During a final farewell ceremony, longtime county attorney Alan
Seltzer received a standing ovation from the five county
supervisors and a tearful farewell from his boss, the normally
sardonic Shane Stark. Seltzer is leaving to take a job with the
City of Santa Monica. During his 17-year tenure in the Santa
Barbara County Counsel’s office, Seltzer frequently found himself
at ground zero in nasty land use disputes pitting property rights
against environmental safeguards. Through it all, Seltzer managed
to retain not only his composure and professionalism, but also his
dignity and humor. Seltzer said his job afforded him a rare
education in the art – and discipline – of listening, and he
thanked the supervisors for always listening to him as well. Stark
got choked up as he said, “You were a brother, you were a friend,
you were loved, and you will be missed.”
