Denis Weber Sworn In For 7th Term As Agoura Hills Mayor

AGOURA HILLS, CA — Denis Weber was virtually sworn in Wednesday night to his seventh stint as Agoura Hills Mayor, while councilmembers and community leaders praised outgoing Mayor Illece Buckley Weber for her service during a difficult year. Deborah Klein Lopez was sworn in as Mayor Pro Tem, and Linda Northrup was sworn into her second term on the Council.

Weber, who has served on the Council since 1993, said in opening remarks that he intends to use his tenure to “do whatever it takes” to help local businesses recover from the pandemic, including collaborating with the Greater Conejo Valley Chamber of Commerce and working with landlords to renegotiate rent payments. Weber also said he is asking the Council to forgo any “new or feel-good projects” in favor of already approved items.

“I’m confident that we as a council can focus on these core items that will give the staff the ability to work through the hurdles that we’re faced with and we can deliver what we need to and should do for the residents and the business community,” he said. Weber also thanked city staff for “doing more with less” and commended them for their “concern and flexibility in working through these tough times.”

“I’m proud once again to be the mayor, and proud of the kind of city we have, and the people that make up this place we call home,” he said.

Illece Buckley Weber completed her second tenure as mayor and was comfortably re-elected in November to serve her tenth year on the Council.

Buckley Weber said that despite the pandemic, the city was able to accomplish a number of goals, including welcoming home residents displaced by the Woolsey Fire, agreeing on an intersection design for Agoura and Kanan roads, adopting a first draft of a Climate Action Plan, continuing work on Agoura Linear Park, helping local residents and businesses survive the health and economic challenges of COVID-19, and more.

She also thanked city staff, fellow councilmembers, and her husband Joe. “We continued our work virtually, and made great strides forward,” she said. “It has been an absolute honor to serve as your mayor this past year.”

Buckley Weber received commendations from a number of elected officials, community leaders, and all of her fellow councilmembers, including Congressmember Ted Lieu, County Supervisor Sheila Keuhl, Senator Henry Stern, Las Virgenes Unified School District Superintendent Dan Stepenosky and Board Member Angela Cutbill, Greater Conejo Valley Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Danielle Borja, and Las Virgenes Municipal Water District General Manager David Pederson.

“How I wish you could’ve had an easier year,” said Linda Northrup. “I know perhaps better than most people what it’s like to take the gavel and then face an immense crisis, but what I can say as someone who’s had to navigate a lot of unforeseen contingencies is that you have navigated this year with grace under pressure, strength, and have embodied the three words we continue to live by: response, recovery, and resilience.”