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Josh Nelson is a member of Best Best & Krieger LLP’s Municipal Law practice group and provides city attorney and general counsel services to cities, special districts and joint powers authorities. Representative clients include the Delta Conveyance Design and Construction Authority, North Tahoe Public Utility District, Sonoma Clean Power and Soquel Creek Water District. 
 
Josh’s general governance work includes an emphasis on conflicts of interest and ethics, especially regarding contracting. He regularly speaks on Government Code section 1090, the Political Reform Act and legal conflicts of interest. He also has significant experience with all manner of joint powers agreements, including forming and advising joint powers authorities and public agencies that act as parties to joint powers agreements or members of a joint powers authority.
 
He assists clients with solid waste issues, including franchising, landfill operations, leasing, permitting and closure/post-closure compliance, diversion requirements and construction and demolition programs. This includes ensuring local agencies comply with rapidly changing regulatory requirements, including Senate Bill 1383.

Josh further assists public agency clients with proceedings before local agency formation commissions. This includes annexations, detachments, consolidations and other reorganizations.
 
Other areas of focus include Proposition 218/26 compliance, telecommunications and energy issues, including community choice aggregation. Josh regularly represents public and private clients before the California Public Utilities Commission on water, energy and telecommunications matters.
 
Josh serves as the office managing partner for BB&K's Sacramento office.

Thought Leadership

Publications

  • “Many California Cities May Not be Receiving Full Cable Franchise Fee,” BBKnowledge, Aug. 16, 2017
  • “No Longer Business-As-Usual for the CPUC?” BBKnowledge, June 29, 2016
  • “AB 327 Threatens Existing Solar and Renewable Projects in California” PublicCEO, Feb. 5, 2014 (via BBKnowledge)

Presentations

  • "Legislative Strategy & Legal Updates: Primer on Prevailing Wage Requirements," California Association of Resource Conservation Districts Annual Conference, Jan. 21, 2022
  • "Ethical Issues: CEQA in the COVID-19 Era," 16th Annual CEQA Conference, Continuing Legal Education International, Dec. 7-8, 2020
  • "Short-Term Rentals: Burdens and Opportunities," BB&K Webinar, April 27, 2017
  • "Administrative Remedies," BB&K's From Code Compliance to Fighting Fire-Traps: How to Deal with Dangerous Dwellings in Your City Webinar Series, Jan. 19, 2017
  • “Lorman Seminar: What You Need to Know About Public Records and Open Meetings in California,” Lorman Education Services, Feb. 14, 2013

Education & Admissions

Education
University of California, Davis School of Law
J.D.
Cornell University
B.S., industrial and labor relations
Bar Admissions
California
Nevada

Languages

English

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