|
| HMB taps Santa Cruz law firm to fill lawyer position By Clay Lambert [ clay@hmbreview.com ] Published/Last Modified on Wednesday, May 28, 2008 2:57 PM PDT Citing extensive experience with coastal issues, the city of Half Moon Bay has retained the services of Tony Condotti of the Santa Cruz firm Atchison, Barisone, Condotti and Kovacevich, to serve as new city attorney. Condotti has a wealth of experience with municipal law, including ties to Bay Area governmental entities. He will continue to serve as attorney for the Coastside County Water District as well. In addition, Condotti has served as the assistant city attorney for Santa Cruz since 1993 and represents the Ben Lomond Fire Protection District among other private and public clients. City Councilwoman Marina Fraser said her colleagues were most impressed with the firm’s long history with the California Coastal Commission and all areas of coastal land-use law. “We won’t be reinventing the wheel on coastal issues,” she said. Condotti said he, too, thinks that history will help him in his newest capacity. “Santa Cruz has a similar degree of tension between those who are interested in preservation and those who (would develop),” he said. While Condotti has been retained, details of the deal remain to be finalized. He said he expects to start in the next few weeks but that no formal start date has been set. The Review filed a California Public Records Act request seeking information about the firms that responded to the city’s call for applications. City officials have declined to provide that information, saying they consider it to be a personnel matter. The city severed a 12-year relationship with Meyers Nave in March. Longtime city attorney Adam Lindgren said he was stepping away from the job due to the commute; two years ago he transferred to the firm’s Sacramento office. Lindgren had drawn fire after the city lost a disastrous judgment in the Beachwood land-use case. While City Council members publicly praised Lindgren for his years of service, many in the community blame the firm for spiraling legal costs. It was unclear whether Condotti’s appointment would have much of an effect on the city’s bottom line. Condotti said he has proposed a flat-rate charge for “day-to-day” work and an hourly charge for more involved projects that might include land-use litigation. “I am certainly aware that the council is interested in limiting its legal fees,” he said. It is also unclear what role, if any, Condotti will play in the ongoing efforts to end the Beachwood battle. The city has retained a San Francisco law firm to handle that case. “That still remains to be determined,” he said. “But the fallout will certainly be felt for a long time.” Condotti, who lives and works in Santa Cruz, said he plans to keep office hours in Half Moon Bay. “It’s important to be accessible there,” he said. Condotti attended the University of Colorado, where he graduated magna cum laude, and the University of California, Los Angeles, where he earned his law degree. |