Municipal Law

In addition to providing representation to clients in our labor relations and public employment, environment, real estate, and annexation and land use practice areas, Flaherty & Hood, P.A. also represents local governments and joint powers organizations on the myriad of questions involving other municipal law matters.

Services

City Attorney

• City of Park Rapids
• City of Sartell

Competitive Bidding

• Process and legal advice

Contracts and Agreements

• Process and legal advice
• Interpretation and litigation
• Drafting and negotiating agreements:
• Purchases of goods and services
• Leases and easements
• Labor and employment
• Joint powers
• Intergovernmental cooperation and service agreements (e.g., wastewater treatment and conveyance agreements, orderly annexation agreements)
• Development
• Technology
• Tax incentives

Economic Development

• Process and legal advice
• Tax abatement and business subsidy policies and agreements

Elections, Elected Officials, and Council Meetings

• Process and legal advice
• Election procedures
• Advising on structure, meetings, procedures, and actions of City Council and committees

Eminent Domain/Condemnation

• Process and legal advice
• Settlement negotiations
• Drafting correspondence to property owners; resolutions, petitions, and quick take motions; and intergovernmental agreements
• Trial and Commissioners hearing advocacy

Environmental

• Wastewater treatment permitting process, permit defense, and legal advice
• Environmental permit appeals and stipulation agreements
• Responding to notices of violation
• Environmental review, including environmental assessment worksheets (EAWs), environmental impact statements (EISs), and alternative urban areawide reviews (AUARs)
• Draft resolutions and findings

Licensing and Other Regulatory Functions

• Process and legal advice
• Drafting motions, resolutions, ordinances, codes, and charter provisions

Litigation & Administrative Hearings

• Process and legal advice
• Strategy development and planning
• Pleadings
• Settlement negotiations
• Discovery
• Motion practice
• Trial advocacy in state and federal district courts, the Minnesota Court of Appeals, the U.S. 8th Circuit Court of Appeals, as well as the Minnesota Office of Administrative Hearings and in arbitrations 
• Administrative matters before state agencies including but not limited to the Bureau of Mediation Services, the Department of Employee Relations, the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, the Environmental Quality Board, the Board of Water and Soil Resources, and the Department of Transportation

Minnesota Government Data Practices Act

• Process and legal advice
• Drafting policies
• Drafting and responding to requests for data and alleged violations
• Department of Administration Opinions

Open Meeting Law

• Process and legal advice
• Drafting and responding to alleged violations

Other

In addition to traditional legal counsel, our firm can provide policy analysis, fiscal analysis, and public relations services upon request.