Join Costa Mesa Mayor John Stephens and the City Council on Tuesday, May 2 as they recognize both the Vanguard University Men's Volleyball and Beach Volleyball teams for claiming NAIA National Championship crowns.

The Council is also going consider the status of the model aircraft flying activity at Fairview Park.

See agenda below:

The City of Costa Mesa held a successful Earth Day Festival on Saturday April 22.

About 200 members of the public attended the event along with Mayor John Stephens, Mayor Pro-Tem Jeff Harlan and Council Members Andrea Marr, Manuel Chavez and Arlis Reynolds, who took part in a tree-planting ceremony.

Also attending were State Sen. Dave Min, Assembly Member Cottie Petrie-Norris and County Supervisor Katrina Foley.

Thanks to the City's Green Team for organizing the event and all the Staff, vendors and City partners, who helped make the day such a success.

On Sunday, April 23, Council Member Arlis Reynolds and City staff attended the Dia de los Niños Community Resource Fair in the Fillmore community in front of Paularino Elementary School. 

The event, hosted by Costa Mesa Unidos, was a free outdoor event and a fun-filled day of community-building and connecting families to the resources needed for the local community. 

Council Member Reynolds visited the organization booths, like Project Food Box, Orange County Human Relations, the Autism Foundation, and many more! 

The City of Costa Mesa has formally submitted comments to the State of California’s Department of General Services, regarding the State’s proposed project to revamp a portion of the Fairview Developmental Center site and turn it into a new Cal OES Southern Region Emergency Operations Center.

Click here to read the City’s response.

The preliminary project proposal would potentially include a 35,000-square-foot office building, a 20,000-square-foot warehouse, vehicle maintenance bay, a helipad and a 100-foot lattice communication tower with 20-foot tall antennas.

The City and the office of Assembly Member Cottie Petrie-Norris were instrumental in requesting that the deadline for comments be extended until April 17 and will continue to work closely with the state and advocate on behalf of the residents of Costa Mesa.

Click here to read the comment letter from Assembly Member Petrie-Norris.

Check back on the webpage below for further updates and information:

State law now requires multi-family units in Costa Mesa to separate their recyclables in order to keep them out of the landfill. 

Did you know that beverage containers offer a unique incentive to recycle due to the California Redemption Value (CRV) you pay when purchasing beverages from a store?

These CRV funds are then paid out when you redeem these containers at a recycling center. Redeem your CRV funds by recycling at a local recycling center such as the Orange Coast College Recycling Center!

Learn more about the the Orange Coast College Recycling Center: https://orangecoastcollege.edu/community/recycling-center.

Learn more about Beverage Container Recycling in Costa Mesa below:  

This week, the Costa Mesa Police Department would like to highlight one arrest and stolen property returned to a happy resident!

Early on April 25, Officer Jacobi responded to two different thefts from vehicles on the same block. Stolen property included bank records, checks, a leaf blower valued at over $2,800.00, and other personal property.

One of the victims had camera footage of the theft that was shared with Officer Jacobi.

About an hour and a half later, Officer Jacobi recognized the suspect in possession of a stolen backpack in the area of 17th Street.

The suspect initially lied about his name, but Officer Jacobi was able to determine the suspect was on parole and had outstanding arrest warrants.

The suspect was arrested before detectives from the Special Investigations Unit assisted Officer Jacobi in locating the suspect's motel room.

Inside the motel room, they found the leaf blower, checks, and other property belonging to both victims.

Pictured here is Officer Jacobi and one of the victims with his property. He was so happy and thankful for Officer Jacobi's great police work!

National Drug Take Back Day was on Saturday, April 22.

Our CSS Diane and explorers were on hand to accept expired, unused, unwanted prescriptions, over the counter medicine, vitamins, supplements, pet medicine, and liquid medicine at the Costa Mesa PD parking lot. This is a national DEA event so other nearby police departments also participated.

The Costa Mesa Police Department would like to thank the residents who stopped by to drop off the medication.

A total of 61 pounds was collected.

Those who couldn’t make it on that Saturday, the Walgreens on Superior has a drop box where you can dispose of non-controlled medications year round during business hours.

The Costa Mesa Police Department (CMPD) will be conducting a driving under the influence (DUI) and driver’s license checkpoint on Friday, April 28 from 8 p.m. to 2 a.m. within the city limits.

Checkpoint locations are determined based on data showing incidents of impaired driving-related crashes.

The primary purpose of DUI checkpoints is not to make arrests, but to promote public safety by distributing educational information and by taking suspected impaired drivers off the road.

“Impaired driving is preventable,” Lt. Stephanie Selinske said. “It’s a choice. If you’ve been drinking or taking drugs that impair, make the right choice by finding a sober driver or alternate transportation to take you places.”

“Our preference is to have zero DUI drivers on our roadways and that those who decide to drink do so responsibility by always having a designated driver,” said Chief Ron Lawrence. “DUI checkpoints are a way to educate our community and our hope is people learn to plan ahead with alternative transportation when out drinking.”

CMPD reminds the public that impaired driving is not just from alcohol. Some prescription medications and over-the-counter drugs may interfere with driving. Always follow directions for use and read warning labels about driving. While medicinal and recreational marijuana are legal, driving under the influence of marijuana is illegal.

Drivers caught driving impaired and charged with a first-time DUI face an average of $13,500 in fines and penalties, as well as a suspended license.

