Council Report: Ming Crowned King, Three New Faces Sworn In

Tuesday’s City Council meeting was filled with heartfelt goodbyes, thanks, and newness.

Robert Ming succeeded Mayor Paul Glaab and is the new mayor of the city. Council Member Linda Lindholm succeeded Mayor Pro Tem Joe Brown.

Additionally, as Laguna Niguel said goodbye to

The newly-elected council members had a chance to pledge their aspirations.

Laurie Davies: “I’m really excited to work with the other four council members. We’ve got an incredible city and I know we’re going to put the citizens first. I’m looking forward to all the opportunities that are going to come to the city in the next year."

Jerry McCloskey: “I will do everything in my power to keep Laguna Niguel beautiful, financially solvent, and a place where business wants to locate and citizens want to live and play.”

Jerry Slusiewicz: “I pledge to do my best in placing the overall interest of the city first and foremost in my decision-making process.”

Presentations

Martha McNicholas, a 26 -year resident of Laguna Niguel is the chair for “Relay for Life,” which will be held June 1- 2 at Niguel Hills Middle School. Campaigning for the event has begun. The event supports the fight against cancer, for which McNicholas is a survivor.

Chair Elect Steve Rettig of the board of Laguna Niguel Chamber of Commerce spoke about the annual “Shop Laguna Niguel” program, which rewards people to shop locally.

The official dates run from Black Friday through Dec. 1 Any customer who shops in Laguna Niguel can bring their sales receipts into the Chamber office to receive raffle tickets for drawings. The annual event has changed the buying habits of many and has generated thousands of dollars in revenue for the city of Laguna Niguel. For more information visit shopanddinelagunaniguel.com

Mayor Glaab, Mayor Pro Tem Brown and Council Member Capata were presented with resolutions and plaques.

Special Remarks

Council Member Capata provided advice to the incoming council members: listen, hear, and understand.

Mayor Pro Tem Brown praised the respectful and cooperative constituency of Laguna Niguel staff and residents.

“We all came together and moved this city forward,” he said.

Lastly, Mayor Glaab thanked his wife, making sure to highlight the sacrifices families make to support those in office. He stressed to the new council members that they are: “tasked with making sure there’s a steady hand on the till.”

In Other News

• It was moved to reschedule the Jan. 1 and Jan. 15 City Council meetings for one date, Jan. 9 on a vote of 5 to 0. (Jan. 1 is a holiday, and the League of City Conference is being held on Jan. 16, and this new date allows for travel on the  Jan. 15.)
• The on ramp of the I-5 southbound on Crown Valley will be closed Dec. 10 through 14, to continue construction. The Crown Valley Widening Project is expected to be completed by the end of January 2013.
• The Lifetime Fitness project will be starting construction in the former Expo Design Center by the end of December.

With all the changes to the council, newly elected Mayor Ming set the tone for the coming year:

“You help make this city a better place and you push us to help make this city a better place ...In today’s political world, there’s so much lack of trust. There’s so many people who have been elected who have run this state and the nation into the ground financially … It’s so nice to have a light at home and to know that we are on firm financial footing, that what you see today is going to be around tomorrow…”

Related Topics: City Counc