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In order by session
Return to main Annual Conference webpage
1. Comprehensive City Code Review Pros, Cons, and Pitfalls
2. Open Meeting Law: Proactively Preventing Violations and Recent Litigation
3. Preparing for the Unimaginable: Lessons in Community Crisis Management
4. How Labor Shortages Impact City Attorney Work
5. Update on Administrative Law
6. Development Agreements 101
7. Trends in Affordable Housing
8. Appeals for the Non-Appellate Lawyer
9. Municipal Budgeting: The Basics of how Municipalities Fund Projects
10. Construction Law for City Attorneys
11. State v. Butze and State v. Harris: The Impact of Recent Minnesota Court of Appeals Decisions on Criminal Trial Preparation and Disclosure
12. Municipal Math: Adding and Subtracting Municipal Boundaries
13. Title VI: Do You Have a Plan?
14. Navigating Employee Leaves
15. All the Authorities – EDA, HRA, Port Authority – Which, When, Why…?
16. Shielding the Carer, Understanding and Managing Secondary Trauma in the Legal Profession
Thursday, Feb. 6
1. Comprehensive City Code Review Pros, Cons, and Pitfalls
Kyle Hartnett
Kyle Hartnett is the assistant research manager for the League of Minnesota Cities. He has spent nearly his entire legal career working with Minnesota local governments. Before joining the League, Hartnett directly represented cities and townships as a contract attorney. He has also worked for the Minnesota Association of Townships, the Minnesota State Auditor’s Office, and clerked at the Minnesota Court of Appeals.
Kori Land
Kori Land is a shareholder at LeVander, Gillen & Miller, in Eagan where she has been practicing law for over 25 years. She is the city attorney for the cities of Stillwater, Cottage Grove, Hastings, Lilydale and Sunfish Lake. Land is the chair of her firm’s Municipal Practice Group and is a past president of the Minnesota City Attorneys Association. She lives in Hudson, Wisc., with her husband and loves to hunt (or at least sit in a tree stand). She has two sons: one is in the Marines and the other is studying criminal justice.
Larry Odebrecht
Larry Odebrecht is a dedicated city council member for Ward 3 in Stillwater, where he brings a wealth of experience in governance and community engagement. Known for his collaborative approach, Odebrecht is committed to representing his constituents thoughtfully and effectively. He also serves as the Council’s representative to the Planning Commission, focusing on city planning and development. Odebrecht’s professional background in data and analytics as a management consultant allows him to bring a strategic perspective to city operations, emphasizing data-driven decision-making. With a master’s degree from Hamline University in conflict management, Odebrecht values constructive dialogue and the power of diverse viewpoints in policymaking
2. Open Meeting Law: Proactively Preventing Violations and Recent Litigation
Paul Reuvers
Paul Reuvers is a graduate of the University of Notre Dame and William Mitchell College of Law. Following law school, he clerked for Minnesota Supreme Court Justice Esther Tomljanovich. Reuvers is a founding member of Iverson Reuvers and has defended municipalities in litigation for over 30 years. He has litigated and tried cases in state and federal court and is a frequent speaker on a range of municipal issues. Reuvers is rated AV Preeminent® by Martindale-Hubbell.
Mary Tietjen
Mary Tietjen is shareholder with the law firm of Kennedy & Graven Chartered and has been representing cities for more than 25 years. In addition to her role as general counsel for Richfield, Rosemount, Osseo, Robbinsdale, and Montrose, Tietjen’s practice focuses on providing employment and labor advice to clients on a wide variety of matters, including personnel policy reviews, compliance with federal and state requirements (FMLA, ADA, Veteran’s preference, data practices), PERA, employee discipline and termination, labor contract interpretation and grievances, and civil service.
3. Preparing for the Unimaginable: Lessons in Community Crisis Management
Gregg Lindberg
Gregg Lindberg was appointed city manager of Burnsville in January 2022 following nearly three years as deputy city manager. He leads with strengths, helping the team of 400 city staff focus on what they naturally do best and create great experiences in the community. Before Burnsville, Lindberg served for 15 years as the human resource manager at Three Rivers Park District, and for four years as a city council member in his hometown of St. Louis Park. Lindberg earned a master’s degree in public administration from Hamline University in 2013.
