L.A. Law Firm Will Replace City Attorney

At a hastily arranged closed-session meeting this week, the San Fernando City Council voted 3 to 1 to fire its city attorney and hire the Los Angeles law firm Beltran, Leal & Medina.

Mayor Raul Godinez II and Councilmen Silverio Robledo and Jose Hernandez voted for the change, while Councilwoman Joanne Baltierrez cast the lone dissenting vote.

Councilman Doude Wysbeek was attending a Metropolitan Water District meeting and was not at the special Thursday night council session.

Robledo said the move was not due to dissatisfaction with the performance of the outgoing firm--Richards, Watson & Gershon--but was instead “reflective of our constituents voicing a need for change.”

“These types of changes are a common occurrence after elections,” said Robledo, who along with Hernandez, a former mayor, was elected to the City Council in March.

“The last election reflected a demand by voters for change. That’s what this is about,” Robledo said.

But Baltierrez said Michael Estrada, who was Richards, Watson & Gershon’s principle attorney in San Fernando, had done a satisfactory job and said she worried the firing could be an indication of more changes on the way in the city.

“I couldn’t find any justification for their decision,” Baltierrez said. “It’s about power; I don’t think it’s about service.”

“I had an inkling that some council members wanted to make a change but it was still somewhat of a surprise,” Estrada said. “Mr. Robledo made it clear to me that he had no objections or complaints about our work, he just indicated that they wanted to make a change.”

Baltierrez also said, “There are some City Council members who would like to get rid of some department heads,” indicating she had heard discussions about replacing Police Chief Dominick Rivetti, City Administrator Mary Strenn and Personnel Director Christine Lissik.

“They serve our city very well and my fear is that they will replace those people with people they can control,” she said.

Robledo and other council members denied any city department heads would be fired. The city hired the firm Richards, Watson & Gershon in November 1995.