Aliso Viejo

Aliso Viejo is a city in Orange County, California. It has a population of 40,166 as of the 2000 census and an estimated population as of 2010 of 46,123. It became Orange County’s 34th city on July 1, 2001, the only city in the county to incorporate since 2000. It is bordered by the cities of Laguna Beach on the west and southwest, Laguna Hills on the east, Laguna Niguel on the southeast, and Laguna Woods on the north.

History

Aliso Viejo had been an unincorporated community since around 1990, and incorporated as a city in 2001 due to the efforts of the Aliso Viejo Cityhood 2000 Committee, which was responsible for introducing an initiative on the ballot for the 2001 special election. Voters passed the initiative with 93.3% in favor of incorporation. Carmen Vali-Cave, the co-founder and president of the Committee, became the new city’s first mayor.

The original city council consisted of Carmen Vali-Cave, Cynthia Pickett, Bill Phillips, Karl Warkomski, and Greg Ficke. The council selected Vali-Cave to serve as the city’s first mayor, and Pickett as the city’s first mayor pro tem. Vali-Cave and Pickett served as the mayor and mayor pro tem from 2001 to 2002. In 2003, Pickett became mayor with Phillips as mayor pro tem.

In 2004, City Councilmen Karl Warkomski, Bill Phillips, and Greg Ficke faced re-election. All three candidates were re-elected for four more years on council. Other candidates included Todd Gillespie and Don Garcia. In 2004, Phillips served as the city’s mayor with Warkomski as mayor pro tem. In 2005, Warkomski served as mayor with Carmen Vali-Cave as mayor pro tem. In 2006, Vali-Cave served as mayor with Cynthia Pickett-Adams as mayor pro tem. In November 2006, Carmen Vali-Cave and Cynthia Pickett-Adams were re-elected to four-year terms.

In January 2007, Adams again assumed office as the city’s mayor with Vali-Cave, again, as the city’s mayor pro tem. In February 2007, Councilman Warkomski resigned from office unexpectedly and the council appointed Don Garcia to his position. In March 2007, Phillip Tsunoda was appointed to fill the vacancy left by the departure of Cynthia Adams. Vali-Cave was made mayor and Bill Phillips mayor pro tem after Adams’ departure. In 2008, Bill Phillips assumed office as mayor with Don Garcia serving as mayor pro tem. Don Garcia became the mayor in 2009 with Phillip Tsunoda as mayor pro tem

Geography

Aliso Viejo is located at 33°34′30″N 117°43′32″W / 33.575°N 117.72556°W / 33.575; -117.72556 (33.575096, -117.725431) in the San Joaquin Hills of Orange County. According to the Censis Bureau, the CDP has a total area of 10.2 square miles (26.5 km²), all of which is land. Aliso Viejo is one of several cities bordering Aliso and Wood Canyons Regional Park. Aliso Creek forms part of the city’s boundary with Laguna Niguel to the south, and Wood Canyon Creek forms part of the city’s western boundary. Much of the city rests on the east slope of the San Joaquin Hills, which are a coastal mountain range extending for about 15 miles (24 km) along the Pacific coast