Richard “Ren” Nosky specializes in serving as the chief legal advisor for public agencies, including cities, special districts and joint powers agencies. Relying on his broad experience in this area, his goal is to provide practical and creative legal solutions that provide policymakers with options for achieving their policy goals with minimal legal risk. He takes a solution-oriented approach to providing public agencies with legal advice that recognizes the realities elected and appointed public officials face. Ren received his training beginning with a B.A. in Economics, 1984 and his JD in 1987 from the University of Pacific. He was admitted to the California Bar Association in 1987, which began his 30-year career in law.

His municipal and other local public sector experience includes advising general law and charter cities, water districts and other public agencies since 2000. He has served as the lead City Attorney for over 15 years, specifically in the cities of Salinas, Santa Clara, Los Altos and Stockton. Prior to his service as the Salinas City Attorney, he also served as the Chief Assistant County Counsel and Interim County Counsel for the County of Monterey. In such capacity for the County, Ren served as the General Counsel for the Monterey County Water Resources Agency and the Transportation Agency for Monterey County (TAMC).

Ren has served as the Assistant General Counsel for both the Salinas Valley and San Benito Health Care Districts. He has also served as the General Counsel to several water districts and presently serves as the General Counsel to the Elk Grove Water District.

In his capacity as a City Attorney, he has had regular interaction with Mayors, City Council members and City Managers on virtually every significant issue affecting those cities. He is recognized statewide as an expert on conflicts of interest and FPPC issues and he has handled and provided advice and representation on a variety of legal matters relevant to the cities in which he works, including the Brown Act, CEQA, Public Records Act, local sunshine legislation and other laws governing local government decision-making and operations like development agreements, water supply, affordable housing, hemp, municipal utilities, public records, public contracting, employment, police and public safety, elections, Proposition 218 and various intergovernmental matters. He has also drafted many development agreements, leases, ordinances, resolutions, opinions and ballot measures. He is well experienced in Charter amendments, ordinances and resolutions, land use, water law, planning, and development issues, employment, elections, voting rights, ethics and FPPC matters. He has also conducted many internal investigations, involving both employees and elected officials.

Education

• JD, University of Pacific, 1987
• B.A., University of Pacific, 1984

Practice Areas

• Public Agencies
• Land Use
• Environmental Law
• Employment
• Workplace Investigations

Bar & Court Admissions

• California, 1987