Costa Mesa’s State of the City luncheon, sponsored by the Costa Mesa Chamber of Commerce, brought community members together for an important conversation about the city’s past decade and the opportunities ahead.

The luncheon was held Tuesday, Oct. 27 at the Costa Mesa Hilton.

Stu News Publisher Tom Johnson moderated a panel featuring Mayor John Stephens, Mayor Pro Tem Manuel Chavez, Council Members Arlis Reynolds and Andrea Marr, Police Chief Joyce LaPointe, Interim Fire Chief Jason Pyle, Director of Public Works Raja Sethuraman and Neighborhood Improvement Manager Nate Robbins.

Also in attendance was Council Members Mike Buley and Loren Gameros, City Manager Cecilia Gallardo-Daly, Assistant City Manager Alma Reyes, IT Director Steve Ely, Parks & Community Services Director Brian Gruner, Community Development Director Carrie Tai, City Clerk Brenda Green and several city, fire and police staff members.

Together, the panel reflected on the City Council’s accomplishments over the past 10 years and shared insights on the future of Costa Mesa.

The Orange County Registrar of Voters will open five Vote Centers in Costa Mesa starting Saturday, Oct. 31 that will be open through Election Day, Tuesday Nov. 3.

The addition of the five centers makes six in Costa Mesa as the Senior Center opened last Saturday, Oct. 24.

Stop by to vote in person or drop off your completed ballot. The Vote Centers offer a convenient location for our community to participate in the election.

The Vote Centers can be found in the following locations:

• Balearic Community Center
• Costa Mesa City Hall 
• Costa Mesa Senior Center
• Norma Hertzog Community Center
• Orange Coast College Student Union
• Sofia University

Vote Center Hours

October 31 – November 2: 10:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.

November 3 (Election Day): 7:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m.

refer to drop off your ballot? Official Orange County ballot drop boxes in Costa Mesa are OPEN 24/7 until Election Day!

Mesa Verde Branch Library

TeWinkle Park Athletic Complex

The Esplanade

Mesa Water District

Boys & Girls Club

You can also vote by mail! It’s easy, safe, and secure.

Have questions? Contact the Orange County Registrar of Voters at 714-567-7600 or visit ocvote.gov for more information .

At the Oct. 20 meeting, the City Council declared October as Breast Cancer Awareness Month. 

Dr. Wade Smith, a medical oncologist and hematologist specializing in breast cancer treatment and research at City of Hope Orange County accepted the council proclamation that evening.

Dr. Smith is also an Assistant Clinical Professor at City of Hope, where his research focuses on advancing immunotherapy treatments, particularly for breast cancers that are resistant to chemotherapy. His work is helping bring innovative treatments from the research laboratory directly to patients, offering new hope to those facing this disease.

Click here to watch the entire meeting.

Thank you to everyone who joined us for the ribbon-cutting celebration of Café Mesa and see this new chapter begin at Lions Park.

The ribbon cutting event drew a big crowd and was attended by Supervisor Katrina Foley, Mayor John Stephens, Mayor Pro Tem Manuel Chavez, Council Member Arlis Reynolds, city and police staff, commissioners and of course the owner of Neat Coffee, Ally Garvin who along with her husband David will operate Café Mesa.

Currently the Cafe is open Thursday–Sunday 9 a.m.–5 p.m.

Be sure to follow Neat at Lions Park on social media for updates on hours of operation and all the latest Café Mesa news.

Here’s to great coffee, community connections, and exciting things ahead! 

Rain is in the forecast over the next few days.To combat potential flooding around your home or business, the city’s maintenance service crews have made sandbags available for free to Costa Mesa residents in the southeast corner of the City Hall parking lot at 77 Fair Drive.

The location is self-service and bringing your own shovel is suggested as supplies could be limited. The number of sandbags is limited to 15 sandbags per household. No commercial use please.

Drivers should avoid the following flood-prone intersections:

• 17th Street and Pomona Avenue
• 19th Street and Anaheim Avenue
• Canyon Drive and Wilson Street

Safety reminders:

• Do not drive through flooded roadways.
• Obey barricades and posted road closures.
• Do not park in posted “No Parking” areas.
• Avoid walking in areas where surfaces are not visible.

Report flooding to 714-754-5252 or use the Costa Mesa 311 app. For life-threatening emergencies Call 9-1-1.

Mayor John Stephens attended a ribbon-cutting ceremony for Ambitious Ales on Oct. 23 hosted by the Costa Mesa Chamber of Commerce.

Founded in 2012, Ambitious Ales opened its first brewery in Long Beach in 2019 and has since earned recognition for its craft beers.

The event marked the brewery's expansion into Costa Mesa, where Mayor Stephens joined the Chamber and community members in welcoming the business, and presented the business with a Certificate of Recognition.

Mayor Stephens attended the Snell & Wilmer Orange County office open house to celebrate the law firm's newly renovated office space.

During the event, Mayor Stephens presented a Certificate of Recognition on behalf of the City of Costa Mesa, recognizing the firm's continued presence in the community and its commitment to fostering strong relationships with local businesses and organizations.

This Hallow-Weekend, make sure you keep your family and frightfully safe by following these safety tips.

Have a Happy Halloween, from your spooky friends at the City of Costa Mesa!

Costa Mesa Police Department welcomed two new officers to the team this week.

