Mayor John Stephens and Mayor Pro-Tem Jeff Harlan attended the 10th anniversary event for the Urban Workshop last Saturday, July 13.

Located on Clinton Street near John Wayne Airport, the Urban Workshop is one of the largest DIY maker spaces in the nation offering adult classes and courses along with a STEM-based Youth Program for almost 300 students.

The mayor and mayor pro-tem presented a Certificate of Recognition to Founder and CEO Steve Trindade.

The workshop also just recently launched an American Welding Society certification training and testing and is one of the only drop in test sites in the State of California. 

Click here to learn more.

The Fairview Developmental Center (FDC) property is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to create much needed housing and open space. Join the City of Costa Mesa and fellow community members as we review: 

• Three different housing and open space conceptual plans based on community input. 

• Results of analyses on traffic impacts, required infrastructure, and financial feasibility of the concept plans. 

Ask questions, learn about each concept, and share your input on the FDC’s future plan. 

For more information visit our webpage here.

The City's next Municipal Election will be held on Nov. 5, 2024. The filing period begins today, July 15 and ends on Aug. 9.

If an incumbent does not file by Aug. 9, the filing period will be extended to Aug. 14 at 5 p.m., for candidates other than the incumbents. 

Costa Mesa voters will elect three residents to serve a four-year term on the City Council, one from Districts 1, 2, and 6. In addition, Costa Mesa voters will elect a Mayor to serve a two-year term. The City Council meets regularly on the 1st and 3rd Tuesday of the month with Study Sessions taking place on the second Tuesday of the month.

To become an official candidate for Council, an individual must be a registered voter in either District 1, 2 or 6, in the City of Costa Mesa, and must file the necessary documents with the City Clerk.

To become an official candidate for Mayor, an individual must be a registered voter in the City of Costa Mesa and must file the necessary documents with the City Clerk.

A Candidate Handbook, including Official Nomination Papers and Campaign Filing information, will be available by appointment with the City Clerk beginning today, Monday July 15.

To schedule your appointment, please call the City Clerk/Election Official, Brenda Green at (714) 754-5221 or via email at brenda.green@costamesaca.gov. 

For more information, visit our Elections Page here.  

For this and other jobs, please visit our website here.

As the Orange County Fair approaches, the Street Maintenance team is diligently preparing the surrounding areas for the influx of visitors.

Graffiti removal is a top priority, with pressure washing being used to clean areas along the bike path. Additionally, streets, signs, and markings are being painted to enhance visibility and safety, including median noses, traffic messages, and bike lane crosswalks.

Signs are placed in neighborhoods to discourage parking and assist the police department in managing traffic flow. Regular inspections are conducted to ensure the quality of work performed, with damaged items being promptly replaced or repaired.

The Street Maintenance team's efforts will help create a clean and organized environment for fair attendees to enjoy.

Roadway construction work along Adams Avenue and along Royal Palm Drive is now completed.

This work initially began with street grinding and then asphalt paving of the street, new striping and markings, and traffic loop installation. The new pavement will provide a more comfortable ride for drivers in this heavily traveled corridor.

The City appreciates the cooperation from all community stakeholders in making this project successful. The new street pavement will improve overall drivability, and the newly designed and implemented bicycle facilities conform to the City’s Active Transportation Plan (ATP) and will enhance connectivity.

The Public Works Department is committed to maintaining and enhancing the City’s infrastructure that will serve to improve the quality of life of the City’s residents, businesses, and stakeholders.

Mark your calendar for National Night Out 2024!

The Costa Mesa Police Department is cordially inviting you and your family to come out and enjoy National Night Out, a FREE fun-filled evening at Lions Park on Tuesday, Aug. 6, from 5 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. 

National Night Out promotes public safety, community partnerships, and neighborhood camaraderie to make our community a safer place to live.

Together, we can continue strengthening our Costa Mesa community!

¡Marque su calendario para National Night Out 2024!

El Departamento de Policía de Costa Mesa los invita cordialmente a National Night Out, un evento gratis y lleno de diversión para toda la familia en Lions Park, el martes 6 de agosto, de las 5 p.m.hasta las 7:30 p.m.

National Night Out es un evento que promueve la seguridad pública, las asociaciones comunitarias y la camaradería en la vecindad para hacer de nuestra comunidad un lugar más seguro para vivir.

¡Juntos podemos continuar fortaleciendo nuestra comunidad de Costa Mesa!

Are you ready to crash the OC Fair and join Orange County’s finest fire and police departments in helping support Children's Hospital of Orange County (CHOC)?

Motorhome Madness & Figure Eight Demolition Derby

is just a few weeks away, and every dollar donated will go directly to children in need at CHOC.

Please donate today, and come cheer on Costa Mesa Fire & Rescue Chief Dan Stefano and Costa Mesa Police Chief Ron Lawrence as they once again battle it out with fellow first responders all for a good cause at the main event on August 1 at the OC Fairgrounds.

