Steven T. Mattas

Steve Mattas is the City Attorney for the City of Walnut Creek and Town of Los Altos Hills.  He also serves as General Counsel for the Santa Cruz County Regional Transportation Commission, Ventura County Transportation Commission, Sunol Smart Carpool Lane Joint Powers Authority, and as Assistant General Counsel for the Tri-Valley Transportation Council.  Steve also serves as special counsel to several public agencies including Alameda County Transportation Commission, Valley Transportation Authority, San Francisco County Transportation Authority, Treasure Island Mobility Management Agency, SANDAG and various Joint Powers Authorities.  Steve has also represented private developers and community associations on various land use and development issues.  Steve focuses his practice on land use, environmental law, transportation, government structure and governance, public agency elections and municipal law.
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Recognized statewide for his land use work, Steve is the managing co-editor and an update coauthor of numerous chapters in the leading comprehensive publication on land use law, California Land Use Practice, published and updated annually since 2006 by Continuing Education of the Bar.  He also authored and contributed to several chapters of the book, including those covering general and specific plans, sustainability and climate change regulations, housing, specially regulated land uses, and compliance with federal, state and regional agency requirements for wetlands and endangered species, wastewater and stormwater discharges, annexation issues, and much more.  Steve has extensive experience representing public agencies in negotiating and preparing development agreements, facility management agreements and public property leases.
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In his role as general and special counsel to transportation agencies, Steve has assisted agencies with governance issues, public-private partnerships including the provisions of public transit services, federal and state procurement, property acquisition and leasing, right of entry and license agreements, compliance with federal and state transportation funding programs, cooperative agreements with state and local agencies, franchise agreements, railroad property leasing and property management, preparation, and amendments and administering sales tax expenditures plans, active transportation and regional bicycle and pedestrian mobility projects, express lanes and tolling systems.
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Steve frequently authors articles and gives presentations on land use law, density bonus and housing laws, among other topics.  He has made presentations to the California State Bar, CalCities, and many other organizations.  He previously served as the City Attorney Department representative to the LOCC’s Housing, Community and Economic Development Committee and the Environmental Quality Committee.  Steve has also served as an expert witness on land use and Fair Housing Act issues for the City of San Diego.