Snoopy House is back at City Hall starting Friday, Dec. 15. Join us for our opening night celebration at 5:30 p.m.

The annual holiday display will be available free to the public every night through Dec. 22 from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m.

City Hall is located at 77 Fair Drive.

This holiday season there will be photos with Santa, letters to Santa, food trucks, entertainment, and so much more.

For more information please visit our website here.

We look forward to seeing you all there!

Costa Mesa City Manager Lori Ann Farrell Harrison is pleased to announce the appointment of experienced government executive and development services professional Cecilia Gallardo-Daly to be Costa Mesa’s next Assistant City Manager.

After a nationwide search, Gallardo-Daly, who was formerly the Assistant City Manager for the City of San Clemente, quickly became a top candidate for the position. Her years of experience in Planning, Economic Development, Building, Code Enforcement, Park Ranger Services, and Homeless Outreach make her an outstanding fit for this role.

“Cecilia impressed us with her extensive record of accomplishments and nine years of executive management experience,” City Manager Farrell Harrison said. “She is results-driven and puts a premium on customer service, which is an important function of our work here. Her 28 years of experience in successfully managing complex and controversial issues and projects will make her a valuable asset to the City and the entire Costa Mesa community. I’m thrilled to have her join our team.”

Click here to read more.

Are you ready for tonight's opening of Costa Mesa's annual holiday tradition SNOOPY HOUSE?

This year is sure to be a blast, but please remember if your young ones intend on sledding a signed waiver is required. You can download, print, and complete your sledding waiver ahead of time by visiting www.costamesaca.gov/snoopyhouse.

Check out our nightly entertainment lineup and all the festive details, which are listed there as well. City Hall's Snoopy House lights up tonight at 5:30 p.m. sharp, so be sure to bring your sledding waiver and we will see you nightly through December 22!

Check out this special video reminder about Snoopy House sledding requirements below: 

ARTventure 2023 Youth Art award winner Lola Yan is a 17-year-old artist born in Hong Kong who immigrated to the US at age 8 alongside her family in 2014.

Lola is a student at Ryman Arts, a studio art program designed to teach students foundational drawing and painting skills.

Specializing in digital mediums, she uses glowing colors and dramatic contrast to create works that contemplate human mortality. Her award-winning entry, "Memento Mori" represents death not from a perspective of fear, but as a form of acceptance.

Details in the work depict objects that invite the viewer to contemplate deeper meaning and varying emotions surrounding loss. Congratulations to Lola and we wish her the best of luck as she pursues her future artistic ventures!

To learn more about ARTventure please visit here.

Watch CMTV’s artist profile of Lola at the link below:

To apply for this job or others click here.

CMPD Sergeant Pat Wessel retired this week after 25 years of service in Costa Mesa. Before coming to CMPD, Sgt. Wessel served as a US Coast Guard Reserve and was a university police officer at Cal Poly Pomona.

As an officer here, he worked assignments in Patrol, Gang Detail, and in the Detective Bureau - Crimes Against Persons. He held collateral assignments as a canine agitator, SWAT operator, recruiting team member, and Field Training Officer. 

In 2010, he was promoted to sergeant in Patrol. Sgt. Wessel was a Field Training Sergeant and assisted in updating and modernizing the Field Training Program, which was successful in producing high-quality training for new officers.

In 2015, Sgt. Wessel worked as the Special Investigations Unit (SIU) Sergeant, which was responsible for special enforcement and gang investigations. After that assignment, he went back to Patrol. Many residents might recognize him from a Neighborhood Watch meeting. He went to many of the kick-off meetings throughout Costa Mesa.

This year, Sgt. Wessel was selected as the Traffic Sergeant and was responsible for oversight and leading Traffic officers and Community Service Specialists assigned to Field Operations.

He will be missed but CMPD wishes him all the best in his well-deserved retirement!

On Dec. 8, at CMPD's DUI and driver license checkpoint on Newport Boulevard at Flower Street, a total of 418 drivers were contacted and yielded 29 field evaluations for impairment, five DUI arrests, seven citations issued for driver license-related violations, and seven vehicles were impounded. 

CHP Santa Ana assisted with this checkpoint last night; their partnership is greatly appreciated.  

CMPD thanks all those who drove through and were patient, a total of 2,437 vehicles passed through this checkpoint.

CMPD is committed to reducing injuries and fatalities on the road due to impairment. Help us keep the streets safe for everyone, don't drive under the influence, and obey all traffic laws. 

California Office of Traffic Safety funded this and all DUI and Driver’s License checkpoints. 

CMPD Chief Ron Lawrence and Deputy Chief Joyce LaPointe were joined by Councilmember Arlis Reynolds recently at the annual Human Options luncheon to support survivors of domestic violence. 

The City of Costa Mesa has a strong partnership with Human Options, and we appreciate Executive Director Maricela Rios-Foust for her excellent work supporting our community.

This year, the Costa Mesa Police Department (CMPD) hosted its third Shop with a Cop event. 

