California Municipal Law Blog
by William R. Galstan on October 7, 2014
posted in
Code Enforcement, Public Nuisance,
You can see it throughout California—new residential subdivisions being built right up against farms that have been in existence for generations. The new residents, who thought it would be nice to look out over the open space provided by the farm, are now experiencing the realities of being a farm neighbor: noisy and smelly animals, early morning tractor and truck noise, flies, spraying, the arrival and departure of farm workers, etc.
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tags:
Code Enforcement, Complaints, Public Nuisance, Right to Farm,
by David G. Ritchie on September 30, 2014
posted in
Employee Benefits, Employment Law, Sick Leave,
The Healthy Workplaces, Healthy Families Act of 2014 creates a requirement for all employers to provide paid sick days for all employees. After July 1, 2015 any employee who works in California for 30 or more days within one year accrues sick leave at a rate no less than one hour for each 30 hours worked and is entitled to use the accrued sick days starting with their 90th day of employment. The accrual rate is equivalent to 8-2/3 days per year. The use of paid sick days can be limited to 24 hours in any one year of employment. This includes temporary workers and part-time employees that ... Continue Reading
tags:
Accrual, Collective Bargaining Agreement, Employee Benefits, Healthy Families Act of 2014, Healthy Workplaces, Penalties, Sick Leave,
by Derek P. Cole on August 28, 2014
posted in
Law Enforcement, Medical Marijuana, Proposition 215,
Local governments in California—and especially law enforcement agencies—know all too well the many myths that pervade the medical-marijuana movement. From the notion that California has “legalized” marijuana for medical purposes (those who legitimately use marijuana are only given immunity from prosecution) to the claim that dispensary operators can act as “caregivers” for their often numerous members (the State Supreme Court has clearly ruled otherwise) misperceptions abound about the proper interpretation of California’s landmark Proposition 215 and its companion legislation, ... Continue Reading
tags:
Law Enforcement, Medical Marijuana, Medical Marijuana Program Act, MMPA,
by Derek P. Cole on August 20, 2014
posted in
Inverse Condemnation, Public Works, Streets and Sidewalks,
If a tree falls in the middle of a forest when no one is around, one can debate whether it makes a sound. But if a city-owned tree falls on private property and causes damage, the city’s liability cannot be debated. So ruled a court on August 14, 2014.
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tags:
Inverse Condemnation, Public Beautification Programs, Streets, Trees,
by Derek P. Cole on August 12, 2014
posted in
CEQA, Elections, Initiatives,
Californians are fond of government by initiative. At the ballot box, state voters have registered their preferences on a number of hot-button issues. Voters have done the same at the local level, often using the initiative power to slow the pace of growth and gain control over land use.
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tags:
Big-box Retail, CEQA, Elections Code, Initiatives,
