Public agencies are held to a higher standard when conducting business using taxpayer dollars. Adhering to strict legislation, codes, regulations and red tape can be overwhelming. Bryant & Brown can help. We have represented school districts, community colleges, universities, water districts, transit districts and special districts for 20 years.
The firm drafts and reviews environmental documents, public hearing materials, procurement manuals and other required documents. It also represents government bodies in due process hearings.
The firm specializes in:
* Public hearings/open meeting laws: Bryant & Brown can draft and post required meeting and hearing notices and work with staff on assuring compliance with the state’s open government provisions.
Bryant & Brown has decades of experience compiling data from staff and turning it into well-written, concise public documents. We have extensive experience advising public boards and administrators in this complex area. And we provide a working template so an entity can perform the tasks independently in the future.
* Compliance/CEQA: Preparing environmental review documents can seem like a never-ending task for public entities. Bryant & Brown helps you wade through the endless paperwork and reach compliance.
Every public project must include environmental review. We provide public entities with advice regarding compliance with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and have worked with many public bodies to implement a CEQA environmental review process.
Bryant & Brown’s compliance expertise extends to other procedural areas too.
The firm drafted a school district Procurement Manual that has over the past five years been evaluated, scrutinized and subsequently adopted by FCMAT as a positive cost saving device to assist the district in maintaining year-to-year fiscal responsibility. As a result of the procurement procedures and the expedited procurement process in place, hundreds of contracts receive legal analysis and review at substantial cost savings to the district.
* Agency counsel: Bryant & Brown can assist in interpreting and implementing legislation and in defending government actions against legal challenge.
We have experience with government bond oversight committees. And we can help a public entity move from the creation of a statute through enactment and on to implementation.
As legal counsel for the Hollister School District and the Rosemead School District, the firm has handled all special education matters, including due process hearings. We have represented districts in suspension and expulsion proceedings, as well as representing them before the local county Office of Education when disciplinary action has been challenged.
Bryant & Brown has extensive experience in local business programs and public procurement. The firm has been working with the Oakland Unified School District and the local community in drafting a local vendor policy that will provide jobs for Oakland residents and businesses.
