Mayor Ray Genoway said at Laguna Niguel’s State of the City that the city expanded several public‑safety programs this year, including a larger volunteer wellness effort, drug take‑back and joint emergency preparedness work with county responders. "Serving as mayor of this remarkable community over the past year has been one of the great honors of my life," Genoway said, then highlighted program results.

The city’s You Are Not Alone (YANA) volunteer program grew substantially, Genoway said, with volunteer hours increasing fivefold over the prior year and volunteers conducting more than 450 wellness calls and visits to program participants. He described the program as offering "reassurance, connection, and a compassionate presence to those who need it the most." Mayor Pro Tem Johns also credited the city’s strategic, proactive approach to safety as a reason Laguna Niguel ranks among the safer California cities.

Officials also promoted the city’s year‑round prescription medication disposal service. Genoway said the program collected 165 pounds of unused or expired prescription medication during the past year. City leaders framed the service as a public‑health measure intended to reduce accidental access and potential misuse by children, teens and those struggling with substance use.

On preparedness, Genoway said the city hosted joint operation briefings and tabletop exercises ahead of wildfire season to coordinate response among the Orange County Sheriff’s Department, the Orange County Fire Authority and Laguna Niguel staff. He said the sessions were intended to strengthen interagency coordination so the city can "respond effectively in an emergency, when every second counts." The mayor and mayor pro tem described the exercises as part of the city’s broader emphasis on proactivity and planning.

Discussion: council remarks in the address framed these items as accomplishments rather than proposed new policy; no council vote on these programs was recorded in the State of the City presentation. Direction/next steps: continued volunteer recruitment and ongoing coordination with county agencies were presented as operational priorities. Decision: none recorded during the speech itself.

Why this matters: the programs target vulnerable residents and emergency readiness, and the city presented specific participation and collection numbers to document expanded scale.

Looking ahead, officials said the city will continue outreach to recruit volunteers, operate the disposal program, and run preparedness exercises with county partners.