[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",5981755,"mediaKeyId","5833934-78e94810b2fd8be41b662bf3bcf42a38","parentId",5833934,"title","Police report summer quarter activity, wildfire response and community outreach","audioSeconds",405,"startMs",3596000,"endMs",4001000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5833934-78e94810b2fd8be41b662bf3bcf42a38&start=3596&end=4001","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5833934-78e94810b2fd8be41b662bf3bcf42a38/thumbnail_3596000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/5981755/Laguna-Niguel-City/Orange-County/California/Police-report-summer-quarter-activity-wildfire-response-and-community-outreach","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/5981755-c588dd36a83b04b01357bd83bb14807a/orig.mp4?Expires=1771184081&Signature=emLFmGU44aA8NcHG3SpmicFerZJ0AqYn~bFhhvHpSPt2YrD1bCGNgFcchFKlS7u7Z8ssdyceL8uVA9tf7Eg0r0XkS6VQWKKzLpRgocfGYOUiOVuFYXTCkfyjJzXO9rQZUWn6cWlRfa12a9YA~k0kGlLZcZBB-qaD26bXgAsOPXgZXTae8Zz231jcDkysLAGdB6vJ9Agsrz0UjwhgJ0o~-aJgxOhUVEnw~6vqQq40fXoPa3O59B8ljHeBCL0bTv-zAEYrAP2TTZknFct5s8JwxuPhNPISw1kxKrQPd13~7WTuqzoN3Bp05COgmXpwxhyuEnLA7fdAjWXqzDPogoKhsQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","City of Laguna Niguel","date","2025-09-17T00:00:00Z","article","Laguna Niguel Police Services presented its summer quarter report to the City Council on Sept. 16, summarizing public-safety staffing at community events, education and training activities, and the multiagency response to the Beacon Fire.

Chief Flores said deputies staffed major community events, conducted DUI checkpoints, offered crime-prevention training to businesses and senior groups, and engaged with students on e-bike safety at local school registration events. “These proactive efforts help strengthen workplace safety, empower employees to respond effectively in critical situations, and build stronger connections between law enforcement and the business community,” Flores said.

Beacon Fire response and exercises: The chief described a coordinated multiagency response in August that included the Orange County Fire Authority, Mission Viejo Fire Services, and city staff. Training and tabletop exercises on wildland fire response and shelter operations, plus an annual joint operations briefing with the Orange County Sheriff’s Department and the Orange County Fire Authority, helped prepare agencies for efficient evacuation planning and unified incident command. Flores said the incident was contained “safely with no loss of life and minimal disruption to the community.”

Community outreach and prevention: Police Services reported outreach to seniors, neighborhood watch groups, and businesses; a fraud-prevention social post reached about 8,600 views on Instagram, the department reported. Deputies also provided training at Costco on active-shooter response and theft prevention and participated in parks-and-recreation youth programs.

Ending: Chief Flores closed by underscoring the department’s emphasis on preparedness and interagency collaboration. No council action followed the report; it was presented as an informational department update.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","City Council Meeting: September 16, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","Laguna Niguel Police Services presented its summer quarter report, highlighting event security, DUI checkpoints, school engagement on e-bike safety, a coordinated response to the Beacon Fire that avoided loss of life, and ongoing public-education efforts on fraud and traffic safety.","taxTitle","Laguna Niguel City, Orange County, California","taxId",5540,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},5981760,"Laguna Niguel adopts Active Transportation Plan to expand bike and pedestrian projects",1379,1600000,2979000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5833934-78e94810b2fd8be41b662bf3bcf42a38&start=1600&end=2979","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5833934-78e94810b2fd8be41b662bf3bcf42a38/thumbnail_1600000.jpg","/articles/5981760/Laguna-Niguel-City/Orange-County/California/Laguna-Niguel-adopts-Active-Transportation-Plan-to-expand-bike-and-pedestrian-projects","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/5981760-6911dbfc2b7a166ba333793484937c6d/orig.mp4?Expires=1771184081&Signature=FfUrLQ6SIgWXJPjoRNJHgoIASrTLFi4AHLmMMiJINm9KWVGcI-sv6dOu4X2pmeyWp89ccmQFXUF7SHGwMpPzvn4HTYYyw6~Szfshr2jTJiPB6F7kOharo02ejarActdoFqtkcmuDWvv969qhYjaNAfXQtA8Rlj4EWhf4CRMv23prkFfQCvIAU6X3eh7F83pctjTbevVTxUA6wH3TcSaMl3uysN0EmcR-kQTq79KqcPpkSsHudMwDx3~ACfH4wq35Hs2CwfOZV~X-YTeAOu-SfYZ4vR9b93LR805IVM86FR3OqkIG4nWY-iyEpMKa~QcnS1c53Dk33MJ186hCm4R1Dw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Laguna Niguel City Council voted 5-0 on Sept. 16 to adopt the city’s Active Transportation Plan, a federally funded planning study that recommends engineering and noninfrastructure strategies to improve pedestrian, bicycle and micromobility safety and to help the city pursue grants for design and construction.