Click here to watch a video of the event.

The event was organized by Crime Prevention Specialist Jenette Martinez with the assistance of many CMPD staff and volunteers. Newport-Mesa Unified School District elementary students were selected by their principals and teachers. Each student was partnered with an officer for the three-hour event. 

After breakfast at IHOP and a visit with Santa, kids received a gift card, and with help from their PD partner, shopped for gifts for themselves and their immediate family members.

Volunteers were available to gift wrap so the students were able to take home wrapped gifts to place under the tree. In addition, the students received a gingerbread house decoration kit, a stocking with their name, and a shirt donated by Officer Jose Torres.

CMPD is so appreciative of the three amazing and generous sponsors Expertec Automotive, Newport Elks Lodge Nauti-Gals, and NuVision Credit Union, as well as the partners IHOP, Target, City Hall staff and members of the CMPD team for making this an amazing event!

On Friday, Dec. 8, 2023, Costa Mesa Fire & Rescue (CMFR) was requested and subsequently deployed our Cal OES Type 3 (Wildland) Fire Engine as part of a Metro Cities / Cal OES Type 3 Strike Team.

The request came in due to elevated fire weather, including Santa Ana winds throughout different areas of the region. 

The Strike Team was deployed as a pre-positioning assignment, which included the cities of Costa Mesa, Fullerton, Laguna Beach and the City of Orange, with one of our Costa Mesa Battalion Chiefs who served as the Strike Team Leader. 

Additional up-staffing in the county included a number of fire related resources from OCFA, as well as up-staffing in different high-risk areas of our neighboring counties.

The deployment was approved by Cal OES for 48-hours and we welcomed back Battalion Chief Tim Vasin, Captain Mike Ruhl, Engineer Dave Kearley and Firefighter/Paramedics Spencer Hibbard and Omar Amaya on Monday, Dec. 11, 2023.

Thank you for your strong representation of the City of Costa Mesa and CMFR during your deployment. 

Costa Mesa Fire & Rescue is still accepting toys for this year’s Annual Toy Drive campaign. The campaign runs through Dec. 23.

For those interested in making the holiday season a little brighter for a child in need, please bring any new, unwrapped toy or sports equipment to your local fire station and please remember, the toy or sports equipment needs to be new, unwrapped and in their original packaging or box.

Toys to consider include board and card games, craft activities, art kits, building blocks, dolls, infant toys and youth sports equipment of all kinds. We cannot distribute stuffed animals, clothing, personal care items or blankets, etc.

Those who wish to donate may drop off toys at any of the six of Costa Mesa Fire & Rescue’s fire stations (through Dec. 23, 2021) or at Costa Mesa City Hall, located at 77 Fair Drive.

For questions about toy drop-off requirements, toy collection sites and events, please contact (714) 327-7400

Thank you to all our community partners and community members who have already donated to help make the season a little brighter:

• OC Wine Society

• Santa Ana Women’s Golf Club

• QSC Audio, Costa Mesa GMC-Cadillac

• OC Woodworker’s Association

• MOXI3

• LA/OC Art Alliance

• FC Exotics (maybe)

• Board & Brew

• OC Fair Employee Social Club

• Assistance League in Costa Mesa

• Patrick’s Pub

• Wescom Credit Union

• Torelli Reality

• Regal Estates

• 24 Carrot

• Ty Alexander Salon

December 6-7, and Dec. 9, Costa Mesa Fire & Rescue hosted its third and final CERT class of the year to close out 2023.

For the first time in recent years a hybrid CERT format was delivered to community members which gave the participants the opportunity to work on the California Specialized Training Institute learning modules at home or at their own pace.

Wednesday and Thursday night were spent in the Emergency Operations Center where Temporary Emergency Services Manager Brenda Emrick and Fire Protection Specialist Ryan Meadors reviewed the CERT modules and taught the critical skills that go along with each unit.

Various topics were covered including disaster preparedness, disaster psychology, CERT organization, airway control, bleeding control, and more.

The Saturday portion of the CERT class was held at Fire Station 4 where Captain Aaron Davis, along with the entire crew from the USAR which included Fire Engineer Pete Melgoza, Firefighter Jaime Serrato, and Firefighter Kenji Taniguchi, assisted with CERT activities. Fire Protection Specialist Meadors and Firefighter Taniguchi led the fire extinguisher exercise while Fire Captain Davis led the Light Search and Rescue unit.

Fire Captain Davis provided a thorough explanation and demonstration of box cribbing, leveraging, and cribbing in order to rescue victims who are trapped underneath heavy objects. The CERT class ended with Battalion Chief Kershaw reading the Oath of Allegiance to our newest CERT volunteers. 

Please contact CERT Coordinator / Program Manager Ryan Meadors (ryan.meadors@costamesaca.gov) if you have any questions regarding future CERT classes and events that will take place in 2024.

On Tuesday, Dec. 12, Costa Mesa Fire and Rescue (CMFR) EMS Captain Justin Horner led a discussion with a group of Estancia High School students from the Medical Academy.

