The Zoning Act provides protection for existing structures and uses from changes in local zoning requirements. Central to M.G.L. c.40A,...

The recent Appeals Court case of Maroney v. Planning Board of Haverhill, 19-P-566 (Appeals Court June 15, 2020) highlights the pitfalls...

Earlier this month, the Town of Weymouth, represented by our own Ray Miyares, Bryan Bertram, and Katherine Stock, won its challenge in...

MassDOT Shared Streets and Spaces Funding Program MassDOT has announced a $5 million grant program to municipalities to launch or expand,...

M.G.L. c. 140, § 129B formerly permitted a licensing authority to deny a firearm identification card (FID) only if the applicant was a...

The federal Clean Water Act, 33 U.S.C. §§1251 et seq., requires a permit for discharges from a point source to “navigable waters,” which...

EPA Issues Final Rule Redefining "Waters of the United States" On April 21, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency issued a final rule...

The Massachusetts Appeals Court recently issued a decision affirming that Massachusetts Fire Chiefs possess non-delegable management...

Police serve many critical community functions other than law enforcement: crowd control, responding to accidents and other emergencies,...

A bar with an all-alcohol license, issued under M.G.L. c. 138, §12, which permits the premises to serve alcohol to patrons on site, also...

The Supreme Judicial Court recently had occasion to review and affirm the adequacy of a Town Meeting Warrant article that the Town itself...

It is well known that, before a municipality may be sued for a tort such as negligence, claimants must “present” their claims to the...

A number of municipal websites throughout the Commonwealth recently were impacted by an outage. Municipalities that have designated their...

Another recent Supreme Judicial Court decision, Gentili v. Town of Sturbridge, sheds light on the distinction between a municipality’s...

Our January newsletter promised an analysis of Magliacane v. City of Gardner, an important decision from the Supreme Judicial Court...

Check out the new DLS Municipal Finance Training and Resource Center! It is full of helpful videos and documents. DLS even has its own...

A recent Berkshire County Superior Court decision, Stockbridge Bowl Association, Inc. v. Town of Stockbridge Conservation Commission,...

On January 24, 2020, a Middlesex Superior Court judge enjoined the City of Cambridge from enforcing an ordinance that prohibits...

New IGR Regarding Community Preservation Fund The Community Preservation Act has been the subject of considerable interpretation and...

The State Ethics Commission recently issued a new advisory on the kinds of gifts and gratuities a public employee may receive under...