'Let’s Get To Work': Chris Anstead Elected Mayor, Jeremy Wolf Sworn In

AGOURA HILLS, CA — Agoura Hills said goodbye to long-time council member Denis Weber Wednesday as newly elected council member Jeremy Wolf and re-elected council members Chris Anstead and Deborah Klein Lopez took on new roles.

At a city council meeting chock full with local leaders, Anstead assumed the position of Mayor and Illece Buckley Weber Mayor Pro Tem with unanimous and excited votes from their peers.

Anstead, Lopez and Wolf all won their election bids for council in November. Lopez was the top vote-getter with 5,693 votes, or 29.48 percent of the vote, followed by Wolf with 5,442 votes, or 28.18 percent. Anstead took the third open spot with 4,142 votes, or 21.45 percent of the vote. Weber did not run for re-election.

Farewell, Mayor Lopez

Although she's staying on council, Lopez looked back on her year as mayor, evaluating a number of the priorities she set last year including public health, climate change and improving the city's communications.

Lopez, who grew up in Agoura Hills, was first elected to council in 2018. This was her first term as mayor.

"I closed my comments last year with this quote, and I'll do it again. It's an honor and a privilege to be mayor of your town, but it's a double blessing to be mayor of the town you grew up in, the town that shaped you," Lopez said, noting she grew up "with" the city.

The city made major environmental strides this year, eliminating 58.8 million pounds of greenhouse gas emissions by switching primarily to clean energy with the Clean Power Alliance, Lopez said. This reduction in emissions is equivalent to planting 480,000 trees or taking 5,700 gas powered cars off the road, Lopez said. The city also passed its first environmental roadmap to lead efforts including making the city more bike-friendly and electrification.

"We're a leader in this field and it shows you how much one city can have as an impact,” Lopez said.

Open space and wildlife, as always, was a key focus for Lopez. As the fate of Los Angeles' beloved mountain lion P-22 hangs in the balance, Lopez celebrated the groundbreaking of the massive Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing.

"We did it," Lopez said. "The eyes of the world were on Agoura Hills. ... This week we got some very concerning news about the face of that project, the mountain lion known as P-22, as he ages in an ever-shrinking habitat. As he, our entire mountain lion population and other species suffer, this crossing can't come soon enough."

Housing and land use were defining issues of Lopez's mayoral tenure as the city passed its state-mandated housing plan, which required the city to accommodate for a projected massive increase in housing demand.

Chris Anstead On Inspiration, Goals

Anstead set priorities for his mayoral term, putting the safety and wellness of residents at the top of the list.

Anstead will look to further strengthen the city's relationship with its law enforcement, local businesses, schools and homeowners' associations, he said. He will continue regular mayor's roundtables to understand residents' needs, and he will work to ensure the safety of Agoura Hills' students at school and en route. This will be bolstered with significant focus on traffic, pedestrian and bike safety, Anstead said.

Following such isolating years during the pandemic, Anstead will look to further improve local parks and recreational programming, he said.

Anstead was inspired by his parents to become civically engaged. His mother was a middle school teacher and became the first woman on their local college board of trustees. She also worked as an advocate for "troubled children," Anstead said. His father put him self through college to ultimately become the 50th Chief Justice of the Florida Supreme Court.

"My parents' sacrifice in public service have been the biggest factors in my life," Anstead said.

Anstead joined city council in 2018 after his third campaign attempt, he said, with a lighthearted reminder for city council hopefuls to remain optimistic. He had previously served on the city's planning commission. Anstead moved to Agoura in 2007 and enjoyed the good schools, open space and scenic casing of the Santa Monica Mountains so much he wanted to give back with community involvement.

“As my children grew up here, they would affectionately refer to Agoura as "the bubble," because everything always seems perfect in Agoura Hills,” Anstead said.

Agoura's Youngest City Council Member

Wolf assumed the title of Agoura Hills' youngest city council member after 10 years of working with the local community. His civic engagement in Agoura Hills started with a creek clean-up event, which would become one of Agoura Hills' most beloved and environmentally impactful community programs.

Wolf has remained engaged in the Agoura Hills community, most recently working as the District Director for state Senator Henry Stern and Chair of the Agoura Hills Planning Commission.

Wolf will work to balance Agoura Hills' village-like and rural feel while meeting projected housing demand, he said. He is committed to maintaining the city's open spaces and prioritizing sustainability through creative, "nature-based" solutions to climate change, Wolf said.

"I can't wait to hit the ground running to serve the residents of this amazing city," Wolf said. "Working together over the next four years, I can' wait to bring my passion, my vision and my enthusiasm to this council."

After addressing his new colleagues one-by-one and thanking them for inspiring him, Wolf offered his fellow council members a call to action:

"Let's get to work," Wolf said.