On May 3, 2018, Governor Nathan Deal signed HB 899 into law, officially making it Act 389. Act 389 modifies O.C.G.A. § 13-10-4 and § 36-91-23 relating to public works bidding and contracts of state and local governments, respectively. Both …
Public Owners
New Georgia Bill Requires Local Governments to Use Georgia Procurement Registry – UPDATED
This blog post was written by AHC associate Taylor Orgeron.
The Georgia General Assembly passed legislation making the local government procurement process more accessible to bidders. Chairman Tom McCall (R-33rd) authored House Bill 489, which passed unanimously on …
Georgia Bill Seeks to Limit Sovereign Immunity
State and local governments enjoy the protection of sovereign immunity. It may be waived only by a constitutional amendment or by act of the legislature. As discussed in a prior post, it is so broad that it cannot be …
County Sovereign Immunity Invokes Change-Order Ordinance
The recent case of Fulton County v. Soco Contracting Company, Inc. addresses two very interesting questions for local government attorneys. First, can a county ordinance bolster a defense of sovereign immunity against a contractor’s claims? Second, can a county waive …
Solar Resources for Universities and Local Governments: City and County Solar PV Training Program
NREL, in support of the U.S. Department of Energy’s Solar Energy Technologies Office, is offering a no-cost PV training program for 50 cities and counties seeking to go solar on their facilities (both buildings and land).
Cities and counties will …
Difficult Problems in Public Works, Bidding, Procurement, and Contracting
AHC Attorney David Cook recently presented to the Institute for City and County Attorneys in Athens, Georgia on September 15, 2017, concerning “Difficult Problems in Public Works, Bidding, Procurement, and Contracting.” It is helpful for local governments to periodically review …
Georgia appellate court supports county claim against surety company’s failure to pay
In 2015, Hall County (Georgia) brought legal action against Selective Insurance Company of America, Inc., the surety company for contractor Ruby Forrest. Hall County had contracted Ruby Forrest to complete and maintain sidewalk systems within three residential subdivisions that Ruby …
AHC Attorney David Cook Presents on Public Works Construction and Procurement Law
In two recent events, AHC Attorney David Cook presented on the latest Public Works Construction and Procurement Laws. The Georgia Chapter of the American Public Works Association held its Annual Meeting in Jekyll Island, Georgia on July 25-28, 2017. …
U.S. State Adoption of the National Electrical Code
From the Electrical Safety Foundation International (ESFI) website; ESFI.org.
What is the National Electrical Code?
Did you know that as of 2017, there have been 15 revisions of The National Electrical Code since 1975, the year the …
Public Works and Procurement Law and Contracts Seminar
AHC attorney David Cook will be presenting to the APWA Georgia Chapter at its Annual Meeting next week. He will cover Georgia public works and procurement law and contracts. APWA consists of public works professionals, and its Georgia Chapter includes …