To: MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL
From: MICHAEL W. WEBB, CITY ATTORNEY
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APPROVE THE LEGAL SERVICES AGREEMENT WITH REDWOOD PUBLIC LAW, LLP FOR LEGAL SERVICES AND ADD THIS FIRM TO THE CITY ATTORNEY’S APPROVED LAW FIRM LIST
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Jon Goetz, Senior of Counsel, with the firm of Redwood Public Law, LLP, a Limited Liability Partnership, has provided the City of Redondo Beach with excellent real estate transactional legal services for close to 12 years. City Council’s approval of an Agreement for Legal Services with Redwood Public Law, LLP will permit Jon Goetz to provide continued services at his new law firm.
BACKGROUND
The City Attorney’s office maintains a list of approved law firms and attorneys from which to select when special expertise is required on legal matters. Jon Goetz recently joined a new law firm, Redwood Public Law, LLP, but has provided real estate transactional legal services to the City for close to 12 years, including his tenure at a previous law firm.
The attorneys at Redwood Public Law collectively serve as the City Attorney for fourteen (14) cities in the State of California, General Counsel for more than thirty (30) Special Districts, Non-Profits and private sector clients. They are subject matter experts in the following areas of legal practice: Affordable Housing, Brown Act, California Drought - Legal Services & Resources, California Political Reform Act and Government Code 1090, California Public Records Act, Climate Change and Green Initiatives
Code Enforcement and Nuisance Abatement Construction Claim and Dispute Resolution, Design Build Procurement, Economic Development and Redevelopment
Energy, Public Power and Telecommunications Housing, General Counsel Services
Joint Power Authority Formation, Governance, Dissolution, Land Use and CEQA Local Elections Law - Initiative, Referendum, Recall, Campaign Finance, District Elections, Charter Amendments, Local Government and Non-Profit Ethics Compliance, Local Government Reorganizations and Annexations, Local Government Taxes, Fees and Assessments, Municipal and Special District Law Open Meeting Laws, Prevailing Wage Law and Project Labor Agreements, Public Contracting, Public Finance, Real Estate
State and Federal Grant Procurement and Infrastructure Related Development, and
Transportation and Infrastructure.
Jon Goetz is Senior of Counsel at Redwood Public Law, LLP and is the only attorney from Redwood Public Law, LLP who will be providing legal services to the City. Jon Goetz has 35 years of experience in real estate, land use, environmental, redevelopment, affordable housing and municipal law. Jon represents a broad spectrum of private-sector landowners and real estate developers, cities, counties, housing authorities, universities and other public entities in complex real estate transactions, land use planning, public-private development, infrastructure financing and affordable housing transactions. He has extensive experience in all aspects of real estate transactions ― acquiring, financing, leasing and disposing of all forms of improved and unimproved real property, including public-use properties.
Jon has special expertise advising clients on California’s Density Bonus Law. He authors and annually updates the “Guide to the California Density Bonus Law,” which is a booklet that helps explain the intricacies of a complex law that is designed to increase the supply of affordable or senior housing.
Jon has served as lead attorney for a multitude of real property matters, including more than 50 commercial and retail projects, including construction and rehabilitation of regional and neighborhood shopping centers, hotels, theaters, “big box” stores, restaurants and auto dealerships, and numerous purchases and sales of residential, business and agricultural properties.
He also has advised on more than 150 housing developments and programs involving thousands of affordable and market rate housing units. His housing projects include a variety of housing types including affordable rental developments, mixed income for-sale housing communities, master planned communities and mixed use and transit-oriented developments, encompassing new construction, acquisition/rehabilitation and homebuyer programs.
It is the joint recommendation of the City Manager and City Attorney to engage Jon Goetz to provide transactional real estate services to the City.
COORDINATION
The Agreement for Legal Services has been approved by Redwood Public Law, LLP and the City Attorney’s Office.
FISCAL IMPACT
The billing rate specified in the Agreement for Legal Services is $440 per hour, which is Jon Goetz’ current Public Agency rate.
ATTACHMENTS
• Agreement for Legal Services