Mayor Lauren Kleiman delivered the annual State of the City address during the Mayor’s Dinner at VEA Newport Beach on Friday, Feb. 13, marking the City’s 120th anniversary and outlining key accomplishments focused on safety, service and community.
During the evening, Mayor Kleiman presented the Key to the City of Newport Beach to Los Angeles Dodgers’ World Series champion and MVP, Freddie Freeman, a Newport Beach resident, in recognition of his achievements and the pride he brings to the community.
Ashley Johnson, Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer for Visit Newport Beach, served as emcee and introduced Mayor Kleiman.
“I want to introduce someone who proves day after day that leadership can be smart, fearless and exceptionally well dressed,” said Johnson. “In her first months as mayor, she brought clarity, courage and momentum to the goal of setting a tone that reflects both where Newport Beach has been, and where we see it heading. She is a thoughtful decision maker, a tireless advocate for this community and a reminder that Newport Beach is led by a woman who is as formidable as she is fearless.”
After thanking her family for their support, Mayor Kleiman noted that “history was definitely not my favorite subject of school, but with the responsibility of holding a mayoral title as the city enters its 120th year, I began to reflect back on the leaders and visionaries who, across generations, have shaped our city into the vibrant and welcoming place that it is today.”
Among those she mentioned was Dora Hill, who in 1954 became the city’s first woman mayor.
“She transformed the city from a town run by the good old boys club, championing higher pay for police officers, and ushered in an era of professionalism, starting with
the city manager and the police chief,” said Kleiman. “She sent a clear message: don’t mess with Dora. Let me say how honored I am to be standing in Dora’s shoes.”
Kleiman’s address revolved around four guiding principles: Communication, Connectivity, Customer Service and Commitment to Public Safety, which the mayor rolled out last December when she assumed the office of Mayor.
For communication, Kleiman said the city has engaged two consulting firms.
“One to redesign and retool the city’s website, and another to launch two purpose driven social media campaigns to help tell our stories,” said Kleiman. One of those campaigns is “Not in Newport,” which reinforces law enforcement and deterrence. The other is “No Place Like Newport,” which Kleiman said “aims to highlight all the things that remind us why we love to live, work and play in this special city.”
For connectivity, efforts to improve cellular infrastructure are underway through updated policies and collaboration with major carriers.
For customer service, Kleiman said training will be offered to employees to interact with the public so that “we are providing top notch, Newport Beach level customer service.”
For commitment to public safety, the City is strengthening emergency preparedness and will soon break ground on the reconstruction of the historic Balboa Library Branch and Fire Station No. 1, reinforcing its long-term investment in public safety and essential services.
Kleiman also shared that overall crime in Newport Beach decreased 12.7 percent over the past year, alongside expanded Safety Enhancement Zones into Corona del Mar, additional Flock license plate reader cameras, increased School Resource Officer presence, continued investment in the Newport Beach Police Department’s Mounted Unit and the installation of Automated External Defibrillators (AED) in City parks. Continued progress was also reported in reducing homelessness through coordinated outreach and regional partnerships.
“Here are a few more things to get excited about,” said Kleiman. “We continue to stand on very solid ground financially, maintaining our AAA credit rating with positive revenue projections and conservative budgeting for inflationary impacts, and we’re on track to pay down unfunded pension liability.”
After thanking her council colleagues, city staff and department heads, Kliman shared a video that took its inspiration from “The Wizard of Oz” and covered the themes of “Not in Newport” and “There’s No Place Like Newport.”
After the video, Kleiman said “Now is the moment that you didn’t even know you were waiting for.”
Kleiman stated she was honoring a man who was the World Series MVP and helped the Dodgers secure back-to-back titles.
“He truly etched his name into history. He’s delivered unforgettable moments on the diamond and captured the hearts of fans. He can live anywhere, but chooses to raise his beautiful family in Newport Beach. It is with my great pleasure that I present this key to the city to Freddie Freeman.”
Freeman, the all-star first baseman for the Los Angeles Dodgers, came to the podium to accept his honor.
“I grew up in Orange County, born and raised in Villa Park and went to school in Orange,” said Freeman. “This is truly an honor. Newport Beach has been home for seven years now, so we love it here. Thank you for clapping for a Dodger.”
Freeman joked that receiving the award got him out of spring training for a few days.
“I do appreciate you—Newport will be home probably for the rest of my life.”
For more information, visit www.SpeakUpNewport.com.
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