Special Thanks to Dave Padua and the Southside Towing Team for their work on all of the cars and RV’s each year!

More information about the Motorhome Madness & Figure Eight Demolition Derby:

• Dates: July 31, Aug. 1 and 4
• Time: 8 p.m.
• Tickets/Event Details raiseup.choc.org/derby.

Check out the Chiefs promoting this fundraising event here.

For the last couple of weekends, Costa Mesa Police Department (CMPD) officers have been working with Huntington Beach Police Department (HBPD) HB1 pilots to familiarize officers with their Air Support Unit.

On the helipad and in the briefing room, HBPD Officer Deliema provided training about the Unit for our officers.

HB1 is the helicopter used to support patrol officers on the ground, to assist with perimeters in search of suspects, and other potential high-risk calls for service.

Huntington Beach has contracted HB1 services with CMPD for years, and both agencies remain cognizant about flight noise and impacts to the community, which is why this type of training is important.

CMFR’s Cal OES Type 1 (All Hazard/Structure) Engine was demobilized from the Lake Fire over the weekend and returned to the city, while the Type 3 (All Hazard /Wildland) Engine & Battalion Chief (Strike Team Leader) were part of a complete Strike Team and crew rotation. 

A Strike Team (crew/personnel) rotation is a standard procedure used to ensure crew/personnel health, safety, and continuity of operations. It provides opportunity for fresh crews and personnel to seamlessly transition into an active incident.

On the larger, extended mutual aid assignments, the standard crew rotation is generally between 7-10 days, depending on proximity and access, but can be as long as 14-21 days. 

CMFR’s new Type 3 (All Hazard/Wildland) Engine and crew transitioned into the Lake Fire incident earlier this week and were reassigned Wednesday, July 17 to the 2024 SQF Lightning Complex Fire in Sequoia National Forest, east of Porterville and northeast of Bakersfield.  

A "complex fire" is generally identified as two or more fires located in the same vicinity that may spread and expand to larger fires

.

All CMFR crews are doing well, including those who have returned. For additional information on the over 25-plus active wildland fire incidents in the state, please click on the state’s fire incident status link for further detail:

https://www.fire.ca.gov/incidents.

On Monday July 15, the Costa Mesa Fire & Rescue CERT class completed its six-week course and officially graduated, commencing completion of a simulated search and rescue incident held at the Norma Hertog Community Center.

This class featured 15 Estancia High School Medical Academy students, in addition to seven adult community members. 

The course featured nine separate units highlighting disaster preparedness, disaster medical operations, disaster psychology, fire safety, utility control, light search and rescue, terrorism, and CERT triage.

Throughout the course, various personnel members from Costa Mesa Fire & Rescue assisted Fire Protection Specialist/CERT Program Manager Ryan Meadors in teaching the units as well as demonstrating exercises and skills. 

CMFR personnel who assisted with teaching the Light Search & Rescue and Medical Operations 1 unit included Fire Captain Fred McDowell, Firefighter/Paramedic Robert Rondinella and Firefighter Jeremy Jiminez who assisted with the various skills exercises. Disaster Medical Operations 2 was taught by Captain John Heunemann, Engineer Brian Brown, Firefighter/Paramedic Giovanni Laplaca and Firefighter Blake Cole, who assisted with the hands-on skills portion of the unit. 

The CERT students were also fortunate enough to have a visit from CMPD Officer Jon Smith who gave a presentation and background of the Terrorism Unit, in conjunction with Delcie Hynes our Emergency Services Manager, who taught the Disaster Preparedness Unit. CERT Program Manager Ryan Meadors taught Disaster Psychology, Fire Safety, Utility Controls, CERT Organization, and the Final Triage Exercise. 

On July 15, prior to their graduation ceremony, students were required to showcase the skills they had acquired, which included addressing hazards such as extinguishing fires and turning off utilities, running medical operations at the triage area, and searching a building for survivors while properly triaging victims.

CERT students were properly taught how to use an FRS radio, which was in use for the entire duration of the training. ME83 Captain Mark Geiger, Engineer Donnie Soldan, Firefighter Paramedic Brandon Medeck, and Firefighter Paramedic Portia Neale were able to stop by during 2 of the 3 rounds of the exercise.

During this time, the entire crew briefed the CERT class and offered advice on what they saw and what could be improved on. To conclude the night, Fire Battalion Chief Vasin presented students with their class certificates in addition to administering the Oath of Office to all of our new volunteers.

For more information about future CERT classes, please contact Fire Protection Specialist Ryan Meadors at (714) 754-5654 or ryan.meadors@costamesaca.gov.

During the Fourth of July holiday, Costa Mesa Fire & Rescue members were active in all areas of Operations and Community Risk Reduction (CRR) activities, working closely with CMPD, the city’s Building Division, and a number of city departments ensuring that the community’s safety remained the highest priority.  

