Municipal Government

Disputes inevitably arise in the course of governmental operations. Such disputes manifest in third party claims as well as in conflicts among members of the government family, with citizen groups and with other municipalities. MWI’s Municipal ADR Program has proven to be a highly successful alternative means of resolving conflicts while reducing the associated costs.

SAMPLE MEDIATORS AND ARBITRATORS - click on a name or picture for more information

Dan Funk

Michael Mullin

Steve Linsky

Jack Wofford

Lisle Baker

SCOPE OF SERVICES

MWI mediators, arbitrators and facilitators can help those struggling with conflict to secure resolutions economically and efficiently. In cases where decisions of public entities are appealed, such as special permit or variance appeals, settlement can more readily be facilitated through mediation since the mediation process can lawfully occur in executive session. Accordingly, what might otherwise be a difficult and unwieldy public effort at settlement, can be resolved privately through mediation.

TYPES OF DISPUTES

SAMPLE ENGAGEMENTS

• Six female employees of a municipal department sued the City and their department head for sexual harassment, alleging a hostile working environment. The lawsuit was brought with much public fanfare and quickly became a political embarrassment to City leaders and citizens alike.  The department heads’ job was on the line, the six employees were angry and desperate, and the City faced unknown financial risks.  The case went to mediation before any court work needed to be done and was settled after one day of mediation. The financial settlement was reasonable, the department became functional sooner rather than later, the embarrassing details of the problem were dealt with behind closed doors and the matter did not stay in the newspapers for an excessive time period. The municipality saved substantial amounts of money on reduced legal fees, and saved a great deal of time in not having to defend the case.
  
  
• A group of dog walkers allowed their dogs to go off leash at a city playground, in violation of city ordinances. One of the dog walkers got into a verbal and physical altercation with a police officer.  This led to a civil rights case against the city, the police officer and others. The incident exploded publicly and became a massively divisive case splitting the City along ethnic, socio-economic and geographical lines. The matter became highly emotional and hard line positions were taken on all sides.  Even after the discovery had started, the parties agreed to try mediation which led to a resolution. The agreement included apologies, a reasonable financial settlement, and the personal and political embarrassment felt by all parties and the City was replaced with mutual respect and closure.
  

For more information about MWI's mediation and arbitration services to municipalities, please contact Josh Hoch at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or call 800-348-4888 x23.