoming compliant with the ordinance. Therefore, we do not find that the Commission acted arbitrarily, capriciously, nor abused its discretion in reversing the Appointing Authority’s decision to terminate Mr. Danforth.

The second issue raised by the Department is whether termination of employment is the appropriate penalty for [653]*653violation of the Domicile Ordinance. The Department argues that the power to adopt rules imposing domiciliary or residency requirements on municipal employees falls within the power of the municipal governing authority and does not fall within the commission’s power to adopt rules regulating the suspension and removal of public employees. New Orleans Firefighters Association Local 632, AFL-CIO v. City of New Orleans, 590 So.2d 1172, 1176 (La.1991). The Department further argues that the Domicile Ordinance was not only applicable to initial employment, but to continued employment as well, and that said requirement was rationally related to legitimate governmental interests. Police Association of New Orleans v. City of New Orleans, 649 So.2d 951 (La.1995). Pursuant to Aldor v. New Orleans Fire Department, 2001-0439 (La.App. 4 Cir. 11/21/01), 803 So.2d 112, the Department avers that the Domicile Ordinance mandates termination for an employee’s failure to establish and maintain his ‘actual domicile’ in New Orleans.

Mr. Danforth agrees that continued employment falls within the purview of the Domicile Ordinance; however, he argues that mandatory termination is only applicable when the employee refuses to change his living arrangements once notified of the Appointing Authority’s objection. Mr. Danforth argues that there is no indication that Mr.

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845 So. 2d 650, 2002 La.App. 4 Cir. 0529, 2003 La. App. LEXIS 1550, 2003 WL 21203879, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/danforth-v-department-of-public-works-lactapp-2003.