Calabasas appoints new city attorney, prosecutor

By Michael Picarella Acorn Staff Writer

Calabasas now has a new city attorney and city prosecutor.

After facing a request for proposal (RFP) process initiated by the city council this spring, former city attorney Charles Vose didn’t reapply.

Starting work this week as city attorney is Michael G. Colantuono of Colantuono, Levin and Rozell, APC.

"The RFP process produced quite a number of wonderful and smart attorneys," said City Councilwoman Lesley Devine. "The choice was not easy but we’re delighted to have (Colantuono) with us."

Devine told members of the public, "Be assured that we reviewed a lot of resumes, a lot of applications and interviewed a number of very highly qualified, wonderful people."

"I am a city attorney with 14 years of experience," said Colan-tuono at the city council meeting last week. He told councilmembers, "You will be sharing me with two other cities: the city of La Habra Heights, a small equestrian suburb of Whittier, and the city of Barstow. I will be the incoming president of the attorney’s department of the League of California Cities starting in September."

Colantuono is also legal counsel for the Barstow Redevelopment Agency and previously served as city attorney of Cudahy between 1994 and 1999, city attorney of Monrovia between 1999 and 2002, and general counsel to the Big Bear City Community Services District between 1994 and 2001.

Colantuono’s areas of expertise within local government includes constitutional law, land-use regulation, open meetings law, elections law, municipal litigation, conflicts of interest and public finance.

Colantuono graduated magna cum laude from Harvard University with a bachelor of art’s degree in 1983. He received his law degree from University of California Boalt Hall School of Law in 1988.

Colantuono will be the attorney who sits in on city council meetings.

"We have a member of our team by the name of Merrilee Fellows (that will sit at the planning commission meetings) and Merrilee is a third career lawyer," Colantuono said. "Her first career was as a professional planner and she has a bachelor’s in environmental science from U.C. Santa Barbara and her law degree from Loyola law school."

In closed session last week, the city council terminated its relationship with Dapeer, Rosenblit and Litvak for city prosecutor services. Mayor James Bozajian didn’t give reason, as the matter was discussed in closed session.

Starting work this week as city prosecutor is Charles R. Green, the managing partner of the Green, de Bortnowsky and Quintanilla law firm.

"For those of you who don’t already know," Green told members of the public during last week’s city council meeting, "we are a local business. We have our main offices on Calabasas Road, opposite of The Commons. We are longtime members of the chamber and have been involved in many of those events."

Green was admitted to the State Bar of California in 1976 and specializes in municipal and redevelopment law, finance, litigation and real estate law. He serves as city attorney for Desert Springs and as assistant city attorney for Cathedral City.

Green graduated with a bachelor of art’s degree in 1972 from UCLA and also received his law degree from UCLA in 1975.

Regarding the new city prosecutor, Calabasas City Councilman Barry Groveman said, "I just want (residents of Calabasas) to recognize the significance of, I think, the move to hire Charles Green and his firm.

"It may not be obvious," Groveman said, "but there are many complaints around the city regarding nuisances, nuisance abatement, land-use problems, oak tree violations that have not been attended to. This is a message that we intend to attend to those and we’ve chosen an outstanding firm that comes with a whole set of ordinances and I think that this is just another piece in the puzzle that’s going to make this city work really well."