Michael Seitz dismissed as legal counsel for Los Osos

July 2, 2016

By KAREN VELIE

The Los Osos Community Services District is cutting ties with longtime district legal counsel Shipsey & Seitz with plans to retain Roy Hanley with the Morro Bay attorney firm of Hanley & Fleishman.

In 1998, Shipsey & Seitz was first hired to represent the district during its formation. However, in the past six months several issues have created concerns about the firm’s performance. For example, Michael Seitz billed the district to review records he had already been paid to review.

On April 7, the Los Osos district board met in closed session to discuss Seitz’s performance. Following the closed session discussion, the board directed staff to circulate a request for qualifications for new legal counsel.

This is the second district to sever ties with Shipsey & Seitz in a little over a year.

In May 2015, Seitz announced plans to resign as legal counsel for the South San Luis Obispo County Sanitation District, shortly after an investigation was launched into allegations of wrongdoing by Seitz’s friend John Wallace, the former administrator of the sanitation district.

The San Luis Obispo County District Attorney’s Office is currently investigating the allegations against Wallace.

On July 7, the Los Osos Community Services District Board will vote on whether or not to follow staff direction and sign a contract with Hanley & Fleishman to serve as legal counsel. The proposed contract is set to be effective retroactively to July 1.