In addition to an active operational response and support from Costa Mesa’s firefighters, (which included upstaffing and the deployment of Fire Investigators/Arson Task Force included a robust effort by the Community Risk Reduction Division working shoulder to shoulder with Operations.

The risk reduction team played a vital role in fire and life safety activities. One shining example of this included Fire Protection Specialist Ryan Meadors, Code Enforcement Officer Luke Senger, and Assistant Fire Marshal Nikki Johnson providing technical fire safety expertise at the firework show held at the Mesa Verde Country Club.

During the event, a collective effort by CMFR personnel also included a thorough inspection of the carnival rides, band stages, public tents, and the fireworks display to ensure everything was in compliance with fire and life safety standards.

On Sunday, July 14, approximately eight volunteers from the UEKI Art Tree Trimming Club of America trimmed the bonsai trees in the City’s Japanese garden at the north end of City Hall (located near the Council Chambers). 

Traditionally, the non-profit club, which was created in 1978, provides this service annually to the City to keep the tradition of Japanese Ueki trimming alive and to educate the community.

Ueki (planted trees) style is a Japanese arboriculture process of trimming and shaping in-ground landscape trees into beautiful works of art.

According to the group, “having a long-term plan and visualizing the growth of the tree will determine how the trimming will be implemented. 

It takes time, patience, and love of the garden to produce artful UEKI trees.” 

The City of the Arts is happy to welcome this incredible group back to produce their artistic tree trimming in the City’s Japanese garden.

Public Works staff will install a temporary two-way cycle track on Placentia Avenue to encourage biking and walking to the final two Concerts in the Park on Tuesday, July 23 and Tuesday, July 30.

The temporary two-way cycle track on the west side of Placentia Avenue from Fairview Park to Victoria Street will be ready for walkers and bikers starting at noon and taken down after the concert ends on Tuesday night.

The Costa Mesa Police Department will assist with traffic operations on the day of the event. 

These one-day pop-up demonstration projects will provide increased space for biking and walking and separation from vehicles on the street. Hope you enjoy walking or rolling to the concert!

Watch this video taking a Flashback Friday look at our week one Concert In The Park performance by "Yachty by Nature," who sailed into Fairview Park and took the crowd on a musical voyage into the sunset.

Next up Tuesday, July 23 is the ever popular Tijuana Dogs, who always bring their "A" game to Fairview Park.

Be sure to walk, bike or rideshare if possible as there's sure to be a big crowd! For showtimes and details visit https://www.costamesaca.gov/community/annual-events/concerts-in-the-park

Check out our interview with Scotty McYachty here

On July 11, Beatriz Nunez the Education & Outreach Coordinator for the Council on Aging's Health Insurance Counseling and Advocacy Program, hosted an educational presentation on Medicare essentials at the Costa Mesa Senior Center.

The attendees learned about Medicare basics, benefits and Medicare Advantage plans.

For additional details about what Council on Aging offers, please visit their website at https://www.coasc.org/ or call their Orange County office at (714) 479-0107.

Movies in the Park scheduled for July 20.

Ready to Band Together? Join us for a magical evening with Trolls at the park. Activities start at 7 p.m., and the movie begins at 8:15 p.m.

Kids, dress up as Poppy or your favorite Troll and bring your family and friends for a night of fun!”

Bring back the ruffle suits and shoulder padded dresses for one night only please.

Access Costa Mesa is hosting a free ALL abilities friendly Night Under the Stars Dance.

• When: Friday, August 9, 2024
• Where: Costa Mesa Senior Center 695 West 19th St. 92627.
• Time: 6:30-9:30pm
• Ages: 14+
• No registration required. Call 714-754-5300 for more information.

Symphony on the Go! is a mobile community concert experience. Pacific Symphony brings a traveling stage to communities around Orange County.

The City of Costa Mesa is thrilled to host an upcoming concert.

All concerts are presented weather permitting. The public is encouraged to bring lawn chairs and blankets to the free outdoor concerts. Each concert is 50 minutes long.

The first concert will be held at 6:30 p.m. Aug. 24 at Heller Park.

Thank you to Orange County Supervisor, Katrina Foley for sponsoring Symphony on the Go! for this upcoming concert!

Mia is a 6-month-old, Female, Labrador Retriever/Shepherd Mix.

Mia is named after the legendary Olympic soccer player, this spirited pup is as energetic and vibrant as her namesake. Mia was originally found as a stray, and despite her charm, no one came forward to claim her.

Much like the soccer star, Mia Hamm (the pup) is a confident and social creature who loves everyone she meets. She's got a high energy level, making her a perfect match for an active lifestyle.

She is eagerly searching for her forever home! Mia Hamm is spayed and up to date on her vaccines, she is located at The Orphanage - Claremont (665 E. Foothill Blvd. Unit E Claremont, CA 91711) Tuesday through Friday 12 p.m. - 7 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday 12 p.m. - 5 p.m.).

For other adoptable pets, visit, pricelesspetrescue.org.