Laguna Beach mayor frames history-led priorities, highlights Fountain Valley well to supply two-thirds of city water

Mayor Alex Runagi said Laguna Beach should use its history to guide future planning and stressed public safety, infrastructure and government efficiency as the city’s top priorities during an interview on Fair Game Laguna Beach.

Runagi said his State of the City speech aimed “to at a high level step back and think about our city, our history and then how our history shapes our future,” and noted examples of past intentional changes that shaped the city.

The mayor described a multi-jurisdictional water effort he said will reduce costs and supply a large share of the city’s needs. “We bought land in Fountain Valley and we’re working on the entitlements to get a well built there and then that’ll provide two thirds of our water supply in Laguna Beach,” Runagi said. He also recounted earlier efforts, including land purchases in Huntington Beach and work with Newport Beach, framed as long-term, collaborative steps to secure water.

Runagi said the city’s priorities are grounded in three “core competencies of government, which I see as public safety number one, infrastructure, and then government efficiency,” and he described the Fountain Valley well as an example of regional cooperation to achieve those goals.

He said the city is exploring ways to activate local assets such as the Irvine Bowl year-round and highlighted outreach to neighboring jurisdictions and the school district as part of broader collaboration. Runagi said he invited other local governments and the school district to participate in State of the City events, and credited that outreach with fostering constructive discussion.

On funding for infrastructure projects, Runagi said city staff have submitted funding applications and he has written to state and federal legislators seeking earmarks. He also noted the administration is considering “opportunities for revenue enhancement” to help pay for projects such as power-line undergrounding in the canyon, which he described as a safety priority.

Runagi framed many initiatives as collaborative efforts requiring outside partners, pointing to ongoing coordination with Newport Beach, the city’s water district and other agencies. He said those partnerships can “have a multiplier effect” on outcomes such as fire mitigation and water security.

Runagi characterized the mayor’s role as a convening position rather than a unilateral decision-making post, saying decisions are made collectively by the five-member City Council and implemented by the city manager. He described the council as engaged and optimistic about addressing long-standing challenges over the coming years.

The mayor’s remarks combined historical context with planned infrastructure and intergovernmental collaboration as the administration’s approach to protecting Laguna Beach’s character while addressing practical needs.