Retiring city attorney reflects on 20 years
San Jose City Attorney Rick Doyle spent this week packing up his office before Saturday, his last day after 20 years as the city’s top lawyer. “It’s amazing how things collect,” he said. “That’s one good reason for never leaving.”
Doyle’s departure creates a rare vacancy at the helm of his department, which has 87 fulltime employees, including 48 lawyers. San Jose has had only two people — Doyle and his predecessor, Joan Gallo — serve as city attorney since 1985. Mayor Sam Liccardo’s office announced Wednesday that Assistant City Attorney Nora Frimann would serve as acting district attorney beginning next week while a search for a permanent hire is conducted.
“For the most part, I think it’s been good for the city to have stability,” said Doyle, 65. “People like the continuity. Sometimes you can point out that back in 1991, this issue came up and here’s how we approached. Sometimes people look at you like, ‘That’s good to know,’ and other times they’ll say, ‘Well, that was 30yearsago.’”
Liccardo, who worked with Doyle for eight years as a councilman and six as mayor, said in a statement that he’ll miss Doyle’s calming presence in city leadership. “Rick’s two decades leading our city’s legal team was marked by unwavering integrity, a deep commitment to public service and refreshing civility and kindness,” he said of Doyle, who earned a reputation for his even-tempered style even during heated council discussions.
After serving in the City Attorney’s Office from 1989 to 1995, Doyle’s tenure as city attorney got off to a fast start in 2000 as he had to defend the city’s airport curfew from a challenge by Oracle’s Larry Ellison. Doyle didn’t win
that one in court, but over a year and a half of back and forth, the Federal Aviation Administration accepted a new curfew policy crafted by the city. And though he didn’t get to argue a case in front of the U.S. Supreme Court as Joan Gallo did, he chalks up a win for not having to go to the high court to defend San Jose’s inclusionary housing policy.
“It was one where we were more aggressive than most cities,” Doyle said. “It was a crusade in many respects. These ordinances, any time you’re doing land use regulation, you can really step over the line on property rights.”
San Jose prevailed in the state Supreme Court and waited to see if the U.S. Supreme Court would take it up the affordable-housing requirement. Weeks passed without any movement, and then, following the death of Justice Antonin Scalia in February 2016, the
court declined to hear the case.
His successor will need to be as much counselor as attorney, Doyle said, while understanding both the law and its limitations. “It’s not just being able to define the issues but also working with the council and mayor in getting through things,” he said. “A lot of the attorney-client relationship for a city attorney is public relations, in terms of working with various council members and being responsive in a way that’s respectful about why you can or can’t do something.”
Doyle says there’s a small virtual event planned for his departure today, and after that he’ll take six months to think about what — if anything — he wants to do next.
“I’m going miss the camaraderie and the people, not just in my own staff but in City Hall,” he said. “Everybody’s going to have their different views and passions, but at the end of the day, they’re all trying to do the right thing.”
CARAVAN CONTINUES >>
Darlene Tenes has organized another caravan to bring donated supplies to farmworkers in the Salinas Valley on Saturday, and she’ll have company as AARP magazine will be joining the trip to feature
it in its October issue. It should have plenty to see, with the United Lowrider Council and Blvd Bombs Car Club providing a lowrider parade for the workers in the field.
Tenes also has picked
up the notice of Brawny paper towels, which will donate 900 rolls as part of the company’s Brawny Giants Initiative.
Tenes said she had reached out to numerous companies providing help
to essential workers during the pandemic, but everyone turned her down until Brawny.