Government Representation and Litigation
Government entities and local municipalities face daily challenges that require specialized legal advice and analysis. With increasing responsibilities and financial constraints, these legal challenges can easily overwhelm municipal resources.
The Randle Law Office Ltd., L.L.P. represents government entities and local municipalities throughout the Houston, Texas, area in a range of litigation and regulatory matters, and regularly counsels local governments in relation to other municipal issues, such as land development and zoning.
Land Development
Our attorneys have significant experience handling real estate law and land development matters in both the private and public sectors. We have represented governments and municipalities, including city councils and local planning and zoning agencies, in connection with a wide variety of legal matters arising in the course of land development, including: condemnation and eminent domain matters and litigation, administrative hearings and appeals related to zoning, conditional use permits, variances, and other matters.
Acting City Attorneys and Outside Counseling Services
The Randle Law Office Ltd., L.L.P. represents government entities and local municipalities throughout the Houston, Texas, area in a range of litigation and regulatory matters, and regularly counsels local governments in relation to other municipal issues, such as land development and zoning.
Municipalities deal with a host of legal issues related to governance and operational matters. Like businesses, local cities and counties enter into contractual relationships for services and equipment purchases, own real property and trademarks (such as police departments and government seals), are employers, and are frequently named as defendants in lawsuits. Unlike businesses, however, government entities are subject to distinct laws which constrain their actions, and govern how and when government entities can be sued.
We understand the myriad of specific laws and regulations constraining municipal actions and governing lawsuits against government bodies, and assist municipal clients by providing creative and practical solutions to the legal challenges they face. We currently represent the City of Brazos Country, http://cityofbrazoscountry.com, the City of Fulshear, www.fulsheartx.com, the City of Meadows Place, www.cityofmeadowsplace.org, the City of Mont Belvieu, www.montbelvieu.net, and the City of Oak Ridge North, http://www.oakridgenorth.com; and we have represented the City of Baytown, http://www.baytown.org/, the City of Hedwig Village, http://thecityofhedwigvillage.com, the City of Hunters Creek Village, http://www.cityofhunterscreek.com, the City of Pearland, www.ci.pearland.tx.us, the City of Rosenberg, http://www.ci.rosenberg.tx.us, and the City of Cresson, in ad hoc litigation.
Experience and Issues Handled
While representing municipalities the Firm has handled various municipal issues, such as the following:
- Accounting issues
- Addressed response to subpoena to police department and evaluation of municipal protection
- Adoption of Chapter 143 of TLGC
- Agreement allowing City to cross ROW
- Amendment of both subdivision ordinance and zoning ordinance
- Annexation
- Annexation checklist and time line
- Application and enforcement of traffic regulations
- Appointing advisory committee
- Approving aerial spraying for mosquitoes
- Arrest warrant
- AT & T antenna issue
- Automated meter reading project
- Bidding
- Board of Adjustment; trials and hearings
- Bond funding
- Building codes
- Building permit issue
- Burn permit
- Census report stats
- Change in municipal boundary
- Checklist for vacating plats
- City’s master transportation plan
- Commercial use of residences
- Community development fund
- Confidentiality of closed meetings
- Conflict of interest
- Consider private streets agreement
- Construction contract
- County road maintenance and development issues
- Creation and termination of Tax Reinvestment Zone
- Declare city assets as surplus property
- Deed restrictions
- Detention system facilities
- Discounts on water bill
- Draft easements for water line
- Drafting of contracts, settlement agreements and construction contracts
- Drafting of ordinance regarding itinerant vendors
- Drainage easement
- Emergency agreement with county
- Employment issue, discipline, suspension and resolution
- Energy aggregation
- Entex district manager re: Franchise agreement
- Equipment disposal
- Equipment purchases
- ETJ
- Exchange of ETJ
- Extension of utilities outside of city limits
- Extension of water utilities
- Financial audit letter
- FLSA
- Health and safety statutes
- Illegally docked boat
- Impact fees
- Incorporating EMS and VFDM
- Interlocal agreement regarding regulation of subdivision plats
- International Codes
- Joint election
- Junk vehicles
- Juvenile curfew
- Land issues – Veterans memorial
- Land use issue
- Law enforcement services
- Lease a portion of the water tower
- Legal research on lack of city’s authority to indemnify contractors
- Legal research regarding application of statute of limitation to municipalities
- Loud car stereos
- Management contracts
- Mayor Pro Tem functioning
- Mobile home ordinance and enforcement
- Mowing liens
- Municipal civil service
- Municipal maintenance agreement
- Negotiations with utilities for treatment consistent with results of a third-party class action suit
