Annual Seminar on Municipal Law

Roundtable discussion: Current LEIA Issues
The Law Enforcement Integrity Act (SB20-217) remains a novel statute as cases work their way through district courts, with little appellate guidance.  This conversation will invite attorneys to share their views on LEIA's controversial or confusing provisions based on three years of implementation.

Roundtable discussion:  Housing Revenue from Real Estate Transfers
Before TABOR prohibited their adoption, 12 Colorado Municipalities adopted Real Estate Transfer Taxes that have contributed to housing solutions in those communities. As municipalities seek to deliver affordable housing projects, this conversation will focus on creative solutions for establishing dedicated revenue streams, including opportunities to establish a real estate transfer tax by constitutional amendment or a real estate transfer fee by statute or local ordinance. 

This session will review Colorado, Tenth Circuit, and U.S. Supreme Court appellate decisions of interest to Colorado municipal attorneys, reported between October 1, 2022, and October 1, 2023. Areas of focus include Constitutional issues, employment law, municipal liability and government immunity, law enforcement, campaigns and elections, sunshine laws, zoning and land use, and tax.

Speaker: 
Robert Sheesley, General Counsel, CML

In the summer of 2022, Steamboat passed an ordinance asking its voters whether the City should tax short term rentals at a rate of 9% and dedicate those funds to affordable housing projects.  In short order, a local group of property managers and realtors submitted petitions to recall three City Council members and call a referendum on the tax ballot question.  The City rejected the referendum petition and prevailed at district court in a case of first impression. This session explores the City's rejection of a referendum on the tax ballot question and the ensuing case of first impression.

Speakers: 
Dan Foote, City Attorney, City of Steamboat Springs
Jennifer Bock, Assistant City Attorney, City of Steamboat Springs

An efficient and well-run public meeting will promote fairness, facilitate the decision-making process and, importantly, build public confidence in local government. Conversely, a poorly run and dysfunctional meeting leads citizens to believe that all aspects of the government are poorly run and dysfunctional. Parliamentary or procedural rules of order are an essential component to an efficient public meeting. Although many local governments turn to Robert’s Rules of Order for meeting procedures, these rules largely fail to serve the special needs of the public meeting. Governments should consider using a more simplified and tailored set of procedural rules. Bob’s Rules of Order, available through the Colorado Municipal League, may present a reasonable alternative to Robert's Rules when pursuing the goals of running an efficient and fair meeting and maintaining confidence in government.

Speaker: 
Robert Widner, Attorney, Widner & Juran LLP

Speakers: 
Reid Betzing, City Attorney, City of Littleton
Andrew Trevino, Assistant City Attorney, City of Loveland

Colorado Sunshine Laws assist public transparency by regulating open meetings and disclosure of public documents. As municipal lawyers, we are often expected to be subject matter experts on the topic. This interactive presentation will highlight and explore some of the essential cases to know on the Open Meetings Law (“OML”); Colorado Open Records Act (“CORA”); and Colorado Criminal Justice Records Act (“CCJRA”).

Speakers: 

Sponsored by:

Supreme Sponsors: Michow Guckenberger McAskin LLP and Widner Juran LLP

Amicus Sponsors: Butler Snow LLP and Parker, Wilson & Carberry, P.C.