Local and State Government Law Section Fall 2023 Meeting

Local and State Government Law Section Fall 2023 Meeting

Agenda

Friday, September 8, 2023

(4.0 MCLE Credits)

12:00 p.m. Conference Check in and CLE Registration - South Lobby | Lobby Level

12:30 p.m. - 12:40 p.m. Welcome and Introductions - Broadway 1&2 | Lobby Level

Speakers: Lisa Cobb, Esq. (Section Chair), Wallace & Wallace LLP, Poughkeepsie, NY and Joseph Greco Trapp, Esq., Greco Trapp, PLLC, Buffalo, NY

12:40 p.m. - 1:30 p.m. Government Contracts and Procurement - Broadway 1&2 | Lobby Level

This presentation will cover topics including the laws governing procurement of goods and services to be utilized by municipalities, including competitive bidding requirements and the many exceptions available to procure goods and services without utilizing the bidding process. We will also discuss the need for municipalities to have updated procurement policies. Other topics to be examined include methods of avoiding common public contract disputes and resolving such disputes when they arise.

Speaker: William A. Frank, Esq., Partner, Blustein, Shapiro, Frank & Barone LLP, Goshen, NY

1.0 MCLE Credit in Areas of Professional Practice

1:30 p.m. - 2:20 p.m. Handling Tax Assessment Cases - Broadway 1&2 | Lobby Level

This presentation will provide an overview of the Article 7 process and the handling of tax assessment cases, from start to finish. Topics will include the purpose of the proceeding, the condition precedent to judicial review, and the contents of and service of the petition. We will also discuss the use of discovery practice and motions, Appraisal Reports as well as presumptions and burdens of proof.

Speaker: Maura Seibold, Esq., Partner, Bennett, DiFilippo, Kurtzhalts, Whittemore & Seibold, LLP, Erie County, NY

1.0 MCLE Credits in Areas of Professional Practice

2:20 p.m. - 2:35 p.m. Break

2:35 p.m. - 3:25 p.m. Property Maintenance and Local Code Litigation - Broadway 1&2 | Lobby Level

Speaker: Peter Sorgi, Esq., Partner, Hopkins Sorgi & McCarthy PLLC, East Aurora, NY

1.0 MCLE Credits in Areas of Professional Practice

3:25 p.m. - 4:15 p.m. DHR/EEOC - Broadway 1&2 | Lobby Level

Attorneys routinely respond to claims of discrimination filed with the New York State Division of Human Rights and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. This presentation will review legislative updates to the Human Rights Law over the last few years and provide an overview of the process, best practices for drafting effective position statements, and tips for conferences, mediation and hearings.

Speaker: Melanie J. Beardsley, Esq., Webster Szanyi LLP, East Aurora, NY

1.0 MCLE Credit in Areas of Professional Practice

4:15 p.m. - 4:25 p.m. Closing Remarks

Speaker: Chris G. Trapp, Esq., Greco Trapp, PLLC, Buffalo, NY

*Regular & Decaffeinated Coffee, Tazo Tea, Regular Diet & Decaffeinated Pepsi Soft Drinks, and Hydration Station with Water provided daily.

4:45 p.m. - 6:00 p.m. Reception - Gallery Room | Lobby Level

*Passed Hors D'oeuvres and Refreshments.

Saturday, September 9, 2023

(4.0 MCLE Credits)

7:30 a.m. - 9:00 a.m. Build Your Own Breakfast Buffet - Broadway 3&4 | Lobby Level

8:00 a.m. CLE Sign in - Registration Table - South Lobby

8:30 a.m. - 8:40 a.m. Welcome and Introductions - Broadway 1&2 | Lobby Level

Speaker: Chris G. Trapp, Esq., Greco Trapp, PLLC, Buffalo, NY

8:40 a.m. - 9:30 a.m. Disciplinary Hearings: Anticipating the Defense - Broadway 1&2 | Lobby Level

This presentation will focus on preparing for disciplinary proceedings from the perspective of the charged employee. By anticipating potential defenses, practitioners can better prepare for litigation and evaluate settlement prospects in a timely and effective manner. Anthony Brock has litigated hundreds of disciplinary cases from both the management and union side of the table and will share his unique perspective on what defenses will most often arise in a disciplinary case.

Speaker: Anthony J. Brock, Esq., The Law Office of Anthony J. Brock, Albany, NY

1.0 MCLE Credit in Areas of Professional Practice

9:30 a.m. - 10:20 a.m. Bureau of Administrative Adjudication - Broadway 1&2 | Lobby Level

Administrative law is critical to modern governments. A look into how Syracuse and other New York State municipalities address non-compliant municipal violations utilizing administrative adjudication.

Speaker: Hon. Leah Witmer, Director and Chief Administrative Law Judge, City of Syracuse, Bureau of Administrative Adjudication, Syracuse, NY

1.0 MCLE Credit in Areas of Professional Practice

10:20 a.m. - 10:35 a.m. Break

10:35 a.m. - 11:25 a.m. Municipal Liability and Special Duty - Broadway 1&2 | Lobby Level

This presentation will examine the evolution of municipal liability and the countervailing persistent immunity in New York. The examination will begin with the legislative wavier of sovereign immunity in 1929, followed by the Court of Appeals' partial restoring of immunity through the "special duty" requirement, and ultimately some of the Court's illustrative recent decisions.

Speaker: Vincent Bonventre, Esq., Albany Law School, Albany, NY

1.0 MCLE Credit in Areas of Professional Practice

11:25 a.m. - 12:15 p.m. Regulating for Affordability: Rent Stabilization and Short-Term Rental Control in the City of Kingston, NY - Broadway 1&2 | Lobby Level

The City of Kingston, like municipalities throughout the State, faces an affordable housing shortage. This presentation will explore the City's attempts to address mounting housing instability by opting into rent stabilization and imposing reasonable limits on short-term rentals.

Speaker: Barbara Graves-Poller, Esq., Corporation Counsel, City of Kingston, Kingston, NY

1.0 MCLE Credit in Areas of Professional Practice

12:15 p.m. Conclusion of Saturday Programming

Sunday, September 10, 2023

(2.0 MCLE Credits)

7:00 a.m. - 9:00 a.m. Healthy Start Breakfast - Broadway 3&4 | Lobby Level

8:00 a.m. CLE Sign in - Registration Table - South Lobby

8:30 a.m. - 8:40 a.m. Welcome and Introductions

8:40 a.m. - 9:30 a.m. Increasing Diversity in the Public Sector Workforce - Broadway 1&2 | Lobby Level

New York State's Civil Service Law requires rigid conformance to the "Rule of Three" when hiring and promoting employees. Strategic recruitment to competitive examination participation is effective in increasing diversity in the workforce, in accordance with law. This segment focuses on the planning involved, especially with regard to law enforcement opportunities.

Speaker: Martha Krisel, Esq., Municipal Consultant, New York, NY

1.0 MCLE Credit in Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

9:30 a.m. - 10:20 a.m. Attorney-Client Privilege and Municipal Attorneys: Update and Refresher - Broadway 1&2 | Lobby Level

Speaker: Michael J. Hutter, Albany Law School, Albany, NY

1.0 MCLE Credit in Ethics & Professionalism

10:20 a.m. - 10:30 a.m. Closing Remarks

Speaker: Lisa M. Cobb, Esq., Wallace & Wallace LLP, Poughkeepsie, NY

10:30 a.m. Conclusion of Programming

10:45 a.m. - 11:45 a.m. Executive Committee Meeting - Phila Room | Lobby Level