Public Works Director Jackie Scott and consultant Sam Charvini of Mark Thomas and Company presented the plan, which the city developed after receiving a 2023 federal grant and an 18-month community engagement process. “The ATP is meant to enhance the safety of those who walk, bicycle, or use other forms of micromobility,” Charvini said.

Nut graf — why it matters: The ATP establishes priorities and an implementation framework that the city will use to seek funding and guide future engineering work. It recommends expanding class 2 buffered bike lanes and class 4 cycle tracks on major arterials, closing sidewalk gaps, and pursuing education and enforcement strategies for e-bikes and other noninfrastructure measures.

What the plan recommends: The plan groups recommendations into infrastructure and noninfrastructure categories. Infrastructure ideas highlighted include cycle tracks and buffered lanes on corridors such as Crown Valley Parkway, Alicia Parkway, La Paz Road and others; pedestrian improvements prioritized locations including the intersection near the Laguna Niguel/Mission Viejo Metrolink station and segments along Crown Valley Parkway. Charvini described a pilot class 4 cycle track on Aliso Creek Road that tested three vertical treatments — flexible bollards, rubber parking stops and rigid bollards — and said the pilot has become a permanent feature.

Council reaction and next steps: Council members praised staff outreach and the plan’s focus on safety. “Well done on the report,” Council member Jennings said, noting heavy community participation. Council member Otto highlighted crash data cited in the plan: “Between 2018 and 2022, there were 101 crashes that involved bikes or pedestrians,” she said, and called the plan “much needed for safety.” Mayor Pro Tem Johns moved to adopt the staff recommendation; Council member Jennings seconded. The motion passed unanimously, 5-0.

Implementation and funding: The plan includes a ranking system that weighted safety most heavily (25 percent) and identifies federal, state, regional and local funding sources the city can pursue. Staff noted the ATP document must be posted to the city’s website to meet the federal grant requirements; the adoption positions the city to seek engineering and construction funding for prioritized projects.

