Leveraging our Regionality: Flyer Marketing Concept for Municipal Law Practice at Stringam LLP

The lawyers at Stringam LLP have a critical understanding of Alberta legislation and leading cases and can capably apply progressive approaches that allow for the success of various municipal clients. With our offices across Alberta we offer a more local, client-focused approach. Municipal clients dealing with issues arising in and around municipalities rest assured knowing that Stringam will capably protect and further their interests in a way that is timely, practical and proactive. For our municipal clients, we offer the following areas of experience:

MUNICIPAL REAL ESTATE SERVICES

Much of what municipalities do involves the real estate they own, maintain, sell, or acquire. Stringam helps ensure municipalities meet their obligations by utilizing the expertise of practitioners with a breadth of experience in many different areas of municipal real estate services. Stringam regularly guides clients through real estate transactions and contracting, examples include:

  • the preparation of purchase and sale agreements
  • the subdivision and sale of lands
  • land acquisitions and sales
  • road acquisitions and sales
  • land exchange agreements
  • confidential acquisitions by municipalities and assemblies of lands for major projects
  • telecommunication tower site agreements, leases and licenses
  • leasing
  • licensing
  • sale and construction agreements with covenants to build and options to repurchase
  • restricted covenants
  • utility rights of way
  • conservation easement agreements
  • access agreements
  • gravel leases and purchases
  • road closures and sales
PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT ADVISORY SERVICES

Our knowledge of the planning and development field encourages our clients to seek out our advice whenever they are proactively shaping their organizations to better handle challenges. Stringam helps its municipal clients by:

  • establishing unique intermunicipal entities such as the Alberta Heartland Industrial Association
  • negotiating and administering development agreements
  • handling all aspects of municipal infrastructure and servicing
  • preparing and reviewing general municipal plans, area redevelopment plans and land use bylaws
  • creating processes for considering adoption of bylaws or application approvals
  • development proposals
  • development permit applications, subdivision applications and related matters
  • appearing before subdivision and development appeal boards

various municipal clients. Municipal clients dealing with issues arising in and around municipalities rest assured knowing that Stringam will capably protect and further their interests in a way that is timely, practical and proactive.

Stringam provides advice and directions to administrators and elected municipal officials with respect to:

  • the scope of their legislative authority
  • the options available to them to achieve policy goals and objectives
  • establishing new entities, such as utility corporations and intermunicipal organizations
  • potential conflicts of interest and disqualification issues
  • election issues

Stringam is recognized for its practice in Municipal Governance. Our capable and experienced legal professionals are able to expertly handle all issues arising within the realm of municipal law and guide administrators in a variety of diverse and complex issues.

MUNICIPAL & PUBLIC SECTOR LAW

Municipal clients regularly seek Stringam’s help to arrange, among other things:

  • municipal borrowing
  • municipal lending, grant programs and grant agreements
  • purchases and sales of assets and personal property
  • software and intellectual property licensing
  • independent contractor and service agreements
  • service/supply agreements
  • operating agreements
  • management agreements
  • public-private partnerships (P3s)

Stringam has developed expertise in all major municipal law practice areas and can provide advises in a number of areas, including:

  • safety codes
  • employment and labour assessment
  • property tax assessment
  • linear property assessment
  • environmental enforcement

We are developing strong working relationships with many municipally related organizations such as:

  • Alberta Assessor’s Association
  • Alberta Rural Municipal Administrators Association
  • Local Government Administrators Association
  • Society of Local Government Managers of Alberta
  • Alberta Development Officers Association
  • Alberta Association, Canadian Institute of Planners
  • Alberta Expropriation Association
  • Federation of Canadian Municipalities
  • advising subdivision and development appeal boards on all aspects of operations and decision-making
  • appearances before the Municipal Government Board
  • appeals of decisions reached by the Municipal Government Board or subdivision and development appeal boards to the Alberta Court of Appeal
MUNICIPAL LITIGATION

Stringam represents municipal clients when they face legal challenges such as:

  • judicial reviews arising from assessment appeals
  • administrative hearings, including assessment appeals
  • subdivision and development appeals
  • utility regulatory hearings
  • contractual disputes
DRAFTING BYLAWS

We draft, review, revise, comment upon, and assist in the administration of municipal law including:

  • utility bylaws
  • road and transportation bylaws
  • nuisance, animal and pet bylaws
  • off-site levy bylaws
  • special tax bylaws
  • local improvement tax bylaws
  • borrowing and lending bylaws
  • road closure bylaws

any and all other bylaws contemplated or possible under the provisions of the Municipal Government Act and its regulations.

