Police Alternatives Working Group Call
2023-01-09 14:00 - 15:00 (America/New_York)
If you care to take part in this call, please email cstorer@imla.org.

Personnel Webinar
2023-01-10 13:00 - 14:00
Employment Law Challenges in the New Normal
Municipal employers are facing a variety of challenges in the post-pandemic, new normal workplace. This especially is the case with the advent of what is termed “long COVID,” which has been defined as “new, recurring or ongoing health problems” experienced at least four months after infection with the COVID-19 virus.
This program, presented by Jonathan R. Mook, will address the extent of long COVID among working age Americans and its economic impact as well as the legal ramifications for municipal employers. Whether long COVID is a disability and the right of COVID-19 long haulers to reasonable accommodations, including telework, under the Americans with Disabilities Act will be discussed.
Jonathan also will discuss the new composition of the EEOC and its initiatives in the areas of artificial intelligence, caregiver discrimination and LGBT rights. Special attention will be given to the Commission’s focus on mental health and substance abuse disorders and the ADA protections for employees who are taking prescription medication to address addiction.
Speaker: Jonathan Mook & Robin Cross

Diversity Working Group Call
2023-01-11 15:00 - 16:00
If you care to take part in this call, please email cstorer@imla.org.
Welcome back to everyone for the 2023 year! This meeting will be an open discussion on what DEI topics you would like to see in webinars, zoom meetings, and book clubs for the 2023 year. We are open to suggestions that either directly impact your local government, current issues, and/or programs and solutions you would like to spotlight.

Construction Webinar
2023-01-12 13:00 - 14:00
Alternative Project Delivery: What Went Wrong
Construction owners are seeking to find better methods of procuring construction projects than the traditional Design-Bid-Build method. Do you know what the advantages and disadvantages are of alternative project delivery methods such as Design-Build and CM At Risk? This presentation will explain the differences between these alternatives, and share best practices for how to make each method successful. Additionally, how disputes are handled will be discussed.
After attending this presentation, participants should be able to: (1) Describe reasons, expectations and results of increased use of Alternative Project Delivery; (2) Compare the Design-Build and CM@Risk methods based on the following: Advantages and disadvantages, Best Practices, How the Spearin Doctrine applies, and Potential areas of dispute; and (3) Explain unique dispute resolution aspects of Alternative Project Delivery.
Speaker: Bryan Payne & Lisa Jones

Small/Rural Communities Working Group Call
2023-01-17 14:00 - 15:00, 2023-03-20 14:00 - 15:00, 2023-05-15 14:00 - 15:00

Code Enforcement Webinar
2023-01-24 13:00 - 14:00
Public Rights-of-Way: Outdoor Dining and Management of Competing Uses
The COVID-19 pandemic gave rise to an explosion in the use of public space for private commercial use. Consequently, cities are tasked with balancing the interests of myriad nonexclusive licenses to use the public right-of-way. The program illustrates the complexities of managing diverse commercial and governmental interests, public safety, and maintaining a system of public roads, while considering the future of “Streeteries” in the City.
Speaker: James Kellet & Maggy White

Homelessness Webinar
2023-01-26 13:00 - 14:00
Strategies for Addressing Homelessness: the Colorado Springs Case Study
This presentation is a case study focusing on the intersection of legal and services-based efforts to address issues of homelessness. It will also discuss the unique impacts on this topic related to a city that has grown rapidly, lacks affordable housing, has a re-emerging downtown, and is home to a variety of different military installations, including a service academy. While the current legal landscape will be discussed, strategies beyond legislation that communities of all sizes can utilize will be presented as well.
Speaker: Marc Smith

