At the regular meeting of Tuesday, April 1, the City Council will introduce the City's new Poet Laureate Danielle Hanson.

In new business, the Council will appoint new members to the following committees:

• Animal Services Committee
• Active Transportation Committee
• Fairview Park Steering Committee
• Finance and Pension Advisory Committee
• Housing and Public Service Grants Committee
• Traffic Impact Fee Ad Hoc Committee

Council meeting starts at 6 p.m. in City Council Chambers.

Members of the public can view the City Council meetings in person, or live on Costa Mesa TV (Spectrum Channel 3 and AT&T U-Verse Channel 99), on the City’s YouTube Channel, via Zoom or on the City website www.costamesaca.gov. On the website, click the yellow Watch CMTV live button at the top of the page to view the meeting.

After a successful 35-year career serving California as a police professional, with over a third of that time as the leader of a department, Chief of Police Ronald A. Lawrence has announced that he intends to retire this summer. 

Chief Lawrence began his career in 1989 and promoted up the ranks with different law enforcement agencies in California, including serving as police chief in the cities of Citrus Heights and Rocklin before his appointment as police chief in Costa Mesa on Sept. 7, 2021. 

While in Costa Mesa, he is credited with introducing innovative police technologies to assist crime fighting efforts, building trust throughout the community, developing police personnel for future leadership positions, and reducing crime in what was already a safe city.  

Click here to read more.

Join us for the Community Preparedness Town Hall on March 31 at 6 p.m. at the Costa Mesa Senior Center!

Learn key strategies to keep you and your family safe, and hear from our Emergency Services Manager, Delcie Hynes, City leaders, Costa Mesa Fire & Rescue, and the Costa Mesa Police Department.

Let’s come together and stay prepared as a community

Parks & Community Services staff thanks the public for attending the Tuesday, March 25 community meeting to discuss plans for pickleball courts at Balearic Park.

The public's participation and feedback is truly appreciated.

If you weren’t able to attend, no worries! You can still share your thoughts on adding the proposed pickleball courts to Balearic Community Center by completing the survey here: bit.ly/BCC-Pickleball. 

The survey will be available until Monday, March 31.

Earlier this week, Costa Mesa Fire & Rescue held its annual Fire Captains and Chief Officers Leadership & Planning Workshop Retreat, hosted in Orange Coast College’s Planetarium.

The Fire Captains and Chief Officers Leadership & Planning Workshop Retreat provides an opportunity to bring all the department's Fire Captains and Chief Officers together in a single space. 

The workshop provides the opportunity to discuss departmental accomplishments, challenges, progress and helps to identify gaps, as well as discussion for the vision for the organization moving forward.

The interactive leadership and planning workshop retreat was led by Fire Chief Dan Stefano and began with a brief tour of the OCC Planetarium and adjacent Aquarium which was followed with the start of the day, with a thoughtful invocation by CMFR’s Chaplains, Joshua Harrison and Samuel Carter.

The day was filled with different presentations and discussions, start to finish, including the year in review and look ahead to 2025, which highlighted the significance of the department’s 100 years of service, presented by Chief Stefano. This also included updates and progress made on CMFR’s Strategic Plan (2022-2027) led by Assistant Fire Chief Jason Pyle. AFC discussion focused on the final stages of the Standards of Coverage, the department’s CMFR (2022-2027) Strategic Plan and key areas of focus in 2025 and updates on current facility and CIP updates.

The second half of the morning included a thoughtful presentation that was provided by CMFR’s historian, Captain Fred McDowell, who put together a brief video and impressive visual presentation covering our amazing 100-year history, dating back to 1925 and the early years as a volunteer department. 

Thereafter, a powerful EMS update and discussion provided by EMS Captain Justin Horner, followed with Training Captain Steve Airey’s updates on department training, safety, and professional standards.  

The balance of the morning included a roundtable, and after lunch, two valued presentations that included Liebert Cassidy Whitmore Attorney and Legal Counsel, Chris Frederick with a presentation centered on current legal issues and legal updates for public safety and was inclusive of commentary on the impacts of the Executive Orders that are coming out weekly. 

The second afternoon presentation was provided by All American Leadership CEO/President Rob Nielson and included a discussion of leadership and setting the stage for the department’s future leadership training, in alignment with CMFR’s succession planning and professional development efforts. 

