Dino A. Ross

Dino Ross leads Ireland Stapleton’s Special Districts Practice Group.

He serves as general counsel or special counsel to fire protection districts, fire authorities, ambulance districts, park and recreation districts, metropolitan districts, and emergency dispatch agencies. He serves as special counsel to municipal fire departments.

Special districts are essential to the health, safety, and welfare of Colorado’s communities. Dino helps special districts navigate a wide array of complex federal, state, and local laws in providing their critical public services, so their communities can thrive.

On a daily basis, he advises Boards and management on issues relating to the Colorado Governmental Immunity Act; the Colorado Open Records Act; budget and finance laws; financing mechanisms, such as lease-purchase agreements, bond issuances and certificates of participation; TABOR issues; regular and special election rules and procedures; all aspects of negotiating and drafting contracts and intergovernmental agreements with vendors, contractors and other public entities; construction contract negotiation and drafting; equipment warranty claims; insurance coverage issues; inclusions/exclusions of property and related boundary issues; all aspects of regular and special Board meeting procedures; Board governance; transactions involving the purchase, sale or lease of real property; organizing, merging or consolidating special districts; creating an Authority; and all aspects of litigation support.

Further, Dino helps fire protection districts, fire authorities, ambulance districts, park and recreation districts, metropolitan districts, and emergency dispatch agencies navigate the often-complex aspects of public employment and labor law, including hiring or appointment of employees and volunteers; day-to-day employment and benefit issues; developing or up-dating employment related forms, job descriptions and manuals; employment agreements, non-disclosure agreements and severance agreements; corrective and disciplinary actions; labor-management relations and collective bargaining; and, all aspects of employment and labor related litigation and administrative proceedings.

Dino is deeply involved in State legislation that affects special districts in general, and fire protection districts in particular.