Laguna Beach councilmember George Weiss and city clerk Ann Marie McKay were sworn into office at a small ceremony in the Council Chambers on Tuesday.
Mayor Bob Whalen and City Treasurer Laura Parisi were also administered the oath of office via Zoom after being re-elected by Laguna Beach voters.
Weiss was officially sworn-in Tuesday afternoon by former city clerk Lisette Chel-Walker during a private ceremony attended by his family and a few friends in front of Laguna Beach City Hall.
Wearing a blue shirt and mask, Weiss offered his first remarks as a newly-seated council member later that night.
“I want to be a city councilperson who works on both sides of the aisle, works with all the city council members with respect, with civility, and with a sense of cooperation for what is best for our city,” Weiss said.
In light of the pandemic, the only other councilmember on the dais was Peter Blake. Sue Kempf, Toni Iseman, and Whalen logged into the Zoom meeting from their respective homes.
Whalen’s oath of office was delayed by about an hour after a technical glitch prevented his computer’s camera from broadcasting. Gavin Curran, director of administrative services, drove an iPad over to his home so the public could see the mayor.
After successfully logging on, Whalen said Laguna Beach is set to endure a rough period because of COVID-19 that the community will have to work together on getting through it.
“No matter how many times you run—and Toni would certainly know this—it’s always very rewarding to have the trust of the people again and the opportunity to serve again,” Whalen said. “I’m looking forward to that. And I think we have some significant challenges ahead health-wise and financially as a city. I think we have a great group of council members to help guide through that effort.”
Councilmembers elected Whalen to serve a third consecutive term as mayor, citing his good performance in confronting multiple challenges prompted by the pandemic. Sue Kempf was elected by her colleagues to replace Steve Dicterow as Mayor Pro Tem.
Chel-Walker also swore-in her successor before departing the Council Chambers for the final time. McKay won the first competitive city clerk election in at least 20 years.
“You can’t see behind my mask but I have a huge smile,” McKay said. “I know I have big shoes to fill and I look forward to filling them.”
The City Council is expected to hold a special meeting for parliamentary procedure training at 5 p.m. on Dec. 15.
