Public employers often face situations in which the religious
beliefs of their employees become a major legal issue. This
article explains applicable law and addresses some common
scenarios.
Open library access can lead to dilemmas such as situations
involving patrons who bring in excessive amounts of personal
belongings and use the library as a temporary shelter.
Following a recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling, California cities
should ensure that their sign codes comply with the court’s
strict approach to defining content neutrality.
When a city and a recognized employee organization are unable to
reach agreement on matters within the scope of bargaining, an
impasse occurs. In addition to any other resolution process
the…
The California Supreme Court in June 2015 issued one of its most
important and city-friendly decisions in many years, reaffirming
the breadth of cities’ power to address the affordable housing…
Online hosting platforms make it easy to rent a home or room for short periods of time. Cities’ traditional regulatory tools allow communities to address short-term rentals and their potential…
Cities have regulated taxis for decades for legitimate reasons
related to local public safety and consumer protection. Now ride
sharing services present a new set of challenges.
The recent advent of extraordinary technological advances has
made it possible to provide easy access to city information and
data. It has also presented an unprecedented opportunity to
improve…
City policies and practices can maintain records transparency,
simplify responding to disclosure requests and reduce costs even
before a records request is submitted.
In dealing with public encampments and vehicle habitation, city
officials must be sensitive to the constitutional rights of the
affected individuals, who are often homeless, and the many…
Few city officials or residents favor the idea of repealing an
ordinance intended to protect children from sexual predators, but
many cities with such ordinances are being forced to do just that
as…
This article presents the current legal constraints and
considerations related to local regulation of sober living homes
and residential alcohol and drug rehabilitation facilities, which
is limited…
The Legislature’s elimination of redevelopment agencies in 2012 stripped cities of several important tools to address blight in the community. Meanwhile, contamination or the threat of…
Wireless industry lobbyists continue to advocate before Congress,
state legislators and the Federal Communications Commission that
local zoning requirements are a barrier that must be cleared
away….
The California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) is the primary
state law that requires public agencies and their decision-makers
to understand and evaluate the environmental consequences of
their…
Over the past several years, California cities and counties have
faced the issue of whether to permit or ban medical marijuana
dispensaries. Many cities imposed bans or prohibited
dispensary…
