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Minn. 713NTSBAUM V. BLUE EARTH COUNTYCIUMia N.Wja 71) (Minn. IMS)ligence in placement of speed signs. The District Court. Blue Earth County. Miles Zimmerman, J., granted state's motion for <br />summary judgment based on discretionary <br />immunity doctrine. Motonst appealed. <br />[6] It is possible that plaintiff could have shown that, in addition to the Barr report, the city had approved a mimber of <br />building permits in the immediate vicinity <br />of the Chabot home which added additional ---------- -rr------ <br />runoff of water into the holding pond. He! The Court of Appeals. 411 N.W.2d 917, <br />' reversed and remanded for trial on issue ofcould perhaps have shown by expert testi­ <br />mony that these permits increased the risk <br />of da.Tiage to the plaintiffs home. How­ <br />ever, other than vague and general refer­ <br />ences to growth in the watershed area, this <br />evidence, even if available, was not <br />presented. <br />A city can be liable for trespass or nui- <br />sance caused by such an increased flow of <br />water or by a change in the flow of water <br />which affected its normal and natural flow. <br />See Wilson v. Ramacher, 352 N.W.2d 389, <br />394 (Minn.1984). However, that issue was <br />dismissed by the trial court and was not <br />appealed. Plaintiff elected to proceed at <br />trial and on appeal on the negligence theo­ <br />ry alone and has wholly failed, as a matter <br />of law, in our opinion, to prove the essen­ <br />tial elements of his case.' <br />Therefore, under the unique facts of this <br />case and the theory of law on which this <br />case was tried, we must reverse the court <br />of appeals and the trial court. We remand <br />to the trial court with instructions to enter <br />judgment for appellant city. <br />whether state had created a danger. State <br />sought further appeal. The Supreme <br />Court, Yetka, J.. held that (1) not all acta <br />involving exercise of judgment by agents <br />of the government are protected as discre­ <br />tionary functions, and critical inquiry is <br />whether challenged governmental conduct <br />involved balancing of policy objectives: (2) <br />motorist’s challenge to state ’s placement of <br />sign marking end of speed zone requested <br />by county, some 1,000 feet from sharp <br />curve, was not barred by discretionary <br />function exception; and (3) state ’s duty to <br />exercise reasonable care in determining <br />whether to authorize a speed zone includes <br />exercise of reasonable care in determining <br />where to place signs marking the end of <br />the speed zone. <br />Decision of CJourt of Appeals affirmed <br />and case remanded. <br />Ralph S. NUSBAUM. Respondent, <br />V. <br />COUNTY 0/ BLUE EARTH and Sute <br />of Minnesota. Petitioners. Appellants. <br />No. C3-87-338. <br />Supreme Court of Minnesota. <br />April 22, 1988. <br />1. Municipal Corporations «=*744 <br />Discretion in the context of a govern­ <br />ment employee's common-law immunity <br />from tort liability was much broader than <br />the type of discretion referred to in the <br />discretionary fr.nction exception applicable <br />in actions against governmental units un­ <br />der Tort Claims Act M.S.A. § 3.736, subd. <br />3(b). <br />Motorist injured in one-car accident on <br />count/ road sued county and state for neg- <br />2. Municipal Corporations ^744 <br />Not all acts involving exercise of judg ­ <br />ment by agents of the government are <br />protected from tort liability as discretion­ <br />ary functions: the protection afforded by <br />discretionary function exception does not <br />extend to professional or scientific judg ­ <br />ment where such judgment does not in- <br />1. Having determined that mere insdequs^ of a <br />holding pond if not grounds for a ncgligcn^ <br />suit, w« need not reach the fourth isAie regird- <br />ing the lack of expert testimony on the »poropri- <br />ate sundard of adequacy. <br />J