Municipal Law

OMW municipal attorneys have proudly represented Washington cities, towns, and special purpose districts for almost 60 years and have broad expertise in all aspects of municipal law. OMW currently represents numerous cities and towns throughout the state as City/Town Attorney and/or on a consulting or special counsel basis. Our attorneys are available to assist in the following areas:

• Ordinance and resolution preparation
• Land use regulation, enforcement, and appeals
• Growth Management Act, State Environmental Policy Act, and Shoreline Management Act Compliance
• Model Toxics Control Act, environmental and hazardous substances regulatory issues
• Advising municipal councils, commissions, and boards
• Annexation of land and special districts
• Public Records Act, Open Public Meetings Act, and other open government and ethics compliance
• Procurement, public bidding, and construction
• Personnel and labor issues relating to public employment, including negotiation of collective bargaining agreements
• Fair Labor Standards Act issues, and defense of employment-related litigation, including discrimination and wrongful discharge
• Condemnations relating to roadways, sewer lines, parks, and other public uses
• Local improvement district formation and public utility concerns
• Redevelopment and reconfiguration of existing municipal land and area-wide uses
• Interlocal agreements and multi-jurisdictional negotiations
• Practice before all local, regional, and state administrative forums, including hearing examiners, ethics boards, utility and regulatory boards, GMHB, and PCHB/SHB environmental boards
• Municipal and related litigation in state and federal courts, including the U.S. and Washington Supreme Courts
• Telecommunications, franchising, and right-of-way use
• Governance training and resolution of intragovernmental disputes
• Workplace investigations