Mayor's message: Purpose, vision built a prosperous Aliso Viejo
I will never forget the excitement surrounding Aliso Viejo’s incorporation nearly 14 years ago.
The first City Council meeting and incorporation took place on a hot summer day, July 1, 2001, in Aliso Viejo Town Center near the outdoor fountain. Pastor Doug Healy gave the invocation and Boy Scout Troop 702 from Oak Grove Elementary School led the flag salute. It was such a proud day as former Orange County Supervisor Tom Wilson gave the oath of office to the first Aliso Viejo Council members: Cynthia Pickett-Adams, Carmen Cave, Greg Ficke, Karl Warkomski and yours truly.
After selecting Carmen to serve as mayor and Cynthia as mayor pro tem, our first business of the day was selecting a city manager, William Woollett Jr., who served as the city of Irvine’s original city manager. In the first year of business, Bill would lead a team of four full-time city employees and six contracted positions.
It was definitely a time where everyone was excited about this new city – the fact that it was a process that came out of community consensus about our common goals: local control over land use, local control over tax dollars and increased public safety services.
That’s what becoming a city gave us.
We were full of hope and purpose because we were taking an official seat at the table to fight the El Toro airport. It was a hard-fought war that we won.
The newness factors of this city were epitomized by the late-night photo shoot with our first “officially” decorated sheriff’s vehicles with “Aliso Viejo” proudly displayed on their doors. I remember my colleagues and I coming to the station late at night when the vehicles were delivered. Council and staff were there in their shorts and sweatshirts, and I made this a family affair by bringing my young son, Drew, to see the new fabric of our community.
In the beginning, there was an all-hands-on-deck approach as everyone pitched in to make things happen at City Hall. I donated my refrigerator to the city so staff could have one in the lunch room. Carmen bought a commercial coffee grinder so staff could grind their own.
We used sawhorse and plywood for desks in the first City Hall, as we had to make tenant improvements to our rental space. For several months after incorporation, we met in the Orange County Sheriff's Department substation community room until our council chambers were ready. I remember seeing staff members wearing Hawaiian shirts on Fridays in honor of Bill Woolett’s trademark garb.
We may have been small, but we were huge in purpose, vision and future accomplishments. We were tasked with building a vibrant, sustainable and strong city that would withstand the ages.
I am amazed to see how much growth and prosperity our city has experienced since incorporation. I am grateful to those original pioneers of our city for their endless contributions to this community, and I thank my current council colleagues for what they have and will undoubtedly bring to Aliso Viejo.