COMMERICAL CONTRACTING

Municipalities across Alberta seek Stringam’s advice when they undertake complex transactions and projects, including:

  • the negotiating and drafting of operating agreements, supply agreements and management agreements
  • borrowing and lending
  • the creation of municipal corporations and other entities
  • purchase, sale, lease, subdivision and development of land
  • public private partnerships
  • grant programs and grant agreements
  • software and intellectual property licensing
MUNICIPAL GOVERNANCE & AUTHORITY

Stringam’s depth and breadth of knowledge in the field of municipal law has been the lynchpin in the formidable strength of our practice. The lawyers at Stringam LLP have a critical understanding of Albertan legislation and can capably apply progressive approaches that allow for the success of

MUNICIPAL ENFORCEMENT PRACTICE

Our firm has been involved in the area of municipal enforcement both in the context of statutory enforcement under the Municipal Government Act and Safety Codes Act and their predecessors, and in the area of municipal prosecutions, since its inception over 100 years ago. Enforcement services provided by the Municipal Enforcement Practice Group include the preparation and review of enforcement related documents, including enforcement orders and charging documents, and the provision of legal advice and guidance to municipal clients in the context of inspections and investigations relating to land use, safety codes, nuisance and unsightly premises, animal control, business licensing, noise, traffic control and other bylaw matters. 

Our lawyers have extensive experience in representing municipalities in the prosecution of bylaw and safety code offences before the Provincial Court of Alberta, as well as in civil proceedings brought under the provisions of the Municipal Government Act before the Court of King’s Bench and the Court of Appeal.

Our role as the dedicated municipal prosecutors for a number of municipalities, involving the handling of thousands of charges every year, has allowed our lawyers to hone effective and efficient protocols for the successful prosecution of municipal offences. To successfully and efficiently conduct such prosecutions and to provide a high level of service in relation to all enforcement processes available to a municipality, our lawyers have developed close working relationships with the Court, provincial and local police and peace officer services, court liaison personnel, and municipal enforcement officers.

The result is our ability to work seamlessly with such enforcement personnel resulting in successful inspection, investigation and enforcement. We have carried these relationships beyond individual municipalities to the enforcement world generally through our involvement with organizations such as the Alberta Association of Community Peace Officers and the Alberta Municipal Enforcement Association.

A LEADING ADVISOR FOR MUNICIPALITIES

Stringam’s clients have learned to call us early in any process. The earlier we are contacted, the more thoughtfully and efficiently we are able to guide clients through the options available to them. This allows us to successfully narrow these options down to the ones with the best possible outcomes.

Municipal Real Estate Services

Much of what municipalities do involves the real estate they own, maintain, sell, or acquire. Stringam helps ensure municipalities meet their obligations by utilizing the expertise of practitioners with a breadth of experience in many different areas of municipal real estate services. Stringam regularly guides clients through real estate transactions and contracting, examples include:

  • the preparation of purchase and sale agreements
  • the subdivision and sale of lands
  • land acquisitions and sales
  • road acquisitions and sales
  • land exchange agreements
  • confidential acquisitions by municipalities and assemblies of lands for major projects
  • telecommunication tower site agreements, leases and licenses
  • leasing
  • licensing
  • sale and construction agreements with covenants to build and options to repurchase
  • restricted covenants
  • utility rights of way
  • conservation easement agreements
  • access agreements
  • gravel leases and purchases
  • road closures and sales

Planning and Development Advisory Services

Our knowledge of the planning and development field encourages our clients to seek out our advice whenever they are proactively shaping their organizations to better handle challenges. Stringam helps its municipal clients by:

  • establishing unique intermunicipal entities such as the Alberta Heartland Industrial Association
  • negotiating and administering development agreements
  • handling all aspects of municipal infrastructure and servicing
  • preparing and reviewing general municipal plans, area redevelopment plans and land use bylaws
  • creating processes for considering adoption of bylaws or application approvals
  • development proposals
  • development permit applications, subdivision applications and related matters
  • appearing before subdivision and development appeal boards

various municipal clients. Municipal clients dealing with issues arising in and around municipalities rest assured knowing that Stringam will capably protect and further their interests in a way that is timely, practical and proactive.

Stringam provides advice and directions to administrators and elected municipal officials with respect to:

  • the scope of their legislative authority
  • the options available to them to achieve policy goals and objectives
  • establishing new entities, such as utility corporations and intermunicipal organizations
  • potential conflicts of interest and disqualification issues
  • election issues

Stringam is recognized for its practice in Municipal Governance. Our capable and experienced legal professionals are able to expertly handle all issues arising within the realm of municipal law and guide administrators in a variety of diverse and complex issues.

