SAN CLEMENTE
The City Council will hire a new lawyer to handle its 90-day lease negotiations with the Festival of Arts in response to allegations of a possible conflict of interest.
The council decided last week to remove City Atty. Jeffrey M. Oderman from the negotiations because he and Laguna Beach City Atty. Phil Kohn are partners at the Costa Mesa law firm of Rutan & Tucker LLP.
Oderman will continue working on all other city business.
Laguna Beach officials and the festival board have been fighting over the festival’s lease, and the board is exploring moving the event from Laguna Beach after 68 years.
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