Funding for this checkpoint is provided to CMPD by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Over the last two weeks, Costa Mesa Fire & Rescue (CMFR) hosted five sessions of Regional Urban Search and Rescue Training, with attendance from other departments from around the county.

CMFR had USAR Teams from Orange County Fire Authority, Orange City, Anaheim, and Huntington Beach in attendance and gained valuable training time honing their skills on several tasks.

The drill consisted of rescuing three patients from a rubbish pile post a catastrophic earthquake. 

Each exercise required 25-30 personnel to recover the victims from underneath the simulated rubble successfully.

This ongoing training is invaluable because it allows the teams to train and gain familiarity with each other so that when a real-world event strikes, they work as a cohesive team. 

After using the training prop for this regional training opportunity, CMFR crews will continue to cycle through the prop and hone their skills on USAR skills.

CMFR is fortunate to have a USAR Unit in our city, and having continued exposure and familiarization with all the tools is a benefit that we have here in Costa Mesa.

A notable acknowledgement of thanks to Costa Mesa Fire Captain John Heunemann for his leadership in developing and guiding the regional training, as well as Battalion Chief Tim Vasin, who played serves as CMFR’s USAR Regional liaison and coordinated bringing all of the USAR from the teams to Orange County.

Costa Mesa Fire & Rescue (CMFR) recently hosted a training on Multi Casualty Incidents and Trauma Care for all crews, developed and led by CMFR’s EMS Manager/Fire Captain Justin Horner.

As part of CMFR consistent annual training approach and strong partnership with the City and Costa Mesa Police Department, personnel from Costa Mesa Police Department and the Telecommunications center also attended. 

The partnership between both public safety departments and crossover on these types on incidents makes it imperative that personnel from both departments train frequently to ensure strong service and best practices remain the focal point. 

Costa Mesa Fire & Rescue (CMFR) joined Costa Mesa’s Earth Day Celebration and Education event this past Saturday.

The team is happy to support the outstanding work done by the City’s Team of Public Works, Parks & Community Services, the City Manager’s Office, and the many valued community groups who made the day a great success!

As we enter into the warmer weather and outdoor activities, Costa Mesa Fire & Rescue reminds residents of the ABC’s of pool safety: 

A – Adult Supervision

B – Barriers

C – Classes (swim and CPR)

In the case of a drowning situation, remember that CPR initiated prior to emergency medical services arriving can increase the likelihood of survival.

CPR certification classes for parents and caretakers are available through the American Heart Association, American Red Cross and by other CPR Providers. Classes are both online/in-person and are fee-based. Hands-only CPR is a simple skill to learn.

The rescuer calls 9-1-1 and applies compressions in the center of the chest to an unconscious person who does not respond to touch or voice interactions.

See our video at https://www.costamesaca.gov/city-hall/city-departments/parks-and-community-services/aquatics-program/water-safety.

Adults too can drown. A medical condition, injury or related event can occur while swimming or lounging in a spa alone.

These events are common causes of adult drowning incidents across the county every year. Adults should limit all activities near the water if they are alone, under the influence of alcohol or any type of drug or medication. 

Drowning is preventable – Never swim alone.

On the morning of Wednesday, May 3, the City of Costa Mesa will kick off its annual Bike to School Day events.

The first round of scheduled events is planned for that day at College Park, Kaiser, Killybrooke, Paularino, Wilson, Whittier and Woodland Elementary Schools.

Bike to School Day invites students, faculty, and guardians to travel as a group to school by bicycle from a pre-determined meeting point and celebrate the joy of active commuting while building a sense of community and school spirit.

The events coincide with Costa Mesa’s rapid expansion of bicycle infrastructure and the associated burgeoning increase in bicycle ridership.

These events can be powerful tools to inspire lasting change in the community and develop lifelong car-free and car-light transportation habits.

City and Newport Mesa Unified School District staff, the Costa Mesa Police Department, and parent-teacher organizations will be on hand along with elected officials and members of the Active Transportation Committee to pass out educational material and other giveaways. 

A second round of Bike to School Day events is planned for additional elementary schools on May 10.

These popular events are an important part of the Public Works Department’s ongoing efforts to promote safe and active transportation opportunities for students and their families. 

On Wednesday, April 26, Public Works staff, along with its consultant, conducted its second Storm Drain Master Plan community meeting via teleconference. The first community meeting was held last year on June 16, 2022.

The staff made a presentation that outlined the major tasks and proposed improvements for the City’s vast storm drain system. 

During the virtual community meeting, the public submitted inquiries, and staff received positive feedback that will be used to improve the ongoing Storm Drain Master Plan.

Interested parties can download the presentation from this community meeting from the City’s website at www.costamesaca.gov/storm.

Questions about this project can be submitted to storm@costamesaca.gov, and Public Works staff will respond to your inquiries.

Development Services Department is grateful for having a special group of support staff. 

Staff honored Nory Solares, Anna Partida, Naomi Oosterhof, Julie Colgan, Brontee Stevens and Evelyn Castorela on Administrative Professional’s Day. 

They are kind, hardworking and have the best attitude when assisting the public and staff. 

Thanks again and Happy Administrative Professional’s Day!

Are you in need of food resources?

Visit the Costa Mesa Senior Center’s webpage at www.costamesaca.gov/seniorcenter and click on the Food Assistance Resources button to find out about available resources in the community.