Paul Omodt
Paul Omodt is the founder & principal at Omodt & Associates Critical Communications, a full-service communication firm dedicated to telling your story when communicating is critical to your success. He’s communicated during some of Minnesota’s biggest moments, from the 35W bridge collapse and Super Bowl protests, and from plane crashes to the riots following the murder of George Floyd. Omodt represents several metro area cities, including the City of Burnsville, helping with crisis communication planning and assisting when crisis strikes. He served as a St. Louis Park City Council member for a decade and also teaches integrated communication campaigns as an adjunct professor at his alma mater, the University of St. Thomas. Omodt is also a published academic researcher who presents locally, nationally and internationally on more effective telehealth communication methodology and crisis communication.
Don Reeder
Don Reeder manages media relations and crisis communication for the League of Minnesota Cities and the League’s Insurance Trust, where he has worked for the past 20 years. He frequently provides messaging and communications consulting services for city administrators, mayors and councilors, attorneys, and law enforcement personnel. Reeder is a frequent presenter at League trainings, conferences, and workshops.
Jared Shepherd
Jared Shepherd is a partner at the law firm of Campbell Knutson, P.A., and past president of the Minnesota Association of City Attorneys. Shepherd practices in the areas of municipal government and civil litigation. His municipal practice focuses on defense litigation, including land use and civil rights claims, and advice on day-to-day municipal operations, such as land use, code drafting and enforcement, labor and employment, and contracts. Shepherd is the city attorney for the cities of Burnsville, Elk River, and Shorewood.
Friday, Feb. 7
4. How Labor Shortages Impact City Attorney Work
Lida Bannink
Lida Bannink is a shareholder with Eckberg Lammers and the lead attorney in the Labor & Employment group, where she assists clients both proactively through advising and reactively through litigation and dispute resolution. She places a special emphasis on counseling employers—both businesses and municipalities—on managing the complex web of laws and regulations to support their human resource needs. When called upon to litigate, Bannink is a strong advocate in the courtroom. Her focus areas include employee performance issues, the Family & Medical Leave Act (FMLA), the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), separation and termination agreements, discrimination and harassment, noncompete and confidentiality agreements, wage and overtime disputes, medical leave, whistleblowing and retaliation, employment handbooks, collective bargaining, employment agreements, worker classification, and workplace investigations.
Bannink is also actively involved in her community. She chairs the Governing Council of the Minnesota State Bar Association’s Labor and Employment Section and has had long-standing involvement with the St. Croix Valley Employers’ Association. Beyond her professional commitments, she dedicates time to various volunteer events and charitable giving opportunities. She has a passion for the outdoors and enjoys helping others in need.
Bart Fischer
Bart Fischer is a management consultant who focuses on mentoring, organizational work, strategic planning, and executive search work. He has over 20 years of experience as a public sector leader/manager in local government organizations as well as most recently working as a consultant with public sector clients. Fischer’s experience has taken him from being the assistant city administrator in the cities of Newport and Chaska, to being the city administrator in the cities of Falcon Heights and Oakdale. As a consultant, Fischer fostered existing client relationships, supported business development, helped mentor staff, and managed strategic client pursuit and partnerships. He is a strategic leader known for relationship development and connecting people around common themes and goals. Fischer holds a master’s degree in public administration from Metropolitan State University and a bachelor’s degree from the University of Northwestern-St Paul.
Brandon Fitzsimmons
Brandon Fitzsimmons is head of Flaherty & Hood’s labor relations, employment law, and human resources practice. He has been with the firm since 2004 and has represented, advised, and provided analysis for dozens of public employers in labor relations and employment law matters. Fitzsimmons strives to provide employer clients with analytical advice, practical tools, and zealous representation to promote a productive, legally compliant, and effective workplace. He is fueled each day by engaging with his clients to come up with legal and practical solutions that impact an employer’s operations, environment, and employees.