The first is Officer Matt Peralta, who graduated from the OC Sheriff’s Basic Academy Class 272 after 26 weeks of intensive instruction. He earned the Practical Applications award and ranked 4th overall out of 31 recruits.

Before becoming an officer, Peralta was a police traffic cadet in Costa Mesa. Officer Peralta will now start the Field Training Program, where he’ll get hands on experience with Field Training Officers before he patrols solo.

Also joining the team is Officer Edgar Bernabe. Officer Barnabe also graduated from OCSA last week.

Bernabe previously served in the US Marine Corps as a Reservist/Military Police Officer. Prior to joining CMPD, he was a Deputy Sheriff with the Los Angeles Sheriff's Department.

At the last quarterly Organized Retail Theft Training, Costa Mesa PD hosted for retail asset protection personnel.

The department leaders discussed information sharing, collaborative investigative efforts, and strategies to combat organized retail theft and other crimes affecting the retail industry.

The team also discussed current crime trends, identified organized crime groups, recent investigative developments, and strategies to reduce retail theft and financial losses.

The training brought together asset protection professionals from several South Coast Plaza retailers.

Representatives from the Orange County District Attorney’s Office Organized Crime Unit, the Irvine Police Department’s Spectrum Center Detail, and the Newport Beach Police Department’s Fashion Island Detail were om attendance.

Representatives from the Orange County District Attorney’s Office also provided insight into their role in prosecuting organized retail crime cases.

Through continued collaboration, training, and information sharing, the PD team remains committed to strengthening investigative efforts, holding offenders accountable, and creating a safer shopping environment for the community.

As Crime Prevention Month comes to an end, Costa Mesa Police leaders thanked Crime Prevention Specialist Jenette Martinez for what she does every day.

Through programs like Citizens Academy and Neighborhood Watch, residents learn safety tips, how to mitigate crime in their neighborhood, and gain an understanding of all aspects of the police department.

Events like Coffee with a Cop and National Night Out give the department an opportunity to meet and speak with residents in an easy-going setting.

Thank you, to all Crime Prevention Specialists for giving residents preventative tools to use against crime.

Thank you to everyone who came by on Saturday, October 24, to participate in National Drug Take Back by bringing in their unwanted, unused, and expired medications.

This year we collected six boxes of unwanted drugs. If you missed Drug Take Back this weekend, we will see you at the next one in 2027

CMFR Mesa Truck 86 recently conducted truck company operations, with a focus on aerial ladder deployment, ground ladder deployment, and vertical ventilation. 

The crew furthered their proficiency carrying, raising, climbing, and securing ground ladders while reinforcing safe operating practices. 

Vertical ventilation training emphasized building construction associated with commercial buildings and included the use of chainsaws on the CMFR commercial roof prop.

Through realistic and hands-on training evolutions, crews strengthened their teamwork, and communication while performing critical truck company assignments.

Each evolution reinforced the importance of discipline, coordination and sound decision-making on the fireground.

Costa Mesa Fire & Rescue emphasizes the critical role of working smoke alarms in your home. When you change your clocks this Sunday, Nov. 1 for the end of Daylight Saving Time please note this is the perfect opportunity to change your batteries and check your smoke alarms as well. 

Every home needs working smoke alarms to provide an early warning. Smoke alarms should be installed in all sleeping rooms, hallways that lead to sleeping areas, basements and each additional level of your home.

Make it a habit to test them monthly and make sure you have a clear and simple plan for any emergency that you practice as a family and team!

To learn more about Fire Prevention Week or if you would like guidance on installing, testing, or replacing smoke alarms please visit www.nfpa.org/Events/Fire-Prevention-Week.

Restoration work at TeWinkle Park lower lake is nearing the final stages. The lake liner has been installed along with the pouring of the concrete abutments along the shoreline. 

The final phases include the planting of aquatic vegetation, along with refilling the lower lake, which is scheduled for mid-to-late November.

Upon completion, both the upper and lower lakes will be restored for the entire public to enjoy.

The Public Works Department appreciates the public’s continued interest and support throughout this restoration project of TeWinkle Park lakes.

On Oct. 29, staff from the Public Works Department were invited to Estancia High School to serve as panelists and evaluate capstone projects presented by engineering students.

Breanna Najera is the school teacher for the Engineering Design & Development class available to high school seniors.

The students were tasked with presenting their capstone project highlighting the problem, research efforts, ideas generation, design criteria and prototypes, testing, and opportunities for improvement. 

The students finished with final recommendations and next steps.

Public Works staff from the Maintenance and Transportation Services Divisions listened to the students’ presentations and provided valuable feedback on the solutions.

Dr. David Martinez, the Estancia High School Principal, expressed his appreciation to the Public Works team for its contributions to advancing the students’ knowledge and capabilities.

The Public Works Department is proud to continue its collaboration with the Newport-Mesa Unified School District and local schools.

We are excited to help nurture local talent and inspire the next generation of engineers who may one day pursue careers with the City and contribute to the betterment of our community.

Two events, one #CostaMazing community!

From the Spooks & Spirits Dance Party, celebrating our all-abilities community, to Teen Scream Movie Night featuring “Five Nights at Freddy’s 2,” a fun and spooky space was created for local teens.

The City of Costa Mesa is all about bringing people together.

A HUGE shout-out to the Parks & Community Services team for always going above and beyond to create meaningful experiences, foster connections, and meet the diverse needs of every part of our community.