- No park ordinance
- No thru truck ordinances
- Notice homeowners of violations
- Nuisance enforcement
- Oil and gas drilling
- Oil and gas seismic exploration
- Open Records Request
- Open Records Request – Records held by third party
- Patio homes/gated communities
- Payroll – Dependent coverage
- Permit for excavations of quarries, mines and similar activity
- Permit for mobile homes outside of a mobile home park
- Permit for pipeline installation
- Permitted uses under zoning ordinance—Use of sub lot for non-permitted uses
- Personnel issue
- Personnel manual
- PID
- Pipeline issues
- Platting for replat without vacating
- Platting procedures
- Pre-clearance from Department of Justice
- Preparation of memoranda regarding advice on appeal of a third-party class action suit
- Preparation of ordinance amending junkyard 12-month notice provisions
- Preparation of ordinance regarding revised statutory definition of junk vehicles
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- Preparation of ordinances implementing authority granted by HB1445 regarding subdivision plat approvals
- Private street issue
- Procedure for change and modification
- Project engineer
- Property disposition
- Property statutes re: Weeds and brush on lots
- Public nuisance ordinance
- PUD
- R.O.W. management
- Racial profiling
- Representation in obtaining relief from automatic stay in bankruptcy court regarding dangerous building hearing
- Representation in redistricting suit including research of case law, statutes and regulations; communications with U.S. Department of Justice, Texas Legislative Council; preparation of memoranda regarding redistricting plan; review of population data; review of prior settlement between parties; research concerning Federal Court jurisdiction; preparation of briefs for Council; research of Model Municipal Redistricting Plans; review of pleading and ability to amend pre-existing Judgment; preparation of Motion for Clarification/Relief from Judgment; analysis of prior permanent injunction; review of information for public hearing concerning redistricting and attendance at hearings; preparation of redistricting ordinance
- Research concerning municipal option for late hours permits
- Research regarding police department road block issues and policy statement
- Resignation of Council member
- Response to Judge’s correspondence regarding administrative search warrants
- Review new legislation, interlocal agreements
- Review of Americans with Disabilities Act and applicable duty to an employee
- Review of Attorney General opinion interpreting statute requiring adoption of plumbing code
- Review of automatic mutual aid agreement with adjacent city
- Review of case law on protective sweep searches by police
- Review of city’s right to regulate auto sales from private property
- Review of dissolution procedures for MUD
- Review of Justice Department website and IMLA data regarding new requirements for submission of voting rights approval
- Review of laws regarding Emergency Medical Services, duty to discharge function
- Review of legality of joint ownership of property by several governmental entities
- Review of mold damage reports to city property and remediation work plan and related insurance issues
- Review of necessity for City Council to act re: Donations
- Review of possible abandonment of property and donation by City
- Review of possible claim re: Allegations as to employee conduct
- Review of potential reverse condemnation claim
- Review of procedure re: Spending municipal funds
- Review of proposed confidentiality agreements from third parties
- Review of proposed lease of city-owned property
- Review of proposed modification of grant to city regarding ability and possible impact on ability to use easement
- Review of SB1074 regarding requirements imposed on municipalities regarding racial profiling
- Review of solid waste bid documentation
- Review of tax abatement application
- Review of TNRCC package regarding Clean Air Fleet requirements
- Review of TUCFUI recommendation regarding cable modem fees
- Review opinions and contact Attorney General’s office
- Risk pool
- Road projects
- Roadway extension and execution of road construction agreement
- Rules and regulations governing use and occupancy of public ROW’s
- Rules of sovereign immunity
- School issue
- School zones
- Secretary of State re: Election issues when ordering special election to fill Council member seat
- Service plan
- Sewer easement
- Sexual harass
- Sign ordinance
- Sketch plat
- Spanish issue
- Special election to elect a person to council for remainder of unexpired term
- Storm water master plan
- Street lights
- Streets – signs
- Tax abatement
- Tax abatement guidelines, Chapters 312, 95, 98 amended 2000
- Texas Alcohol and Beverage Commission private club
- TNRCC concerning flood plain management
- Trademark issues
- Variances for subdivision and zoning
- Various public hearings
- Vehicle taxation
- VFD and EMS – Statutes affecting these services
- Waste water lift station facility
- Water master plan
- Water well permit
- Waterline extension and lift station modifications
- Watershed issues
- Weight restrictions on roads
- Wrecker ordinance
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To find out how our team of attorneys can assist your organization, contact the Randle Law Office Ltd., L.L.P. today.