Pismo Beach city attorney resigns following evaluation

May 29, 2025

By KAREN VELIE

Pismo Beach City Attorney David Fleishman sent a letter of resignation shortly after the city council conducted a closed session performance evaluation. He has represented the city for 25 years.

Over the past few years, the city of Pismo Beach’s contract attorney costs and legal losses have soared. For example, during fiscal year 2022-2023, the city paid $643,335 for its contract city attorney, an amount that swelled to $1,819,440 during fiscal year 2023-2024.

Courtroom losses have also cost the city millions of dollars. In 2022, a judge ordered the city of Pismo Beach to repay the developer of a storage facility more than $1 million for overcharging development impact fees.

In 2024, a San Luis Obispo Superior Court jury awarded $350,000 to a contractor who Pismo Beach officials threatened to harm unless he agreed to accept less than the city owed him for his work.

Two months ago, a judge rejected the city’s argument that a homeowner’s plan to place a rainwater collection system on a 2.5 acre parcel was banned because it is a nonconforming use. The determination will likely cost the city hundreds of thousands of dollars for attorney fees and court costs.

On May 15, the Pismo Beach City Council conducted a performance review of Fleishman. Shortly after the meeting, Fleishman and his firm Richards, Watson & Gerson sent a letter resigning from the city with a last day of June 30.