All in a Day’s Work for a Local Government Law Firm
In pondering the theme of the 2007 LGMA Conference, it occurred to us that our clients must derive as much satisfaction from their work as we do from ours. It’s the sheer variety of it that makes it interesting. Every day brings new challenges and that’s what makes it fun – it’s never dull!

The daily menu of work in our offices is a reflection of the issues faced by local government managers. A sampling of some of our lawyers’ deskwork for a single day in April illustrates the point. Consider the following issues, each in search of a practical solution for our clients to use:

• Our newest associate jumped at his first expropriation file that day and, in short order, had prepared an expropriation bylaw, a timeline of the procedures for the client and a number of opinions on various aspects of the situation in response to questions from the client, while juggling 5 other property related files and one regulatory matter that same day. Way to go!
• On the labour front, a client needed to know how to collect a debt owing to the local government by an employee who was leaving town for other employment. The employee had taken an expensive course paid for by the employer, whose policy was that if the employee left within one year of taking the course, the employee would reimburse the pro rata share of the course. Could the client deduct the amount from the last pay cheque? We won’t reveal the advice given, suffice it to say that the answer is not as straightforward as one would think!
• Planning issues, many of them on a “rush basis” are often the order of the day, as revealed by this string of calls and emails to our solicitors – review a new policy for OCP amendments while the new OCP itself is being developed; consider the issues in unilaterally amending a development permit; how to create and implement minimum parcel size exemptions for the subdivision provisions of a zoning bylaw; gifting of a lot as part of a subdivision application; interpretation of a zoning bylaw provision relating to whether a unit in a resort condominium could be used a check in/check out facility; reviewing eleven documents related to a phased strata plan development, including bonding issues; draw up a housing agreement to ensure adaptable units in the conversion of a motel to a strata plan for residential use; and on and on …

The litigators were away busily fighting the good fight for our clients and did not report in detail on their activities. But who can deny the glamour and excitement of their existence? They may not save lives in every case, but they do save livelihoods, neighborhoods, and taxpayers dollars, and preserve important principles. Their work takes them to the exotic corners, the hinterland and the bustling commercial centers of our beautiful and storied province. They even fly to the far away capital of our country to argue before the Supremes, and we don’t mean Motown.

Who says municipal lawyers can’t save the world? Or at least, that is what one of the partners asked, as he reported on preparing an audio-visual presentation on Global Warming that day for an upcoming conference. Look out Al Gore! Canada is warming up another presidential candidate! In addition to Global Warming, the same partner had Afghanistan and a multi-million dollar real estate closing on his mind, to say nothing of Personal Waistline Expanding as result of it being Treat Day at the office. Hmmm, from the sublime to the ridiculous, you say?

That’s our life and we wouldn’t have it any other way.

The Editor
Spring 2007

This article was published in Spring 2007 and may be superseded by changes in the law at a later date. It is for general information only. Specific legal advice should be obtained from a qualified lawyer.