State of the City Address 2021 Laguna Niguel, Orange County, CA

It was my greatest honor & privilege to deliver the State of the City Address 2021 last Thursday on Oct. 21st. The theme of this year was: Resiliency-Pride -and Progress! The City of Laguna Niguel is indeed in its best shape that it could possibly be.

As the Mayor of the beautiful City of Laguna Niguel, I'm very pleased, proud and so humbled to serve all the 66,400 residents who call Laguna Niguel home!

Thank you so very much Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer for serving as the Master of Ceremonies. He certainly did an outstanding job and I'm so grateful for that.

I would also like to sincerely thank:

All of our elected officials Senator Pat Bates, Assemblywoman Laurie Davies, Mayor Scott Voigts of Lake Forest, Mayor Pro Tem Anne Anne Figueroa of Rancho Santa Margarita and Council Member Greg Raths of Mission Viejo for attending our State of the City Address,

My City Council colleagues Elaine Gennawey, Sandy Rains, Kelly Jennings and Rischi Paul Sharma for their support and advocacy all the way,

John Ulrich, Chairman of the Board, Laguna Niguel Chamber of Commerce for the Welcoming Notes,

Orange County Sheriff's Honor Guard for the Presentation of Colors,

Mayor Pro Tem Elaine Gennawey for leading us in the Pledge of Allegiance,

Sage Escalante of Dana Hills High School for singing the National Anthem,

Mayor Scott Voigts of the City of Lake Forest for providing a heartfelt Invocation,

Laguna Niguel City Manager Tammy Letourneau, Deputy City Manager Justin Martin, the entire management team and staff for making this year's State of the City the best ever.

It would be very remiss of me not to thank all of our program's sponsors and last but certainly not least the Laguna Niguel Chamber of Commerce especially CEO Scott Alvey and Diane Smith for making this year's State of the City Address an outstanding one!

Mayor Fred Minagar’s State of the City Address - October 21, 2021

· Thank you so very much Orange County District Attorney Spitzer. I am so glad that you are able to be here with us today.

· Hello everyone - Thank you so much for joining us today at our beautiful Crown Valley Community Center.

o A building that we planned for and paid for in CASH, leaving us with a beautiful, and fully paid, community asset that will serve generations to come.

· This afternoon is so special. I love looking out at this room full of leaders, colleagues, community supporters and friends.

· As you know, I have served the City of Laguna Niguel for 25+ years, so I honestly feel like I am looking out at a room of family and friends.

· And it’s all the people in this room, my City Council colleagues, our partners from the Laguna Niguel Chamber, our local business community members, elected officials, City staff, and all the people who call Laguna Niguel home, one way or another, that make a day like today possible.

· Thank you for helping us to embody today’s theme: Resiliency - Pride - and Progress. Our successes, especially after such a challenging period in time, would not be possible without each of you.

· Today’s theme of resiliency – pride – and progress, truly embodies where we are as a City.

· Like every other City in the County, state and country, we have had to overcome adversity and challenge as a result of the pandemic.

· With the steadfast support and leadership of my City Council colleagues, and our City Manager, we have weathered the storm and remained on course. For this…we are RESILIENT.

· When I reflect on what makes Laguna Niguel such a great place to call home, it is the passion and philanthropic nature of our residents and businesses that stands out to me.

o This passion and giving nature has only grown during the last year. For this I have immense PRIDE!

· We are a community that lends a helping hand and one that gives back, and it’s these qualities that make Laguna Niguel the gem of a City that it is today!

· At a time when forward movement has been so hard to come by for so many, when many put everything on pause, Laguna Niguel committed to continuing to take steps forward. It is this commitment to PROGRESS that I am most excited for.

· Without our Resiliency and our immense amount of Pride for this beautiful community, we would not have been able to see such Progress over the past year.

· As Mayor of this great City, I want people to take ownership and pride in their community. I always say, if you want to see a change, be a part of that change. There are so many people in our community that have embraced this, and who have engaged to make their community safer, more beautiful, and even more fun.

· As you have already heard and seen, this year we are celebrating our Resiliency, Our Pride and our Progress here in the amazing City of Laguna Niguel. Thank you all for your part in this winning combination.

· So, without further ado, I invite you to sit back as we present to you the 2021 State of the City Video – “Resiliency – Pride – and Progress.”

Post-Video Comments

· Thank you.

· I hope you were able to experience first-hand our communities display of Resiliency, Pride and Progress through the video presentation. As you have seen, 2021 has really been an incredible year – one that has required us all to be resilient and prideful to allow for great progress!

· Although as Mayor, I deliver the State of the City Address, it is the people sitting in this room who work so incredibly hard to make this city what it is today.

· Our City’s progress is the result of a collective effort on the part of our elected officials, my City Council colleagues, City staff, community partners, education and business leaders, health professionals, residents, and many generous community volunteers.

· I would like to first thank my City Council colleagues.

· Mayor Pro Tem Elaine Gennawey

· Council Member Sandy Rains

· Council Member Kelly Jennings; and

· Council Member Rischi Paul Sharma.

· I appreciate your commitment, dedication, and the purposeful decision making that makes this City such an excellent place. It is an honor and a privilege to serve alongside all of you.

· I thank the Laguna Niguel Chamber and the Chamber Board of Directors for the always great collaboration that our long-standing relationship brings year in and year out. I truly value our partnership. Thank you to the Chamber staff, Scott and Diane, and Chair of the Board John Ulrich for also assisting with this afternoon’s event.

· I also thank the Capistrano Unified School District, our contractors and utility companies, the local business community, volunteers, spiritual leaders, and the many residents who worked tirelessly this year to ensure excellence in this City.

· I thank our City Commissioners and Committee members for their commitment to the City and for the valuable recommendations they provide to the City Council.

· I would also like to recognize the City staff. Our City Manager Tammy Letourneau, Deputy City Manager Justin Martin, along with our Department Head team, and the greater City staff, who all work tirelessly to ensure that the City Council’s priorities come to fruition.

· A special thank you to the staff who coordinated this afternoon’s event as well, Jennifer Christ and Ale (Allie) Gallardo!

· I thank our generous event sponsors - your support is a true investment in Laguna Niguel and is so appreciated!

· I would also like to thank my family and friends for their support, in particular my wife Julie who is here this afternoon.

· Lastly, I want to express my deep gratitude to our Master of Ceremonies, Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer. I know your time is precious so thank you for carving out a block for this very special occasion here in the City of Laguna Niguel.

· And finally, on behalf of the City of Laguna Niguel and the Laguna Niguel Chamber, to commemorate today’s program and all of the City’s Resiliency, Pride and Progress, I present you each with the small gift found on your table, as a token of our gratitude. Thank you for being a part of such a monumental year!

ADJOURNMENT

· I want to thank you all one last time. Thank you for the incredible opportunity to serve as your Mayor, Mayor of the greatest city in the State of California.

· It is truly a great honor to have the opportunity to give back to you through my public service. I hope you will all go out and continue to be the biggest supporters of this great City and be the change you want to see in the world, even right here at home.

Have a great rest of your day and please drive safely and God Bless the City of Laguna Niguel!