The Bricker & Eckler municipal government resource center is a collection of articles, arranged by topic, of interest to municipal government officials. The articles are reprinted from Finley’s Ohio Municipal Service, with the permission of the publisher and copyright owner, West Group. Topics available include:

Construction
Economic Development
Employment
Finance
General Topics
Home Rule
Procurement/Contracting
Public Records
Zoning/Annexation

Construction

The Case Everyone is Talking About - Cementech
May/June 2005
Analysis of impact of Cementech, Inc. v. City of Fairlawn, Summit County Court of Appeals, 2005

Design-Build Can Save Charter Cities Money and Time on Construction Projects
November/December 2004
Article discussing the design-build construction process used to save charter cities time and money.

Six Steps to Avoiding Construction Claims
September/October 2004
Six steps to increase your chances of avoiding construction claims.

Economic Development

Improving Communities With Community Improvement Corporations
May/June 2006
Discussion of the use of community improvement corporations to encourage and facilitate economic development.

Ohio Launches Job Ready Site Program
March/April 2006
Discussion of the State of Ohio's Job Ready Site Program to help fund and develop an inventory of job-ready sites around the state.

Recent Decisions Affirm Use of Eminent Domain for Economic Development
July/August 2005
Analysis of Ohio and U.S. Supreme Court decisions on use of eminent domain for economic development, including Kelo v. New London.

Cooperative Economic Development Made Easy With JEDDs and CEDAs
July/August 2004
Discussion of how a Joint Ecomonic Development District or a Cooperative Economic Development Agreement can assist municipalities and surrounding townships and counties.

Port Authorities: How Can They Add Value to a Municipality?
May/June 2004
Article discussing how the creation of a port authority can add value to a municipality.

Special Assessments as a Tool for Economic Development
March/April 2004
Article discussing how, through the use of special assessments, municipalities can offer real estate developers incentives to undertake new projects.

Employment

General Assembly Seeks to Limit Municipality Employee Residency Requirements
January/February 2006
Discussion of new Ohio law, SB 82, which prohibits municipalities from imposing residency requirements on municipal employees.

Should You Honor a Public Records Request for Your Employees' Home Addresses?
October/November 2005
Article discussing the Ohio Supreme Court decision holding that employees’ home addresses are not "records" subject to disclosure under the Ohio Public Records Laws.

What Employers Need to Know About the New Wage and Hour Regulations
November/December 2004
Article discussing new regulations concerning the exempt status of certain executive, administrative, professional and other "white-collar" employees under the Fair Labor Standards Act.

New Retire/Rehire Rules Apply to Municipal Employees
November/December 2003
Analysis of Ohio law with new requirements for the re-employment of retired public employees in the same positions from which they retired.

Finance

Financing and Operating Community, Recreational and Park Facilities Through Joint Recreation Districts
November/December 2005
Overview of the use of joint recreation disticts to fund community, recreation and park facilties

Securities Laws Do Matter
January/February 2004
Discussion of disclosure requirements and duties of municipal officials to municipal bond investors.

New Community Districts Provide Opportunities to Finance Infrastructure Improvements
January/February 2004
Primer on how new community districts can provide opportunities to finance infrastructure improvements to stimulate economic development.

Don't Let Your "TIF" Cause a "Tiff"
July/August 2003
Primer on tax increment financing, an economic development tool.

Lease-Purchase Arrangements Provide Creative Options for Capital Asset Financing
January/February 2003
Primer providing general overview of lease-purchase arrangements and the pros and cons of such structures.

General Topics

Changes in Ohio Law Expand Local Government Emergency Borrowing Authority For Removal of Dead and Dying Ash Trees
May 2006
Article on Ohio legislation to permit local governments to borrow funds on an emergency basis for the removal of dead and dying ash trees infected by the emerald ash borer

Key Points on Conceal and Carry for Municipalities
January/February 2004
Primer for municipalities on key points of the Ohio "conceal and carry" gun law.

Fiduciary Duties of Public Board Members
September/October 2003
Primer on the fiduciary duties in Ohio of public board members.

Homeland Security: Implications for Local Governments
May/June 2003
Primer on financial resources and technical assistance available to local governments for homeland security.

Properly Negotiated Agreements Are Key to Successful Local Government Collaborations
March/April 2003
Primer to assist local governments on the governing laws and common concerns that arise during collaboration negotiations.

Home Rule

Recent Developments in Home Rule Authority
March/April 2007
Article on activity in the Ohio courts and General Assembly on concealed weapons and traffic cameras as they relate to municipal home rule.

Procurement/Contracting

Public Officers' Personal Liability in Public Contracting
August/September 2005
Public officials who authorize or execute payment on an illegal contract could be held personally liable for that sum of money.

New Law Prohibits the Award of Public Contracts to Delinquent Vendors
November/December 2003
Analysis of January 2004 Ohio law prohibiting public agencies from awarding contracts to delinquent vendors.

Reverse Internet Auctions: A Better Way to Buy?
November/December 2003
Primer on reverse internet auctions and whether they make sense for government procurement.

Public Records

Status Update of Ohio Public Records Cases
March/April 2006
Bulletin on two recent Ohio Supreme Court cases dealing with what constitutes a public record in Ohio and when release is proper.

Should You Honor a Public Records Request for Your Employees' Home Addresses?
October/November 2005
Article discussing the Ohio Supreme Court decision holding that employees’ home addresses are not "records" subject to disclosure under the Ohio Public Records Laws.

Public Records Laws: What You Don’t Know Will Hurt You
March/April 2005
Discussion of Ohio legislation and court cases dealing with release of public records.

Zoning/Annexation

Supreme Court Allows Conditions for the Continued Provision of Municipal Services and Allows Required Sewer Connections
March/April 2006
Bulletin on two recent Ohio Supreme Court cases dealing with what constitutes a public record in Ohio and when release is proper.

Challenges to Local Zoning Must Focus on the Ordinance
January/February 2006
Article discussing an Ohio Supreme Court decision focusing on the ordinance, rather than the intended use of the property, in local zoning challenge.