Agoura Hills Elects New Mayor, Says Goodbye To Denis Weber

AGOURA HILLS, CA — Deborah Klein Lopez was unanimously elected mayor at Thursday's reorganization meeting with council member Chris Anstead taking her place as mayor pro tem.

Lopez, who was elected to city council in 2018, will replace former mayor Denis Weber. Weber has served a record-breaking seven terms in office.

Lopez enters office just as Agoura Hills hits its 40th anniversary.

"We became an incorporated city in 1982 for reasons that we continue to hold dear today: protection of open space, excellent schools, quality of life, community," Lopez said at the city's reorganization meeting Thursday.

In With The New

Lopez addressed the city for the first time as mayor, reflecting on her time on city council, most recently as mayor pro tem.

In her remarks, Lopez discussed some of her main priorities and issues she will continue to focus on, like the "existential global crisis" of climate change, the Agoura Village urban planning, the statewide affordable housing crisis, public health and dealing with the pandemic.

Lopez committed herself to improving communication between city residents and elected officials, something she has prioritized since day one, she said.

"At the core of all of these issues that I've raised is one critical job that we have as city representatives: the ability to communicate clearly and effectively with our residents," Lopez said.

The preservation of open space continues to be a key priority for her and her constituents, she said, highlighting the ongoing wildlife crossing project in Agoura Hills. The wildlife crossing, manned by the California Department of Transportation, is expected to break ground in 2022 and will promote biodiversity and wildlife safety in the Santa Monica Mountains.

"The entire world is going to be watching Agoura Hills, and I am so proud to be the mayor of a city that has worked for years with these partners to prioritize and protect open space and connectivity," she said.

Lopez offered a special thank you to the women who have served on city council with and before her, emphasizing the power of "women supporting women."

"It's a special day when one becomes mayor of their town, but it's a double blessing when it happens in the town that you grew up in, the town that really shaped you," Lopez said.

Anstead was sworn into his role as mayor pro tem on Thursday after serving his first year on city council.

"I look forward to continuing my leadership role in our beautiful city and hope to see many of you in the coming year," Anstead said.

Out With The Old

Weber made his final remarks to the city after a record-breaking 28-year run as mayor.

Weber walked through some of the major projects ongoing in the city, much of which he recapped in his state of the city address, and thanked his coworkers, local business owners, developers and more for their persistence during a challenging year.

Weber thanked his staff and coworkers for making his days joyful.

"I want to be remembered as the guy who smiled, not the one who snarled or made you uneasy," Weber said.

Many members of the Agoura Hills community thanked Weber with video messages for his work, including the president of the Greater Conejo Valley Chamber of Commerce, the superintendent of the Las Virgenes School District and assembly member Richard Bloom, who represents Agoura Hills, Malibu, parts of Santa Monica and Calabasas and more.

"Mayor Weber, I want to congratulate you on [over] two decades of service to the people of Agoura Hills ... I speak for everyone here at team Bloom when I say thank you for your unwavering dedication to the community of Agoura Hills," Bloom said.

Bloom congratulated Weber for leading the city through the pandemic and the 2018 Woolsey fire.

"God has blessed me with a life I could never have visualized, and I hope he knows how grateful I am. I've lived a wonderful life here in this community for the past 36 years, and so tonight I want to wish you all a wonderful life full of joy and happiness and good health," Weber said.