Far West

LOS ANGELES — The two-month-old Los Angeles chapter of Women in Public Finance has announced its inaugural luncheon, "Roundtable on Current Topics for Municipalities," March 2 from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the downtown Los Angeles office of Squire Sanders, located at 555 S. Flower Street, 31st Floor.

The Treasury Department is considering issuing interim guidance that would clarify how qualified energy conservation bonds can be used after 12 House Democrats sent a letter to President Obama requesting the guidance, according to congressional staff.

A Financial Industry Regulatory Authority arbitration panel ordered Memphis-based Morgan Keegan & Co. to pay a Birmingham investor $1.95 million for misrepresenting that the Jefferson County, Ala., sewer bonds he purchased were safe, liquid and tax-free investments.

Fluvanna County, Va., and Davenport & Co., its financial advisor for 15 years, are battling each other in a circuit county court over whether the firm misled the county about $67.5 million of bonds sold in December 2008 to finance construction of a new high school.

SAN FRANCISCO — The University of California this week will sell $500 million of 100-year bonds in an effort to attract pension fund and overseas investors.

LOS ANGELES -The motto of the Las Vegas Monorail must be, "If at first you don't succeed, try, try, try - and try again," after submitting its fourth amended plan to exit bankruptcy.

SAN FRANCISCO — Oakland Unified School District lost its only remaining rating last week after Moody's Investors Service pulled its coverage of the district with more than $700 million of general obligation debt outstanding.

The Internal Revenue Service is auditing $346.6 million of general obligation refunding bonds unlimited tax series and $50.79 million of GO refunding bonds limited tax series issued by the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago in May 2006.

The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority has fined five firms a total of $100,000 for violating municipal securities rules, including $40,000 against TD Ameritrade Inc. for failing to disclose negative rating changes for municipal bonds.

The Santa Clara City Council voted 5 to 1 Tuesday to approve a contract that would start construction on a $1 billion-plus stadium for the San Francisco 49ers football team in July, according to local press reports.