Diversity Webinar
2023-02-02 13:00 - 14:00
Inclusive Language: An Ethical Guide
This presentation will cover language issues in legal writing pertaining to racial and ethnic terms, gender identity, and other forms of diversity. Attendees will participate in interactive activities designed to leave them better equipped to provide competent representation (Rule 1.1) and manage client communications (Rule 1.4) without disturbing the decorum of the tribunal (Rule 3.5). Presenters have created an Inclusive Language Guide for Legal Writing that will be available to all attendees.
Speaker: Zach Strassburger & Meghan Byrnes

Homelessness Working Group Conference Call
2023-02-02 14:00 - 15:00, 2023-03-02 14:00 - 15:00, 2023-04-06 14:00 - 15:00, 2023-05-04 14:00 - 15:00

Affordable Housing Webinar
2023-02-07 13:00 - 14:00
Creating Affordable Housing: Madison’s Experience
Creating affordable housing is a major challenge for municipalities everywhere. In addition to the politics, financing affordable housing deals requires combinations of lending programs and creative solutions to fill financing gaps. This presentation will discuss the problems in creating and financing affordable housing for families and students, and methods the City of Madison, Wisconsin has been using to solve these issues including tax incremental financing, the creation of an affordable housing fund, and permitting density in exchange for affordability.
Speaker: Kevin Ramakrishna

Personnel Webinar
2023-02-09 13:00 - 14:00
Everything, Everywhere, All at Once – Employment Law Overview
This presentation captures the essential elements of municipal employment law – without getting tangled up during the process. It will provide some road maps and guideposts to help navigate through the maze of federal and state statutory employment requirements along with discussion of some common issues that arise in public sector employment. Additional topics may be discussed.
Speaker: Roberta “Robin” Cross

New Lawyers Working Group Call
2023-02-13 14:00 - 15:00

Telecommunications Webinar
2023-02-21 13:00 - 15:00
Cell Tower Lease Rates and Sales
In the world of telecommunications law, one question rises to the top of the list: What is the going rent for a cell tower lease? This program will address that question, with industry statistics, which should be helpful for the thousands of landlords whose leases come up for renewal each year.
The program will also provide municipalities (and all property owners) with the basics of leasing land for a cell tower (or space on a building roof or other structure) for cell antennas, including why 5G has little impact. It is presented by two attorneys with decades of experience representing municipalities and other property owners on cell leases.
In general, the program covers key business issues in cell site leases, including lease rates, who gets the revenues from additional antennas or carriers being co-located at a site, and the major rent increases possible at renewals. It then shifts to avoiding lease terms which can prevent a landlord’s use or development of the property with the lease, and adding lease terms which help preserve these rights.
After covering some more conventional lease terms the program addresses the sale of cell leases and future leasing rights. This includes typical sale prices (often around 19 to 20 times annual revenues); when to sell and when it is not advisable to sell; how to get the best price and terms in a sale; and again avoiding provisions that restrict the development or use of the property. On both cell leases and the sale of leases the program addresses key items that are unique to municipalities. More generally, the program covers such topics as lease term and terminations, access requirements, radio frequency interference, design and camouflage, and radio frequency emissions safety.
Speaker: John Pestle & Jonathan Kramer

Police Alternatives Call
2023-02-21 14:00 - 15:00

Diversity / Equity / Inclusion Book Club Meeting
2023-02-23 15:00 - 16:00
If you care to take part in this call, please email dshahnami@imla.org.
The 1619 Project: A New Origin Story by Nikole Hannah-Jones. This is a book that speaks directly to our current moment, contextualizing the systems of race and caste within which we operate today. It reveals long-glossed-over truths around our nation’s founding and construction—and the way that the legacy of slavery did not end with emancipation, but continues to shape contemporary American life.

Mid-Year Seminar Early Bird Rates End
2023-02-24 00:00 - 23:30
2023 Mid-Year Seminar
April 21-24, 2023
Washington, D.C.

