Municipal and Nonprofit Law Program

Municipal and Nonprofit Law

Our firm specializes in providing a wide range of legal services to municipal governments and nonprofits. These legal services can range from routine legal work affecting cities and nonprofits to complex transactions and litigation. As a charity, we seek to deliver the most value possible with limited resources and our service charges associated with these services are predictable and reasonable. Service contracts can be ongoing or job specific. Your customized service contract can include any or all of the following services:

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Municipal Law

  • Open Meetings and Open Records

  • Meeting Procedures

  • Code of Ordinance Codification

  • Ordinance, Resolution, and Motion Drafting

  • Public Improvements and Bidding

  • Prosecution of Code Violations and Nuisance Abatement

  • Tax Abatement and Tax Increment Finance

  • Public Finance, Bonds, Notes, Leases, and Loans

  • Development Agreements

  • Public Utilities

  • Dilapidated Housing Abatement and Condemnation

  • Planning and Zoning

  • Administrative Law

  • Condemnation for Public Purposes

  • Intergovernmental Agreements

  • Annexation

  • General Counsel

Nonprofit Law

  • General Counsel

  • Organization Formation

  • Bylaws and Governance

  • Filings

  • Home Rule

    Home rule is the essential concept of municipal law in Iowa. Our firm understands the breadth and limits of home rule and will advise you accordingly.

  • Open Meetings and Open Records

    Open meetings and open records law is increasingly relevant. We can guide you on these issues and ensure your conformity with state law.

  • Meeting Procedures

    Effective meetings require proper procedures and our firm has helped several communities develop procedures for their meetings.

  • Ordinance, Resolution, and Motion Drafting

    A City Council only acts and regulates through ordinances, resolutions, and motions. We have the experience to draft any measure for the council.

  • Public Improvements and Bidding

    We have extensive experience with legal issues related to the construction of public improvements and bidding. Our team has successfully pursued a contractor for violating a bid bond.

  • Prosecution of Code Violations

    We have experience prosecuting individuals for municipal infractions and simple misdemeanors resulting in a violation of the City Code.

  • Urban Renewal and Tax Increment Finance

    We have experience creating and amending urban renewal plans and accompanying Tax Increment Financing district ordinances.

  • Development Agreements

    We have extensive experience drafting development agreements and rebate agreements.

  • Public Utilities

    We have extensive experience dealing with issues affecting water, sewer, stormwater, and electrical municipal utilities.

  • Dilapidated Housing

    We have extensive experience using local building codes and other processes such as Iowa Code 657A.10A, to abate dilapidated and abandoned housing.

  • Planning and Zoning

    We have extensive experience in ordinance drafting, special use permits, variances, and general administration.

  • Licensing and Permits

    We have experience in dealing with matters related to the oversight of liquor licenses, cigarette permits, animal licensing, and rental permits.

  • Administrative Law

    We have experience with administrative procedures in local ordinance enforcement including obtaining administrative search warrants and conducting administrative hearings. We’re also experienced in dealing with state and federal agencies such as the Army Corps of Engineers, the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, and the United States Department of Agriculture.

  • Condemnation for Public Purposes

    We have experience in the procedures necessary to condemn land for public easements.

  • 28E Agreements

    We have experience drafting and filing 28E agreements for the purpose of cooperative governmental and public-private partnership efforts.

  • Annexation

    We have experience with the voluntary annexation process.

  • Bonds and Notes

    We have experience serving as bond counsel on tax-exempt bond and note issuance.