INGLEWOOD – The city of Inglewood introduced its new Interim City Attorney during the regularly scheduled city council meeting held on June 11.
The City appointed Rick Olivarez, founding and managing partner of Olivarez Madruga Lemieux O’Neill, LLP (OMLO), to serve in an interim capacity due to the retirement of Ken Campos who departed from his civil service position on June 7.
The move by the City could be in conflict with the City Charter, Civil Service Rules, and the Inglewood Municipal Code (IMC0, which governs employees and officers of the City.
According to the IMC Section 2-37, “the provisions of this Article shall apply to each and all of the appointive officers and employees of the City. All appointive officers and employees shall be deemed to be and shall be in the classified service of the City”.
According to Civil Service Rules, the only way you can hire the city attorney as an at-will employee is to remove the position from civil service, thus making the voters responsible for electing the person.
Before Campos became city attorney, he was employed by the City as an Assistant City Attorney for many. He was appointed to the role after the retirement of Cal Saunders.
City officials have stated that the IMC and Charter cover employees, temporary, seasonal, and part-time assignments, and it is silent on transitional appointments, Olivarez will serve in a transitional capacity.
The City has indicated that “no conflict of interest” will be permitted despite OMLO currently representing them in several open cases. The city attorney’s office approves all invoices submitted by outside legal firms, so it is unclear if Olivarez will be approving invoices submitted by his own firm.
Olivarez’s firm was initially awarded a contract in 2019 to assist with matters related to the Independent Cities Risk Management Authority (ICRMA), Madison Square Garden, and any other matters directed by the city attorney.
The contract dedicates Olivarez’s partner, Tom Madruga, as the lead attorney on those matters which have expanded to include representation in two lawsuits involving Inglewood Mayor James T. Butts Jr. and one with the Inglewood Police Department.
OMLO represented Butts in the now-settled lawsuit filed against him by two drivers he hit near USC in 2019.
The mayor turned on a red light slamming into LAPD motor officer Michael Flynn and Karina Gomez who was traveling with her small child.
The City settled with Gomez in 2023 for $425,000 and her son for $25,000, according to Dylan Dordick, her attorney of record.
LAPD motor officer Michael Flynn agreed to accept a $15 million settlement in February after he suffered broken ribs, damage to his nervous system, and “permanent physical disability, impairment, scarring, and disfigurement” due to the April 30, 2019 accident.
Additionally, OMLO is representing the City in an ongoing matter related to the mayor’s former executive assistant Melanie McDade and a recently filed lawsuit by the family of Ivan Solis Mara after he was fatally shot by Inglewood police officers on September 21, 2023.
The City has indicated Olivarez will not be paid twice for his work, however, working in the capacity as City Attorney he would be overseeing the work performed by his firm in addition to potentially amending the scope of services under the contract, under the direction from either the city council or city administrators.
It is unclear if a conflict of interest exists due to the city attorney’s office authorizing payment of invoices submitted by his firm.
In 2022, Olivarez also invested in the city council by way of a campaign contribution to former Inglewood Councilmember George Dotson under his political action committee (PAC) Evergreen.
The City has indicated they will retain the Hawkins Company to conduct a nationwide search for a permanent city attorney indicating that Olivarez is not interested in being in the job permanently.