Six Questions with Director Fred Minagar

The OCCOG Governing Board includes 18 Orange County elected officials and nine ex-officio non-voting members who work together to represent Orange County’s interests in regional planning policy. Let’s meet Director Fred Minagar:

Q1: What area of Orange County do you represent for OCCOG?
A1: I represent SCAG District 12, which includes the cities of Aliso Viejo, Dana Point, Laguna Beach, Laguna Niguel, San Clemente and San Juan Capistrano.

Q2: What is your favorite thing about living in Orange County?
A2: It has the best climate in the country. After having travelled on business or pleasure to over 47 states from my home City of New York, I picked Orange County as the best place to move to in 1989!

Q3: What issue got you interested in becoming a city councilmember?
A3: I have served the Laguna Niguel community on commissions and boards for over 18 years. I served five terms on the City of Laguna Niguel’s Traffic and Transportation Commission as Chairman and Commissioner and also served four terms on the Laguna Niguel Planning Commission as Chairman and Commissioner. Because of my passion to serve the public in a higher capacity, I decided to run for the city council. I was honored and privileged to win my seat the first time back in 2014, and then by the unanimous vote of my city council colleagues, I was elected to serve as Mayor Pro Tem and Mayor in 2017. And subsequently, in 2018, I was re-elected, unopposed, to my second term to the council, serving as Mayor Pro Tem in 2020 and Mayor in 2021.

Q4: What is Laguna Niguel doing about the affordable housing issue?
A4: The City of Laguna Niguel has taken the issue of affordable housing very seriously. Over 10 years ago, when we were preparing our Gateway Specific Plan, we had to make sure that we include sufficient number of affordable housing units to comply and conform to the State’s and also the Federal requirements. We are very proud of meeting the State’s RHNA numbers.

Q5: What is Laguna Niguel’s best kept secret?
A5: Niguel Botanical Preserve, a Mediterranean Climate Demonstration Garden located at our Crown Valley Park. The Preserve is 18.2 acres that includes plant species collected from five areas of the world with climates similar to our own: Australia, Chile, South Africa, California/Baja California and countries bordering the Mediterranean Sea.

Q6: In the spirit of the New Year, what is one resolution or goal you’ve made for 2022?
A6: With resiliency making 2022 a banner year!