5. Update on Administrative Law
Monte Mills
Monte Mills is a skilled trial and appellate attorney with Greene Espel PLLP who defends businesses and government entities in complex disputes. He has argued cases before the Minnesota Court of Appeals, the Minnesota Supreme Court, and the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals. He has taken over 20 cases to trial. Mills’ cases often involve significant, high-profile issues of law and public policy.
Mills has handled many disputes concerning the regulation of land, water, and the environment. He also represents government entities in cases involving land-use, zoning, government procurement, environmental, and constitutional issues.
6. Development Agreements 101
Amy Schmidt
Amy has worked in municipal practice for nearly 25 years, starting out as a law clerk in the St. Paul City Attorney’s Office. She has worked as a staff attorney in the research service at the League of Minnesota Cities; as a contract prosecutor and civil city attorney; as an assistant city attorney for the City of Bloomington; and as an assistant county attorney in the Ramsey County Attorney’s Office. Amy is currently at Campbell Knutson, where she assists with all of the firm’s municipal clients, and serves as the city attorney for Dayton, Dundas, and Mendota Heights.
Chris Smith
Chris Smith is the risk management attorney with the League of Minnesota Cities Insurance Trust. Smith works extensively with the underwriting and loss control teams at the League. In addition to providing general loss control advice, he assists League members in reviewing contracts with a focus on insurance and liability provisions. Smith has been with the League for over 20 years and between stints at the League, was in private practice serving as bond counsel for municipalities. Smith is active in the community and is a past president of the Minnesota Institute of Public Finance and currently serves on the Minneapolis Charter Commission.
Sarah Sonsalla
Sarah Sonsalla is a shareholder at Kennedy & Graven. Sonsalla has over 20 years of experience representing cities and townships. Sonsalla has significant experience in drafting and reviewing ordinances, resolutions, and contracts and attending all types of city council, town board, commission and staff meetings. Sonsalla also has significant real estate experience including drafting real estate documents such as purchase agreements, easements, and deeds and bringing quiet title actions, proceedings subsequent actions and Torrens registration actions.
Rachel Tierney
Rachel Tierney is a Shareholder at Kennedy & Graven with over 25 years of experience in local government law. Tierney joined Kennedy & Graven in 2022 and currently serves as the city attorney for the cities of Roseville and Crystal. Prior to joining Kennedy & Graven, Tierney served the City of Saint Paul for 23 years, 17 years as an assistant city attorney and six years as deputy city attorney for the civil division. During her time as deputy, she managed the legal work for all city departments, served as the attorney directly advising the city council, and advised city leadership through complex and controversial legal challenges. Over the course of her career, Tierney has developed expertise in various areas including employment law, economic development, data practices and municipal regulation and licensing.
7. Trends in Affordable Housing
Irene Kao
Irene Kao is the general counsel at the Minnesota Housing Finance Agency and leads the agency’s 10-member legal team. Minnesota Housing finances housing that low and moderate-income Minnesotans can afford while helping Minnesotans buy and fix up their homes by supporting successful, sustainable homeownership through financial wellness and homebuyer education and counseling, home mortgage and down payment programs, and home improvement and rehab loans. Minnesota Housing also finances the construction of new housing and the improvement/rehabilitation of existing housing, administers rental assistance, and works to prevent and end homelessness.
Kao earned her Juris Doctor degree at Mitchell Hamline School of Law, master’s degree from the University of Maryland-College Park, and bachelor’s from the University of Minnesota.
Daniel Lightfoot
Daniel Lightfoot is a senior intergovernmental relations representative with the League of Minnesota Cities where he primarily covers housing, telecommunications, and federal relations issues and advocates on behalf of member cities before state lawmakers and agency officials. Prior to joining the League of Minnesota Cities, Lightfoot was the Government Affairs Manager at the Minnesota Dental Association where he lobbied on behalf of over 3,000 dental providers across the state. Lightfoot also worked as a public policy advisor with Faegre Baker Daniels LLP in Washington, D.C. as a member of the firm’s Public Sector Practice Group representing local government clients before Congress and federal agencies. Lightfoot earned his bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of Minnesota in 2013.
