Key Legal Issues: From Plan Implementation Through Ongoing Operation and Regulatory Compliance This presentation is the second of a two-part presentation.  Lawyers from Keller and Heckman LLP will address the critical legal and regulatory issues that public broadband initiatives and partnerships typically encounter at each stage of a project from initial opportunity assessment to ongoing operation and regulatory compliance.  It will focus on negotiation and implementation of project plans; startup activities; contract matters of many kinds; and federal and state...

Fundamentals of Municipal Finance and Borrowing Municipal attorneys are often asked, “Can we do this?”, when “this” relates to getting, spending, and borrowing money by their municipal clients. This session will consider the essential legal issues attendant to that question. We will discuss basic constitutional issues like public purpose, corporate purpose, and lending of the public credit; the theoretical distinction between taxes and fees; the legal ramifications of that distinction; and other limitations on the ways that municipalities can get...

The Americans with Disabilities Act Update: The Impact of COVID-19 In this webinar, Jonathan Mook will present an overview of significant ADA developments that occurred in 2021, particularly as they concern the COVID-19 pandemic.  Issues such as whether COVID-19 (and, in particular, long COVID) is a “disability,” the applicability of the ADA’s direct threat defense to COVID-19, incentives an employer may offer employees to get a COVID-19 shot, and whether vaccination status and COVID-19 test results are protected medical information...

Preemption of Local Election Administration CLE available to Kitchen Sink Subscribers and in some cases to others but fees may apply. This session examines state preemption of local authority to administer elections on the impact that is having in key battleground states. Following the thoroughly discredited claims of election fraud in the 2020 election, several states have implemented policies to take authority away from local election boards, restrict ballot access, redraw district maps to favor candidates of a certain party,...

Material Price Escalation: What This Means to Owners In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, the cost of construction labor and material prices have been soaring at record-breaking levels. Construction markets remain competitive as contractors struggle to overcome the challenges of the current market conditions and owners attempt to deal with the added risks from the economic threats. This session will provide an overview of the current market trends, changes to expect in project delivery and contracting methods, and how...

Cell Tower Leasing and Sales This program provides municipalities (and all property owners) with the basics of leasing land for a cell tower or space on a building (or other structure) for cell antennas.  It describes 5G service, why it is being rolled out slowly and why it has little impact on cell lease rental rates or the sales price for cell leases.  It is presented by two attorneys with decades of experience representing municipalities and other property owners on...

This is not an IMLA Webinar and will not offer CLE credits. Since this summer, the Supreme Court has agreed to decide, and has decided, numerous cases involving states and local governments ranging from blockbusters to (more) bread and butter. Topics of cases discussed in this webinar include abortion, First Amendment, state intervention, qualified immunity, the Clean Power Plan, and liability for not reciting Miranda. Join Michael Dreeben, O’Melveny, who is writing the State and Local Legal Center (SLLC) amicus...

Negotiations 101 CLE available to Kitchen Sink Subscribers and in some cases to others but fees may apply. This presentation will outline the steps in preparing for a negotiation, discuss factors to consider in picking a strategy, and demonstrate both how to use and how to counter some of the most common negotiation tactics. Speaker: DeWitt “Mac” McCarley

Secrets and Strategies to Successful Public Construction Projects CLE available to Kitchen Sink Subscribers and in some cases to others but fees may apply. Successful projects – meeting quality, time, budget requirements – can happen if the public owner and the municipal attorney take the proper steps to prepare for design and construction. Without the necessary planning and strategy, public works construction may experience unwanted delays, claims and cost overruns. This session will discuss the underlying causes that threaten successful...

Robocall Me Maybe? Examining Automated Calls by Cities in Light of the FCC’s Broadnet Order on Reconsideration As local governments seek to streamline processes and efficiently utilize funds in continually decreasing budgets, some are turning to automated phone calls and text messages (“robocalls” and “robotexts”) as a cost‐effective option to communicate with citizens. This session discusses the applicable federal laws and regulations that govern automated calls, including the Telephone Consumer Protection Act of 1991 as well as the associated FCC...