Hermosa Beach Names Interim City Attorney

Stanley Remelmeyer, the dean of South Bay city attorneys who retired from his Torrance post in November, has been appointed Hermosa Beach’s interim city attorney, effective May 15.

He will serve as the city’s chief legal adviser until a permanent replacement is found for James Lough, who resigned last month to take a position in Northern California, City Manager Kevin Northcraft said Friday.

Northcraft said the search for Lough’s successor will take from 60 to 90 days. He said Remelmeyer is not a candidate for the permanent post.

In his 32 years as city attorney, Remelmeyer was a major influence in Torrance’s transformation from a small town into the South Bay’s dominant community and the county’s fourth-largest city.

Northcraft said the Hermosa Beach City Council voted unanimously to retain Remelmeyer, when it learned that the retired attorney was available for short-term assignments. Remelmeyer, who lives in Torrance, continues to serve as a legal consultant to his home city.

Councilman Roger Creighton, echoing the sentiments of other officials, said: “We are just delighted that a man of Stanley’s stature and reputation will be helping us through this transition period.”

Remelmeyer said he hopes he will “do a good job for Hermosa Beach. After all these years of working for Torrance, it will be fascinating to learn more about how other cities operate.”

Northcraft said Remelmeyer will sit in on council and commission meetings and handle the city’s basic legal work. A Los Angeles firm, Oliver Stover Barr and Einboden, is expected to handle non-liability litigation during the transition, he said.

He said Remelmeyer’s pay will be $3,700 a month, the same base rate paid to Lough, who served as city attorney since 1985. Lough handled a broad range of legal matters and received a total of $163,225 for his services in the last fiscal year.