Mayor Alex Renaghi said Laguna Beach's recent special City Council closed session focused on active'shooter training and a site'security assessment for the council chambers.
Renaghi told host Tom Johnson the council authorized him to disclose that the closed session was not convened because of a specific imminent crisis at City Hall. He said Chief Calvert organized the session and the city invited an outside expert with experience at multiple government levels, including the U.S. Secret Service, to brief council members and staff on threat assessment and response.
"There's a reason, of course, why you wouldn't wanna do something like that in public," Renaghi said, adding that the city's goal was to protect council members, city staff and the public.
Renaghi described the topic as an "evolving conversation" and said officials would pursue ideas and plans to make the council chambers safer while hoping that the extra precautions are never needed.
The mayor did not provide additional operational details about the security assessment, citing the sensitive nature of such precautions. No formal council vote or staff report on the training was provided in the conversation; Renaghi said the closed'session format was the reason for limited public detail.