Private and public sectors operate in different legal frameworks. One major difference is that public entities are legally required to operate in an open and transparent environment because they are accountable to the public. (more…)
When government agencies communicate with the public, those officials must balance the public’s need to know with individual privacy rights. (more…)
Palm Springs Municipal Governance attorneys work towards making progress in local government. The local government’s ability to raise property taxes was restrained nearly twenty years ago by proposition 13. It also stated that “special taxes” needed to be approved by two thirds of the voters. Proposition 218 will make several changes in local finance and government.
Highways, freeways and other sources of transit have always been a necessity here in America. It’s important for the growth and the sustainability of all of us who live here.
If a franchise utility wishes to have their facilities on public property, the company needs a contract to operate. The local government grants permission for franchise utilities to operate within their boundaries. However, the municipal government operates differently from the private sector in negotiation of contracts and can renegotiate terms.
Privatization of governmental services is becoming more popular at the national and state level, as government officials call for shrinking the size of government. A recent article on the moneycrashers.com website gives some history of privatization and shows that it has a downside. (more…)
According to L.A. Times reporter Monte Morin, the California State Water Resources Control Board recently approved the Stormwater Capture Master Plan for Los Angeles County. Up to 10 billion gallons of water fall during a single storm in L.A. County and makes its way through storm channels to the Pacific Ocean. The water model plan involves reclamation and use of that rainwater before it reaches the ocean. (more…)
Understanding how the public contracting process works can be quite challenging. There are mounds of cumbersome paperwork to complete and there is plenty of detailed code to learn. But this whole process could be less intimidating if you seek Palm Springs government legal counsel. (more…)
Minimum wage doesn’t cover the minimum amount people need to live. At $7.25, the federal mandate falls well below what it would actually take for a person to survive. (more…)
Many individuals in the La Jolla community are worried that towering cellphone antennas are going to invade their neighborhoods. To fight back, community leaders are lobbying officials in San Diego to fight the new Spectrum Act, a federal law that can trump local land-use rules, such as height limits. According to city officials, these regulations are mandated federally and in effect already, so the city is trying to update the local cell tower ordinance, coming up with a new approach. (more…)