Counties Working Group Call
2023-03-01 15:00 - 16:00

Preemption Webinar - Free Live For IMLA Members
2023-03-02 13:00 - 14:00
Curricular Preemption
CLE available to Kitchen Sink Subscribers and in some cases to others but fees may apply.
This session examines state preemption of local school boards with regard to the content of curricula and educational materials. Divisive concepts in schools have been raised targeting the 1619 Project (a New York Times Magazine series reframing American history in the context of slavery and structural racism) and Critical Race Theory. This curricular preemption swept the nation and now the strategy has been expanded to preempt discussion of LGBTQ+ issues as well. This session will examine the trend of curricular preemption, from its origins to current iterations.
Speaker: Steven Nelson, Corinne Green & Marissa Roy

Telecommunications Webinar
2023-03-23 13:00 - 14:00
Square PEG in a Round Hole: Limits on Municipal Use of Public, Education, and Government Fees
This presentation will discuss the federal restrictions on local governments’ use of public, education, and government (“PEG”) fees paid by cable operators to support local government PEG channels, pursuant to the federal Cable Communications Policy Act of 1984. Unlike some types of municipal revenue and funding sources, which carry no restrictions regarding how they may be spent and which are designated for the general fund to be used anywhere needed, the use of PEG fees is limited. Although trying to fit PEG fees into a local government’s budget may be challenging at times, Federal Communications Commission orders and court cases provide guidance on the purposes for which local governments may and may not use PEG fees. This presentation will also cover a series of PEG “FAQs” to assist municipal lawyers in advising local government clients, relative to the limited purposes for the use of PEG fees.
Speaker: David Johnson

Mid-Year Seminar Regular Rates End
2023-03-31 00:00 - 23:30

Annual Conference Super Saver Rates End
2023-04-07 00:00 - 23:30
IMLA’s 88th Annual Conference
September 27- October 1, 2023
La Quinta, California

New Lawyers Call
2023-05-09 13:00 - 14:00
Claims under the Freedom of Information Act (FIOA) can be challenging to handle. This presentation will go over general FOIA issues and how to avoid them.
Presenter: Lynn Sprately, City of Newport News, Virginia
If you care to take part in this call, please email dshahnami@imla.org.

Code Enforcement Call
2023-05-22 15:00 - 16:00
If you care to take part in this call or working group, please email cstorer@imla.org.

Animal Law Webinar
2023-05-23 13:00 - 14:00
Effective Animal Ordinances-Dealing with Nuisances
Safe and humane communities are a priority. Have you examined your animal services ordinances to ensure they effectively address real not perceived nuisances? Are they written so they can’t be weaponized in petty neighborhood arguments wasting the time of your field services workers? We will examine some creative habitual nuisance ordinances and provide examples of creative solutions to your animal issues.
Speaker: Ledy VanKavage & Katie Barnett

DEI Book Club Meeting
2023-05-24 15:00 - 16:00
If you care to take part in this call or working group, please email dshahnami@imla.org.
JOIN US May 10th from 3-4 pm ET to discuss How to Kill a City: Gentrification, Inequality, and the Fight for the Neighborhood by PE Moskowitz. It is BYOB (Bring Your Own Book/Booze). We welcome those who read the book and those who did not have time but are interested in the topic. This book is also available on Audible! Below is the Amazon description of the book:
The term gentrification has become a buzzword to describe the changes in urban neighborhoods across the country, but we don’t realize just how threatening it is. It means more than the arrival of trendy shops, much-maligned hipsters, and expensive lattes. The very future of American cities as vibrant, equitable spaces hangs in the balance. P. E. Moskowitz’s How to Kill a City takes readers from the kitchen tables of hurting families who can no longer afford their homes to the corporate boardrooms and political backrooms where destructive housing policies are devised. Along the way, Moskowitz uncovers the massive, systemic forces behind gentrification in New Orleans, Detroit, San Francisco, and New York. The deceptively simple question of who can and cannot afford to pay the rent goes to the heart of America’s crises of race and inequality. In the fight for economic opportunity and racial justice, nothing could be more important than housing.
