Local Government Law Bulletin
Awards & Recognitions
Local Government Award: The City of Harvard received the 2012 Governor's Hometown Award for its support and service to the Harvard Community Center and Food Pantry. Congratulations to the City of Harvard for this prestigious recognition. ZRFM Attorney Updates: Rich...
Reasons to Implement or Review a Vehicle Impoundment Policy
A municipality has two compelling reasons to implement and enforce a proper vehicle impound policy: (1) to minimize risks to public safety and municipal liability; and (2) to offset the cost and even gain money from the impound process. Concerns with public safety and...
A Recent PSEBA Decision: Lifetime Benefits They Are Not!
In a welcome, yet surprising development, a court in Illinois finally issued a favorable ruling for municipalities last fall. The Appellate Court for the Fifth District held in Pyle v. City of Granite City [i] that a firefighter was not entitled to the so-called...
Favorable Ruling for Tort Immunity
A 5-2 majority of the Illinois Supreme Court held in late 2012 that tort immunity for recreational facilities provided by local governments includes immunity for injuries related to snow accumulations created by routine snow removal efforts. While this is good news...
The Northern Illinois Governmental Energy Cooperative
Zukowski, Rogers, Flood, & McArdle serves as legal counsel to the Northern Illinois Governmental Energy Cooperative ("NIGEC"). The Cooperative was formed several years ago to help its members negotiate favorable electric purchasing rates for their government...
Driver’s License Bill for “Temporary Visitors”
Illinois has moved one step closer to issuing driver’s licenses to undocumented, non-United States citizens. Senate Bill 957, which the Senate passed in early December, expands temporary visitor’s driver’s licenses to include non-citizens who cannot produce...
Uniform Ordinances Address Underage Alcohol, Tobacco, and Synthetic Drugs
Faced with the problem of inconsistent regulation and enforcement of many “vice” issues impacting underage access to restricted substances, four model ordinances have been developed for the Mayors Caucus of the McHenry County Council of Governments (MCCOG). The...
Dates to Remember
Please be aware of the following dates through April 2013 for a variety of local government matters. January 20: Last day for a village board or city council to pass a resolution or ordinance for a binding or advisory referendum. Before January 31: Certificates...
Welcome to the Local Government Law Bulletin eNewsletter!
Many years ago we began our print publication, Municipal Matters, to keep our local government clients updated on important legal topics. In the spirit of the New Year we are transitioning to a new electronic format. It will provide you the most up-to-date information...