Front Page  »  

Michael Seitz dismissed as legal counsel for Los Osos

July 2, 2016
Michael Seitz

Michael Seitz

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.

 


Loading...
Subjects:                 
Related:


23 Comments
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments

Roy Hanley. Good choice.


0

don’t be so quick to jump on Hanley’s band wagon … after all he was King City Attorney


check it out …


http://www.mercurynews.com/crime-courts/ci_25248560/new-interim-king-city-police-chief-comes-history


0

These scum should be charged for their criminal activity! Then sued to restore stolen public funds… I’m not a lawyer, but seems like theft of public funds, fraud, malfeasance or some other type of law has been broken numerous times. Let’s stick it to them! This guy should go to jail and not collect his retirement perks…

Why do we go belly up on these guys and let them walk away only to practice their ill gotten skills on other agencies with their heads up their…in the sand.


0

Gray otter, we really can’t suspend his retirement funds. But what we can do is similar to the Scarlett Letter. Tell our friends, family and people we meet, to point at Sietz and laugh at him.


He deserves no pity, no sympathy, or relationships with honest people, just to be branded with the big L, LOSER. Even the people he has helped steal your money won’t want his association.


The big picture now spotlights Adam Hill, Wallace, LOCSD directors Wright and Ochinski, dishonesty personified…..


0

Pelican1,


“Absconded”???? I guess if you say things like that enough someone will believe you. But, once again, you are wrong. All funds spent by the post-recall board were spent on district expenses — brought about by the pre-recall board. TEN years ago.


By contrast, currently the LOCSD has had staffers padding their paychecks. It is my belief, this is what cost Seitz his position at LOCSD. Covering for, charging for, and negotiating with Kivley. THIS year!


0

Aaron Ochs’ and Adam Hill’s little ‘news hate’ FB page, Cal Coast Fraud, has been shut down for harassment. It’s about time. The fact that James Wagstaffe is buddy buddy with these two clowns and handles their toilet clean up (supposedly for free) is a notable joke and complete misuse of the legal system.


Dear James Wagstaffe, I would love to shoot the shit with you. Private message me on FB @ Fire Adam Hill if you would like to chat.


0

Its a good day to learn Aaron Ochs Facebook page has been shut down! Clearly a hate monger that spews demented lies. Cal coast fraud page is nothing more than mental illness on display.


0

Thank goodness at least one CSD board has had the courage to demand reasonable performance. Let’s hope it’s the start of a trend.


0

Discloser, the LOCSD has no courage, they just threw Sietz under the bus, to protect themselves. Like the cockroaches they are, Wright and Ochinski like to hide in the dark and rummage threw their own waste.


0

He and his partners are the leaders in fraud and allowing CSD to misappropriate funds for their own self interests, not the communities they are supposed to represent.

#1 on that list is Cal Valley CSD. He encouraged all of their malfeasance and dereliction of their duties.


0

The Boy has no business being a lawyer. He has cost the public in this county millions in bogus litigation and bad faith practices, he is rude, crooked and he treats his employees like their excrement under his toe nails. Rot in hell you SOB, people like you are why the masses despise lawyers.


0

Now we just need to do the same in AG and send Carmel and company packing.


0

This law firm is the same who have represented Wallace in his backstabbing of San dist employees who were let go. Damn shame what some people will do for money.


0

Another reason to get rid of Barneich this fall, she supported his firms theft, Guthrie seems to have saved us the trouble and at this point is not running this fall.


0

Well, it’s about time. Sietz is a waste of fresh air. A perfect example of being on the government teat, years and years of completely being spoon fed for doing nothing. 18 years of failure, something he should be ashamed of. This LOCSD, mainly Wright and Ochinski, have thrown this fool under the bus to protect their own hides, goes to show us, the people can bring change. Now I’ve got Wallace in my sights and will do everything I can to eliminate the LOCSD. Complete waste of time and money, cost Los Osos $50,000,000.00, for nothing. Something we are ashamed of…….


0

Ever so slowly, residents of the Central Coast seem to be waking up and realizing the damage inflicted by longtime leaders as well as those they hire to represent us.


0

I had the same thought. Arroyo Grande is ridding itself of incompetency. Hopefully there will be qualified candidates running for some of the mayoral and council positions. It’s time to remove the politicians whose only desire is to attend photo ops and elect people that will actually represent the people who have elected them. Time for some of the good old boys to go out to pasture.


0

What I find so comical is, no one is speaking in Sietz’s defense. He must have no friends. No one that feels he did a good job. Where are his supporters that he help squander taxes with. C U, guess no one wants to be U……


0

My comments are in response to “Mr. Holly”:


Mr. H: “I had the same thought. Arroyo Grande is ridding itself of incompetency.”


FINALLY!


Yes. Yes we are. Our latest city manager was a poster child of incompetency and is now gone. CHECK!


Mr. H: “Hopefully there will be qualified candidates running for some of the mayoral and council positions.”


There are not “some” mayoral” positions. There is only one *mayoral* position in Arroyo Grande and that is our current Mayor, Mr. Jim Hill. Also, he is running unopposed. CHECK!


Mr. H: “It’s time to remove the politicians whose only desire is to attend photo ops.”


Have you met Caren Ray? Kristen Barneich? Barbara Harmen? I have not because I do not attend glad-handing meet-n-greets where they want me to “donate”. CHECK!


Mr. H: “and elect people that will actually represent the people who have elected them. Time for some of the good old boys to go out to pasture.”


I completely agree Mr. Holly. Let us reach out to each other for the greater good in our community.


0

Ahhh…but nothing compares to the waste fraud and abuse foisted upon the citizens of Los Osos and the taxpayers of California when the recall board absconded with over $6,000,000.00 in SRF dollars. and then filed bankruptcy….talk about “wrongdoing!”

As as Seitz goes, there is not a bar he never liked.


0

Chris, who were the legal minds behind forming the LOCSD? Yes sir, the SS group, Shipster and Sietz, hard to believe but u got it….


0

Wallace and Seitz are in bed together, trust me on that. I saw it firsthand while working for Wallace Group. They will try their darnedest to take care of each other, all the while taking the public’s money with a smile on their faces. John Wallace even hired Seitz’s wife to be his “HR Director” at one point, making a ridiculous salary and put her on the Wallace Group payroll for several years.


I’m relieved that people (other than those of us who worked for him and were scared to lose our job) are waking up and smelling the shit. These guys are good and thought they’d never get caught…..one at a time, they’re going DOWN!


0
1 2