Ending: Council members said they expect the ATP to help the city secure grants and guide future bicycle, pedestrian and micromobility investments. No construction was authorized at the Sept. 16 meeting; adoption authorizes the plan document and staff to pursue the next steps of engineering and funding.","The City Council unanimously adopted the Laguna Niguel Active Transportation Plan (ATP), a federally funded planning document that prioritizes pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure, including expansion of buffered bike lanes and class 4 cycle tracks and a funding and maintenance roadmap to guide future engineering and grant applications.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},5981765,"Residents urge city enforcement after developer cuts drainage at Cove at El Niguel site",348,801000,1149000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5833934-78e94810b2fd8be41b662bf3bcf42a38&start=801&end=1149","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5833934-78e94810b2fd8be41b662bf3bcf42a38/thumbnail_801000.jpg","/articles/5981765/Laguna-Niguel-City/Orange-County/California/Residents-urge-city-enforcement-after-developer-cuts-drainage-at-Cove-at-El-Niguel-site","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/5981765-7fb9af863933842a60083e81b8a9df12/orig.mp4?Expires=1771184081&Signature=ocG9Nus7SKmjffFhNRSEFSwgfyejGDW7F3D5fZzieb9x0q3guzPEwdrvdyiZqdJks1s4lx~O1C44fV6yt6na4KVstrP~KP8qXwdWUD6qL4LZ0UmArNwR6nzwpy5I15Sd6NrTudFZnHfZJJv1CJ4kg6AeJWsswuNDAU2h4IKCypwiJur7PTdGsJIiJ--ZIta5D8Jgn6oIMp~R4tFVBa61dGnuKm4KS8ookPCHeVJgip1QAcN-PXURfXOC0kK05MFMZvBEMP1UJsUqQVIX3lUT3SwCTzhMHsS8fO8hguTvOnnqgWpqE5F4MjGf8u61TxyW17jg-Bbnq9MgA5wksPaLQw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Nathan Smith, a Laguna Niguel resident, told the City Council on Sept. 16 that a developer working on the Cove at El Niguel project disconnected a drainage system that historically drained a nearby V-shaped drainage ditch, causing flooding onto adjacent private property. “The developer disconnected the drainage system without implementing a functional alternative in contravention of the plans approved by the city,” Smith said. He described an approximately 6-foot-deep pit “about the size of a small swimming pool” and said workers have been using a gas-powered pump and hoses on a semiweekly basis for about seven months to avoid overflow.

Why it matters: Neighbors said the makeshift pumping, left near dry brush, increases the risk of both mosquito breeding and fire near homes. Cheryl Friedling, who lives nearby, said the city’s own grading permit requires that “all existing drainage courses through the site shall remain open until facilities to handle stormwater are approved and functional,” and she asked the council to require the developer to reconnect the drain immediately and fill the pit.

The residents’ account and requests: Smith said the pump operation “empties neither the pit nor the flooded V ditch” and that the intent appears only to keep water from overflowing. Friedling added that the gas-powered generator is left on-site and sometimes unattended. She said the manual pumping every 48 hours that staff had described would not prevent flooding when heavier rain arrives. John Fernandez, a long-time resident, recounted historic slides in the area and urged the city to adopt routine pre-wet-season checks and require the HOA and contractor to document annual maintenance.

City process and next steps: During the public comment period the mayor’s office advised that city staff will follow up on public questions and provide information as needed. The speakers requested that the city enforce the grading permit condition and require the developer to reconnect the drainage until a permanent solution is installed. No council motion or formal action on the Cove at El Niguel site occurred during the meeting; the matter was raised during public comment and not on the agenda.

Community context and constraints: Residents provided an eight-page packet to council members and thanked Mayor Pro Tem Johns for visiting the site. The speakers repeatedly noted that the issue had persisted for months and that the pit is a hazard to children. They urged enforcement of permit conditions rather than acceptance of temporary pumping.

What the city has said publicly: At the start of the public comment period the clerk reiterated that, under the Brown Act, council members do not respond to individual speakers at the meeting and that city staff will follow up after the meeting. The council did not discuss or vote on enforcement at the Sept. 16 meeting.

Ending: Neighbors asked the city to require immediate reconnection of the historic drainage, to stop the use of the gas-powered pump, and to fill the pit. City staff follow-up was promised; no formal council direction or enforcement order was recorded on the meeting agenda or in the council’s motions that evening.","Three residents told Laguna Niguel city council that a developer disconnected a long-standing drainage system at the Cove at El Niguel site, creating a 6-foot pit, fueling repeated pumping with a gas-powered generator, and posing mosquito and fire risks; they asked the city to require immediate reconnection and fill the pit.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Police report summer quarter activity, wildfire response and community outreach

Laguna Niguel adopts Active Transportation Plan to expand bike and pedestrian projects

Residents urge city enforcement after developer cuts drainage at Cove at El Niguel site