The law firm that provides Seal Beach its city attorney recently asked Seal Beach to appoint a new individual to fill the position. City Attorney Craig Steele and his wife are expected to move to Central California later this year, according to a Feb. 13 staff report to the council by City Manager Jill Ingram.
The City Council on Monday, Feb. 13, unanimously approved an amendment to the contract between Richards, Watson & Gershon and the city that makes Nicholas Ghirelli the new city attorney for Seal Beach. This was done at the request of RWG, according to Ingram’s report.
The contract amendment was an item on the Consent Calendar. Consent Calendar items are voted on collectively, without. Discussion, unless pulled for separate consideration. Nothing was pulled from this week’s Consent Calendar.
“A shareholder in the firm, Mr. Ghirelli is the City Attorney for the City of Rancho Cucamonga and assistant chair of the firm’s Public Law Department,” Ingram wrote.
“He has worked with the Seal Beach Public Works Department staff for several years on storm water and water quality issues,” Ingram wrote.
“The rest of the RWG team serving the City will remain the same, and Craig Steele would continue to work with the City in the status of senior counsel on those legal issues he is currently handling,” Ingram wrote.
“No other change is proposed to the existing agreement,” Ingram wrote.
“RWG prepared the proposed contract amendment, but the City Attorney has abstained from providing legal advice on this item,” Ingram wrote.
Steele has been Seal Beach city attorney since 2015.
“I have enjoyed working with the Seal Beach City Council, Commissions, City Managers and staff for about 25 years, the last 7 as City Attorney,” Steele wrote in a Feb. 14 email.
“The legal issues and the personalities one encounters in this job are certainly unique. Our firm has proudly represented the City for about 50 years now, and we appreciate the City Council’s support in making this transition,” Steele wrote.