Municipal & Public Sector Law

Municipal clients regularly seek Stringam’s help to arrange, among other things:

  • municipal borrowing
  • municipal lending, grant programs and grant agreements
  • purchases and sales of assets and personal property
  • software and intellectual property licensing
  • independent contractor and service agreements
  • service/supply agreements
  • operating agreements
  • management agreements
  • public-private partnerships (P3s)

Stringam has developed expertise in all major municipal law practice areas and can provide advises in a number of areas, including:

  • safety codes
  • employment and labour assessment
  • property tax assessment
  • linear property assessment
  • environmental enforcement

We are developing strong working relationships with many municipally related organizations such as:

  • Alberta Assessor’s Association
  • Alberta Rural Municipal Administrators Association
  • Local Government Administrators Association
  • Society of Local Government Managers of Alberta
  • Alberta Development Officers Association
  • Alberta Association, Canadian Institute of Planners
  • Alberta Expropriation Association
  • Federation of Canadian Municipalities
  • advising subdivision and development appeal boards on all aspects of operations and decision-making
  • appearances before the Municipal Government Board
  • appeals of decisions reached by the Municipal Government Board or subdivision and development appeal boards to the Alberta Court of Appeal

Municipal Litigation

Stringam represents municipal clients when they face legal challenges such as:

  • judicial reviews arising from assessment appeals
  • administrative hearings, including assessment appeals
  • subdivision and development appeals
  • utility regulatory hearings
  • contractual disputes

Drafting Bylaws

We draft, review, revise, comment upon, and assist in the administration of municipal law including:

  • utility bylaws
  • road and transportation bylaws
  • nuisance, animal and pet bylaws
  • off-site levy bylaws
  • special tax bylaws
  • local improvement tax bylaws
  • borrowing and lending bylaws
  • road closure bylaws
  • any and all other bylaws contemplated or possible under the provisions of the Municipal Government Act and its regulations.

Commercial Contracting

Municipalities across Alberta seek Stringam’s advice when they undertake complex transactions and projects, including:

  • the negotiating and drafting of operating agreements, supply agreements and management agreements
  • borrowing and lending
  • the creation of municipal corporations and other entities
  • purchase, sale, lease, subdivision and development of land
  • public private partnerships
  • grant programs and grant agreements
  • software and intellectual property licensing

Municipal Governance & Authority

Stringam’s depth and breadth of knowledge in the field of municipal law has been the lynchpin in the formidable strength of our practice. The lawyers at Stringam LLP have a critical understanding of Albertan legislation and can capably apply progressive approaches that allow for the success of

Municipal Enforcement Practice

Our firm has been involved in the area of municipal enforcement both in the context of statutory enforcement under the Municipal Government Act and Safety Codes Act and their predecessors, and in the area of municipal prosecutions, since its inception over 100 years ago. Enforcement services provided by the Municipal Enforcement Practice Group include the preparation and review of enforcement related documents, including enforcement orders and charging documents, and the provision of legal advice and guidance to municipal clients in the context of inspections and investigations relating to land use, safety codes, nuisance and unsightly premises, animal control, business licensing, noise, traffic control and other bylaw matters. 

Our lawyers have extensive experience in representing municipalities in the prosecution of bylaw and safety code offences before the Provincial Court of Alberta, as well as in civil proceedings brought under the provisions of the Municipal Government Act before the Court of King’s Bench and the Court of Appeal.

Our role as the dedicated municipal prosecutors for a number of municipalities, involving the handling of thousands of charges every year, has allowed our lawyers to hone effective and efficient protocols for the successful prosecution of municipal offences. To successfully and efficiently conduct such prosecutions and to provide a high level of service in relation to all enforcement processes available to a municipality, our lawyers have developed close working relationships with the Court, provincial and local police and peace officer services, court liaison personnel, and municipal enforcement officers.

The result is our ability to work seamlessly with such enforcement personnel resulting in successful inspection, investigation and enforcement. We have carried these relationships beyond individual municipalities to the enforcement world generally through our involvement with organizations such as the Alberta Association of Community Peace Officers and the Alberta Municipal Enforcement Association.  

A Leading Advisor for Municipalities

Stringam’s clients have learned to call us early in any process. The earlier we are contacted, the more thoughtfully and efficiently we are able to guide clients through the options available to them. This allows us to successfully narrow these options down to the ones with the best possible outcomes.