This group of students has shown an interest in the Fire Service and/or Emergency Medical Services. 

Captain Justin Horner shared his personal path to the fire service, discussed the current pathways to get into the field, and had a Q & A session to answer any relevant questions the students had.

CMFR is grateful for our strong partnership with NMUSD and the opportunities to work with the schools, students, and staff as much as possible. 

Building Maintenance is currently replacing the roof located at Sakioka Fire Station No. 6. 

This project is part of Public Works annual Capital Improvement Project list. The existing roof, which is nearly 20 years old, has been showing signs of deterioration and needs to be replaced.

The new 30-year Title 24 energy-efficient roofing system incorporates recycled rubber and is bright white, which reflects heat, reducing the need to run air conditioning systems. The new roof will also include new energy-efficient skylights which will utilize daylight to brighten the apparatus bay during the day. 

Furthermore, this new roof will serve the fire safety staff in the building, which in turn allow them to safely serve the community around the clock.  

On Dec. 5, the Public Works Department took possession of its newest equipment, the Isuzu NPR red curb paint truck, which will be replacing its 1996 predecessor.

This truck is a specialized piece of equipment that allows our Traffic Operations Section to paint red curbs while continuously on the move on arterial and residential streets.

The City of Costa Mesa has approximately 63,129 linear feet of residential red curbs and approximately 355,399 linear feet of arterial red curbs. This new truck has a 110-gallon tank for holding red paint with the ability to hold two 55-gallon drums of additional red paint and eliminate having to come back to the corporate yard to refill; and allow crews to stay out painting all day.

Staff is looking forward to utilizing this new equipment during the warmer months of 2024 to refresh red curbs throughout the City.

The Traffic Operations Section is a valuable asset to the city workforce, dedicated to providing professional public services. They are always looking for ways to improve the safety of the City's streets and the quality of life for its residents.

The underground fuel storage tank at the Police Department has been decommissioned and work had begun this week to abandon it safely and securely. 

After obtaining approvals from the City’s Fire Department, Building & Safety Division, and the Orange County Health Care Agency, the City’s contractor began work with a thorough tank rinsing, followed by a concrete pour and filling to maintain the tank’s structural integrity and to prevent settlement issues.

Following this, a new concrete walkway will be constructed adjacent to the Police Department and new turf landscaping will be added to beautify the area. The project is scheduled for completion by the end of this month.

The Public Works Department is committed to improving the City’s infrastructure and appreciates the cooperation from its partners in completing this project to a successful conclusion. 

We invite everyone to join us at Snoopy House for sledding from Dec. 15 through Dec. 17 from 5:30 to 8 p.m. at City Hall located at 77 Fair Drive.

Please review the sledding rules and information before your sledder joins us to ensure the safety of all sledders.

The sledding waiver is available at www.costamesaca.gov/snoopyhouse.

Seniors learned about holiday traditions in Mexico at the Costa Mesa Senior Center’s Noche Buena event.

Seniors enjoyed tamales, pan dulce, café de olla, and traditional songs.

Seniors also enjoyed learning about the history of this special holiday celebration and dancing to the lively mariachi music.

A special thank you to Mariachi Herencia Michoacana, speaker Richard Davila, and senior center staff Cristina Sanchez, Enyelber Franco, and Beatrice Gutierrez for bringing this event to fruition.

Camp Costa Mesa has you covered during NMUSD’s Presidents’ recess from Feb. 20 through Feb. 23.

Children in kindergarten through 6th grade will enjoy group games, on-site guest entertainment, local excursions, and more at the Balearic Community Center (1975 Balearic Drive) from 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

Registration is available online at www.cmclassesonline.com or in person at City Hall (3rd Floor) and Downtown Recreation Center.

Presidents’ Camp price is $180 per child, plus $5 for non-Costa Mesa residents. Early registration is highly encouraged as space is limited. For program information, please call (714) 754-5161.    

Check out our Teen Centers next week for a fun filled time before break! We will have a Christmas movie to watch, Christmas Music Trivia to play, sugar cookies to decorate (and eat of course), and lastly, we will be throwing a pizza party on Thursday!

You don’t want to miss out on the exciting activities planned every day, so register today!

Sign up for free at costamesaca.gov/teens or in person at one of our Teen Centers:

Downtown Recreation Center (1860 Anaheim Ave; grades 7-12) or TeWinkle Middle School (3224 California St; grades 7-8)

Call us with any questions: (714) 327-7562; Mon-Fri, 8 am – 6 pm.

See you at the Teen Centers!      

Ruby is a 1-year-old, female, domestic short haired cat. She is a beautiful kitty who loves to play and take naps.

Ruby is a sweet cat that is eagerly awaiting to find her forever family. Ruby is fixed, microchipped, and up to date on her vaccines.

If you are interested in meeting Ruby, she is available at Priceless Pet Rescue – Costa Mesa (1536 Newport Blvd. 92627). For other adoptable pets, you can visit www.pricelesspetrescue.org.