Lisa Needham
Lisa Needham is a staff attorney at the League of Minnesota Cities, having joined the League in January 2024. She previously worked as an assistant city attorney in Minneapolis, handling First Amendment issues, election law, and data practices. She has also worked in a compliance role at the Minnesota Department of Education and most recently was a family law attorney at a small firm in Excelsior. She oversees the Appellate Advocacy program for the Blended Learning program at Mitchell Hamline School of Law.
8. Appeals for the Non-Appellate Lawyer
Stephanie Angolkar
Stephanie Angolkar is a partner at Iverson Reuvers and has been at the firm since 2008, after clerking for the Honorable Harriet Lansing and Honorable Kevin G. Ross of the Minnesota Court of Appeals. Angolkar’s practice focuses on the defense of claims against counties, cities, and townships including complex constitutional questions; defense of individuals and entities in complex personal injury, property damage, premises liability, and product liability claims; and real estate litigation and consulting. Angolkar tries jury and court trials in state and federal court and argues at an appellate level in the Minnesota Court of Appeals and Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals.
Jason Koboushek
Jason is a partner at Iverson Reuvers and has been with the firm since its inception. His practice involves helping clients throughout Minnesota. This includes cities, counties, townships, individuals and businesses. He has handled numerous trials and appeals involving individual owners, contractors, subcontractors and design professionals.
9. Municipal Budgeting: The Basics of How Municipalities Fund Projects
Dan Burns
Dan Burns is an attorney at the Fryberger Law Firm. His practice focuses primarily on public finance and economic development. Burns serves as bond counsel to municipalities in both governmental purpose and conduit bond issuances. He also works with local jurisdictions providing economic development tools, such as tax increment financing and tax abatement. Outside of work, he enjoys spending time with his wife and five children.
Mikaela Huot
Mikaela Huot is a director at Baker Tilly, where she specializes in economic development, redevelopment, and housing programs for municipal and not-for-profit clients. She assists communities in developing public policies, conducting developer reviews and negotiations, projecting revenues, and performing financial feasibility studies. With extensive experience in tax increment financing and other economic incentive programs, Huot provides innovative solutions for complex financing projects. Huot has worked across various states, including Minnesota, North Dakota, Wisconsin, and more, making her a valuable asset in the field of economic development.
Huot is a registered municipal advisor with the Securities Exchange Commission (SEC) and a certified Economic Development Finance Professional (EDFP).
Eric Larson
Eric Larson is a senior attorney with Eckberg Lammers focusing on municipal and public sector law with an emphasis on real estate development, zoning, and land use, construction, contracts, public and private finance, environment, government grant assistance, and regulatory compliance. Prior to joining Eckberg Lammers, Larson served 15 years as the general counsel for the Saint Paul Port Authority. In his spare time, Larson enjoys the outdoors, cooking, reading books on history, and most importantly spending time with his wife and daughter, including Biscuit, their miniature wired-hair dachshund.
Dylan Ramstad Skoyles
Dylan Ramstad Skoyles graduated from the University of North Dakota in 2016. After graduation, Ramstad Skoyles worked as the planning and zoning supervisor for Becker County where he gained experience administering county planning, zoning and subdivision. In 2022, Ramstad Skoyles graduated from the University of South Dakota Knutson School of Law. Ramstad Skoyles works in Detroit Lakes at Ramstad, Skoyles, Winters & Bakken where his main areas of practice are real estate, planning and zoning, criminal law, municipal law and probate and estate planning.
10. Construction Law for City Attorneys
Michelle Weinberg
Michelle Weinberg primarily practices in the area of construction law and litigation. She represents and advises clients in matters concerning construction claims, design defects, real estate and land use, environmental law, and other complex legal and regulatory issues. She has experience in all phases of the litigation process in both state and federal courts. Weinberg is a problem solver who strives to obtain client-centered and practical results.
Weinberg lives in Minneapolis with her husband and two children. Outside of work, she enjoys soccer, staying active, the outdoors, and travel. Weinberg also volunteers as the legal chair for the Sierra Club North Star Chapter.
