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E-911 cooperative agreement review

MTAS was asked whether an E-911 agreement appears to have been legally entered into by the city and the county and whether its durational period appears to be both consistent with the Interlocal Cooperation Act and reasonable.

Hemsley, Sid
Legal Opinion
Contracts
Emergency communications
Intergovernmental agreements
Internal
07/25/2021
03/25/1994

Use of Sourcewell for purchasing by Tennessee municipalities

MTAS responded to an inquiry as to whether Tennessee municipalities may utilize Sourcewell for purchasing. Sourcewell is a service cooperative created by the Minnesota legislature as a local unit of government and open to all education and government entities, as well as nonpublic schools and nonprofit organizations.

O'Hara, Stephanie Allen
Legal Opinion
Purchasing
Purchasing--Cooperative
Purchasing--Government
Public
06/24/2024
06/18/2024

Sewer line repairs on private property

MTAS Legal Consultant Stephanie O'Hara responded to a request for information regarding a private citizen's responsibility to repair sewer lines on private property.

O'Hara, Stephanie Allen
Legal Opinion
Sewers--Municipal ordinances
Wastewater--Municipal ordinances
Public
11/29/2022
10/6/2022

Satellite television provider and requirement to purchase business license or pay business taxes

MTAS Legal Consultant Stephanie Allen O'Hara responded to a request for information regarding the necessity of a business license.

O'Hara, Stephanie Allen
Legal Opinion
Taxes--Businesses and professions--Tennessee--Directories
Licenses and permits--Laws and regulations
Public
01/11/2023
11/2/2022

Automobile registration

NOTE: Please consultant with an MTAS legal consultant before advising a city on this topic. 

General
Motor vehicles--Laws and regulations
Taxes--Motor vehicles
Taxes--Tennessee
Internal
05/17/2024

Legality of city contracting with utility district water system to collect city's sewer charges

MTAS was asked whether the city and the utility district can contract for the utility district to cut off the water of the city's delinquent sewer customers without the contract also providing for the utility district to handle the city's sewer service billing.

Hemsley, Sid
Legal Opinion
Contracts
Sewers
Utilities--Contracts and agreements
Utilities--Rates and charges
Water--Rates and charges
Public
07/29/2021
12/20/1990

Tax map and boundary issue

An old tax map shows the property is located in the city but the map was changed sometime within the past 10 years to show the property is outside the city line, in the county.

Ashburn, Melissa
Legal Opinion
Maps and mapping
Taxes--Real property--Tennessee
Annexation--Laws and regulations--Tennessee
Zoning--Laws and regulations--Tennessee
Mobile homes
Land use
Public
04/15/2021
08/25/2003

Policy on use of the city attorney(s)

The City of Gustavus, Alaska, created a policy and procedure for queries to the City Attorney.

Gustavus (Alaska)
General
City attorney
Public
07/29/2021
02/10/2011

Local cost of property reappraisal

Cities across the state have been notified by the county property assessor’s offices of an increased cost of property reappraisal this year and going forward. The argument for increasing these costs is that other functions of the property assessor’s office are utilized in the reappraisal program and must be maintained in order to remain in compliance with the reappraisal program. However, based upon the statutory language and legislative history, MTAS attorneys disagree with any opinion that general property assessor expenses unrelated to a reappraisal can be charged to a city. In fact, it is our legal opinion that the legislative intent is that “local cost of reappraisal” were to be “limited to the increased cost incurred by the requirements of this section and 67-5-1602 – 67-5-1604.”

O'Hara, Stephanie Allen
Ashburn, Melissa; Hodge, Elisha
Legal Opinion
Taxes--Property assessment and appraisal
Intergovernmental agreements
County government
Internal
06/1/2022
05/28/2020

MTAS/CTAS ADA compliance officer training 2018

Materials from an MTAS/CTAS statewide class designed for those city and county staff with ADA compliance responsibilities. Information resources includes the extensive class handout as well as the class slide presentation.

O'Hara, Stephanie Allen
Adams-O'Brien, Frances; Jaeckel, Gary; Stokes, Richard
General
ADA Amendments Act
Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990
Disabled--Laws and regulations
Public facilities
Public works--Laws and regulations
Public
07/29/2021
06/5/2018
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