MUNICIPAL HELPLINE
A MUNICIPAL SUPPORT SERVICE OF BROWNLEE LLP
Brownlee LLP is pleased to continue to offer its Municipal Helpline service as part of its continued commitment to municipalities, and the people that make them better.
As a result of decades of commitment to the needs of municipalities, we understand that brief discussions of legal issues can often avoid costly discussion and litigation later on. Through this continuous dedication to municipal issues, the Municipal Helpline has developed into an indispensable value-added service that is made available with no strings attached. It offers risk management through sound consultation and guidance, based upon unparalleled experience, resulting in risk avoidance. It defines what we call the municipal relationship .
The Municipal Helpline is an informal consultation service offered free of charge to Alberta Municipalities, and those of the Northwest Territories and Nunavut, as well as quasi-municipal entities such as regional services commissions, municipal corporations, and authorities. The Municipal Helpline is offered through either our toll-free telephone service, or through direct e-mail contact, for the purposes of assisting in the avoidance of further or potentially larger legal problems:
v toll free Municipal Helpline - 1-800-661-9069 (
v directly by e-mail to a member of our Municipal Team dedicated to serving municipalities and their related public entities.
No solicitor-client relationship is created by or pursuant to the Municipal Helpline, and consequently no legal fee or other charge applies to such inquiries.
The consultation offered under the Municipal Helpline is limited to questions and inquiries that can generally be addressed over the phone, and more often than not the consultation and guidance is also provided verbally over the phone. The service does not provide formal legal opinions, and does not include the drafting or review of documents or conduct of legal research. Requests made under the service can, however, cover any and all issues impacting municipalities, as well as topics which engage any aspects of the municipal and other legal experience and expertise of our lawyers. The service may include consultation and discussion of:
v strict legal concepts including statutory, common law, and administrative law concepts.
v municipal best practices not just know-how, but knowing how to do it better.
v procedures and decision making appropriate process and procedures, and the operation and exercise of the decision making powers of Council itself.
v administrative law including general advocacy and prosecution, Subdivision and Development Appeal Board practice, procedure and decision making, and general counsel to various administrative boards and tribunals.
v municipal authority including authority under legislation, bylaw or resolution.
v municipal legislation proper drafting of municipal bylaws, policies and resolutions.
v land use, planning and development including proper land use bylaws, general planning issues, proper permit and approval conditions, development agreements, and off-site levies and other cost recoveries.
v municipal incorporations creating and operating commissions, municipal corporations and societies.
v commercial contracts and transactions municipal borrowing, municipal land development, leasing, purchases and sales lands, buildings and businesses, and public-private partnerships.
v labour and employment wrongful and constructive dismissals, human rights complaints, reorganizations and employment contracts, risk management and best practices.
v public utilities both regulated and non-regulated aspects of all manner of public utilities.
v municipal enforcement including municipal bylaw enforcement and prosecutions, planning and development enforcement, and all manner of other municipal enforcement.
v environmental law risk management, defense from prosecutions, general liability, and best practices.
v referrals to additional resources resources that may be utilized daily by Brownlee LLP in the representation of the interests of municipalities, and the issues that impact them.
The Municipal Helpline is not a legal service: it is a support network for municipalities and related entities, and an integral part of any success strategy. It is part and parcel with the municipal relationship a relationship that only exists, in form, function and degree, with Brownlee LLP. We are committed to ensuring the success of this service, and more importantly the success of our municipal colleagues. We encourage you to take advantage of the Municipal Helpline as another essential tool for achieving all manner of goals and initiatives.
In the case of topics or issues that
are of a more serious nature, or that can not be appropriately handled by way
of an informal verbal consultation, we would be pleased to a discuss more
formal retainer in order to provide specific legal advice, opinion or
action. The Brownlee LLP Municipal Team consists of over 30 lawyers, with experience in all
facets of municipal business. In addition to our other core legal
disciplines, we have maintained a focus on municipal issues and the municipal
and administrative law practice area since the creation of the firm in the 1930 s. We have offices in