Mayor touts ‘good life’




Denis Weber

Denis Weber

Residents come to Agoura Hills to enjoy “the good life,” Mayor Denis Weber told guests at his Oct. 25 State of the City address. And the City Council has delivered, he said.

The noontime speech and luncheon were at the Agoura Hills Recreation Center.

Weber, a six-term council member and six-time mayor, said the city strives to offer residents an array of services, including beautiful parks where there are myriad events and recreational opportunities for people of all ages, including the recent Reyes Adobe Days festival and the Great Race, take place.

“It’s a great place to live, work and play,” Weber said.

Fiscally, the city remains on solid footing, the mayor said.

“It never gets old saying we have a balanced budget,” he said.

PLEASANT VALLEY—A scenic aerial view of homes in Agoura Hills. Acornfile photo

PLEASANT VALLEY—A scenic aerial view of homes in Agoura Hills. Acornfile photo

Public safety continues to be Agoura Hills’ largest expenditure. The city spends almost $4.5 million a year on sheriff’s services.

This year, the city focused on renovating the Old Agoura equestrian facility. New arenas and better draining, railing and surfacing were installed.

Major arterial roads are getting a face-lift this year as well, including improved landscaping for the medians on Agoura and Kanan roads, Thousand Oaks Boulevard and other major streets. A new traffic signal was installed at Argos Street and Thousand Oaks Boulevard near Agoura High School that will improve the traffic flow around the school, Weber said.

A major freeway interchange improvement at Palo Comado will get underway soon and includes bike lanes and pedestrian walkways.

Ordinarily when Weber takes the helm as mayor, he conducts a business roundtable for local businesses, but this year he made a pledge to visit one business per week. He said the one-on-one visits, while daunting, provided valuable feedback that he believes will help the city’s business community thrive.

Weber said he also enjoyed his yearly walk to school with children from Yerba Buena Elementary School.

“It’s more fun for me to see the energy and vibrancy,” he said.

Weber also participated in a One City, One Book program, reading to kids and fielding questions such as, “How much money do you make?”

The mayor praised the many residents who volunteer in Agoura Hills and talked about how the city comes together on Community Service Day to beautify schools, parks and neighborhoods.

A video presentation at the luncheon showed clips of Community Service Day, rock climbing at Reyes Adobe Days, concerts in the park and other events that took place in the city throughout the year.

The Business of the Year, KeyInfo, was announced at the event. CEO Lief Morin talked about his company’s businessto business work in infrastructure data service.

“We make (technology) accessible,” he said.

The Greater Conejo Valley Chamber of Commerce presented an update on events. Angel Robertson, Chamber board chair, said the organization received five-star accreditation from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, an honor that only six chambers have earned in California and one that makes the Conejo chapter among the top 1 percent of nationwide.

“Our cities deserve no less,” she said.

Robertson showed a video that demonstrated the good life in Agoura Hills and embodied the Chamber’s motto, “Catch Your Breath.”