11. State v. Butze and State v. Harris: The Impact of Recent Minnesota Court of Appeals Decisions on Criminal Trial Preparation and Disclosure
Bill Lemons
In 2008, Bill Lemons joined the Minnesota County Attorneys Association and serves as the traffic safety resource prosecutor for the State of Minnesota. In 2007, this was a new program in the state and Lemons is responsible for its creation and development. In this position, he provides training, research, technical assistance and support to Minnesota’s prosecutors, law enforcement and other traffic safety partners. The program is funded through a Federal grant from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and is administered by the Minnesota Office of Traffic Safety.
Lemons has been involved with Minnesota’s DWI eCharging program since 2009. He helped create Minnesota’s electronic search warrant program after the U.S. Supreme Court’s decisions in McNeely and Birchfield. He worked to change the Minnesota Rules of Criminal Procedure to allow for electronic search warrants, trained prosecutors and law enforcement on using electronic search warrants, and worked with programmers and developers in designing and creating Minnesota’s electronic search warrant program and forms. He also assisted in briefing the Minnesota case at the U.S. Supreme Court in Birchfield.
Lemons has extensive jury trial experience in the DWI area and is a frequent presenter at CLE seminars.
Lemons earned his bachelors degree in political science from the University of Northern Iowa and his Juris Doctorate from Drake Law School. He has served as an assistant county attorney for Nobles, Scott and Mahnomen counties since his admission to the Minnesota Bar in 1999.
Karen Skoyles
Karen Skoyles graduated from Moravian College and the University of Minnesota. She is a partner at Ramstad, Skoyles, Winters & Bakken in Detroit Lakes. Her municipal practice concentrates on criminal prosecution for municipalities in Becker and Wadena counties, where she appears regularly in District Court. She also represents those municipalities at the appellate level, which is how she finds herself as part of this presentation today.
Kayla Wengronowitz
Kayla Wengronowitz is an assistant attorney in the Washington County Criminal Division. Previously, she was a private defense attorney. Wengronowitz has experience handling criminal matters at all severity levels and stages of the process, ranging from petty misdemeanors to murder charges, and on appeal. She is passionate about advocating for justice in all circumstances and enjoys the wide variety of work.
12. Municipal Math: Adding and Subtracting Municipal Boundaries
Jason Hill
Jason Hill graduated from the University of North Dakota (Go Hawks!) in 1996 and from the University of Minnesota Law School in 1999. He has represented local governments for more than 20 years, including the defense of Minnesota counties and cities in civil rights matters and as general counsel. After practicing on the Iron Range for three years after law school, he practiced for 15 years at litigation defense firms Johnson & Lindberg and Jardine, Logan and O’Brien. In 2018, Hill joined Kennedy & Graven, initially exclusively representing Minnesota townships and ultimately serving as city attorney for Brooklyn Center, Tonka Bay, Pipestone and East Gull Lake. In 2024, Hill and Troy Gilchrist formed Town Law Center PLLP to focus upon the representation of Minnesota townships, smaller cities and other local governmental entities. Hill continues to serve as the city attorney for the City of Pipestone.
Star Holman
Star Holman is the Municipal Boundary Adjustment Unit Administrator for the Office of Administrative Hearings and has worked in the boundary adjustment area for over 42 years. She provides direction and management of the administrative statewide process for the Municipal Boundary Adjustment Unit and Sanitary Districts pursuant to Minnesota Statutes Chapters 414 and 442A. As a subject matter expert, Holman provides technical assistance to property owners, attorneys, cities, townships, and counties, as well as numerous state agencies, legislative members and staff, and stakeholder groups. Holman also oversees the Municipal Boundary Adjustment Unit databases.
Rolf H. Nycklemoe
Rolf H. Nycklemoe is partner at the Fergus Falls firm Nycklemoe & Ellig, P.A.. He practices in the areas of real estate, estate planning, probate and he is the city attorney for Fergus Falls. He is a certified Minnesota Real Property Specialist. He has extensive experience in conservation easements and acquisitions working closely with the USFWS, MNDNR, The Nature Conservancy, Ducks Unlimited, Pheasants Forever, and numerous soil and water conservation management districts throughout Minnesota. His firm was founded by his grandfather Henry Nycklemoe in 1925. His father David Nycklemoe and uncle Paul Nycklemoe joined the firm in 1963. Rolf joined the firm in 1992. His daughter Greta Nycklemoe joined the firm in 2024 making the firm a fourth-generation firm in continual practice for 100 years. Nycklemoe was appointed City Attorney in 2005, following the footsteps of his father who was appointed city attorney in 1968. He received his bachelor’s from Concordia College in Moorhead and his Juris Doctor from Hamline University School of Law.
Judge Jessica Palmer-Denig
Jessica Palmer-Denig has served as an administrative law judge with the Office of Administrative Hearings since 2016. She hears cases brought by state agencies and local units of government, and she has carried the docket for the Municipal Boundary Adjustment Unit since 2019. Previously, Judge Palmer-Denig was a trial attorney for the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, an assistant attorney general and division manager at the Minnesota Attorney General’s Office, and an associate at Dorsey & Whitney LLP. Judge Palmer-Denig also served as a judicial clerk for Justice Mary Muehlen Maring of the North Dakota Supreme Court and the Honorable Donovan W. Frank of the U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota. Judge Palmer-Denig has practiced in many different areas of law including bankruptcy and commercial lending, public utilities regulation, probate, civil commitment, consumer protection, and employment law, and has extensive civil and administrative litigation experience. She is a Qualified Neutral under Rule 114 of the General Rules of Practice and is rostered as a mediator and arbitrator. She received her law degree from the University of Wisconsin Law School and her undergraduate degree from the University of Wisconsin.
13. Title VI: Do You Have a Plan?
Don Simmons
Don Simmons is the Title VI specialist in MnDOT’s Office of Civil Rights. Before joining MnDOT, Simmons served low-income and limited English proficiency populations as a public interest attorney focused on anti-discrimination and civil rights issues. Simmons attended the University of Minnesota Law School and the University of Wisconsin – Superior, majoring in economics.
14. Navigating Employee Leaves
Elise Heifort
Elise Heifort is the human resources member consultant for the League of Minnesota Cities. In this role, Heifort provides HR consulting to the League’s members through responding to inquiries, updating the League’s resources, and working through new legislation. Heifort holds a Juris Doctor from the University of St. Thomas School of Law. Prior to joining the League, Heifort represented public employers in Greater Minnesota with complex pre-litigation employment and labor law matters.
15. All the Authorities — EDA, HRA, Port Authority — Which, When, Why…?
Kori Land
Kori Land is a shareholder at LeVander, Gillen & Miller, in Eagan where she has been practicing law for over 25 years. She is the city attorney for the cities of Stillwater, Cottage Grove, Hastings, Lilydale and Sunfish Lake. Land is the chair of her firm’s Municipal Practice Group and is a past president of the Minnesota City Attorneys Association. She lives in Hudson, Wisc., with her husband and loves to hunt (or at least sit in a tree stand). She has two sons: one is in the Marines and the other is studying criminal justice.
Eric Larson
Eric Larson is a senior attorney with Eckberg Lammers focusing on municipal and public sector law with an emphasis on real estate development, zoning, and land use, construction, contracts, public and private finance, environment, government grant assistance, and regulatory compliance. Prior to joining Eckberg Lammers, Larson served 15 years as the general counsel for the Saint Paul Port Authority. In his spare time, Larson enjoys the outdoors, cooking, reading books on history, and most importantly spending time with his wife and daughter, including Biscuit, their miniature wired-hair dachshund.
16. Shielding the Carer, Understanding and Managing Secondary Trauma in the Legal Profession
Sarah MacGillis
Sarah MacGillis joined Lawyers Concerned for Lawyers (LCL) as outreach director after a 27-year career in litigation. With a deep-seated compassion and genuine interest in people, Sarah is dedicated to ensuring attorneys receive robust targeted support and rapid access to essential services when they are needed. MacGillis’ extensive background encompasses both civil and criminal defense litigation as well as administrative matters involving licensed professionals. MacGillis was recognized as a Super Lawyer every year from 2011-2024. In addition, she previously acted as a federal defender mentor for the District of Minnesota, supervising new federal practitioners involved in criminal defense matters as part of the Criminal Justice Act. She has been an adjunct professor at both Mitchell Hamline and the University of Minnesota Law Schools and has been a member on multiple professional boards.