“It was a very productive day for our leadership team, embracing the highest value placed in bringing all of our fire captains and chief officers together to thoughtfully highlight our accomplishments, identify our gaps, discuss our commitment to succession planning and active leadership, all while staying laser focused on our progress and the powerful trajectory, we remain locked in on together,” shared Fire Chief Dan Stefano. “I am in awe of the amazing leadership we have throughout all ranks and roles in CMFR, notably highlighted through our exceptional Chief Officers and Fire Captains. I remain as honored and grateful as ever to serve shoulder-to-shoulder with each and every member of our team, truly the best of the best, in serving the community with the highest quality of service… and we remain Costa Mesa Fire Family Strong!”  

The day concluded with an inspirational short film planetarium dome presentation, CAPCOM GO!, which helped tie the whole day together with The Apollo Story. 

The film discussed working through the extraordinary challenges, how we have moved forward since, and what the next chapter of space exploration is envisioned for our next generation of explorers and dreamers.  

Our sincerest thanks go out to our valued community partner, Orange Coast College, for hosting us all and our 2025 CMFR Leadership and Planning Workshop, with a very special thanks to OCC President, Dr. Angelica Suarez, Interim Planetarium Manager Jessica Artinger, Foundation Development Coordinator Rena Quinonez, and the culinary arts staff and students.  

One additional thanks to CMFR’s Executive Assistant Lora Ross, who was instrumental in bringing the event together with the OCC Team. 

This week the 2025 CMFR Recruit Academy trained on wildland tactics and strategies. CMFR is a part of the California Master Mutual Aid System and responds to significant large-scale emergencies statewide, including wildfires, debris flows, extreme weather events, and natural disasters. 

As an important side note, over the course of the past decade, CMFR has worked hard and worked closely with our partners at the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (OES) and the Cal OES Fire & Rescue Branch to secure formal assignments of Cal OES fire apparatus (specifically, Type 1, Type 3, and Type 6 fire engines).  

Our recruits spent a few days building on their current wildland firefighting skill sets and learned a variety of core skills needed to effectively fight wildland fires, led by Fire Captain Travis Johnson, and the Academy Cadre of Captain Andrew Harris, Engineer Luke Anderson, Firefighter/Paramedic Omar Amaya, Firefighter Dylan Unger, and additional instructional support from David Herrera-Martinez. 

Training took place in Laguna Beach where they practiced deploying hose lines and using hand tools to clear brush. The trip to Laguna Beach exposed our recruits to more diverse terrain like what we encounter when responding on strike teams across the state.  

Recently the Orange County fire prevention officers gathered in Costa Mesa at the Norma Hertzog Community Center for the monthly meeting.

This session featured a special presentation by retired Costa Mesa Fire & Rescue Battalion Chief Kevin Diamond, who shared valuable insights on stress management and its impact on both personal and professional life.

In continuing with the 2025 Academy, CMFR firefighter recruits received education and hands-on training led by EMS Captain Justin Horner, which highlighted the equipment Costa Mesa Fire & Rescue utilizes in the delivery of Emergency Medical Services (EMS). 

Areas of focus included patient assessment, airway management, bleeding control, and splinting. 

Upon completion of the academy and assignment to fire stations, the probationary firefighters will be expected to continue to learn proper use of EMS equipment and will be tested for proficiency on a regular basis. 

The Public Works street maintenance team is hard at work replacing a section of sidewalk that has been compromised over time.

City crews routinely assess and address damage caused by invasive tree roots, inadequate subgrade support, and the occasional tremors from earthquakes that can disrupt the integrity of walkways.

With careful attention to detail, they ensure that the new concrete blends seamlessly with the surrounding area, enhancing both safety and aesthetics for pedestrians.

This vital maintenance not only improves accessibility but also contributes to the overall upkeep and resilience of the city's infrastructure.

 On Tuesday, March 18, Senior Center members learned all about preventative care and risk factors for colorectal cancer from the UCI Chao Family Comprehensive Cancer Center.

Though it may be a scary topic, many cases of colon or rectal cancer are preventable! To learn more about other presentations offered at the Senior Center please visit www.costamesaca.gov/seniorcenter.

Get ready for an action-packed afternoon as the Costa Mesa Parks & Community Services Teen Program presents Color Rush: Capture the Flag event set for Sunday, March 30, from 12 noon until 3 p.m. at the Downtown Recreation Center.

Beyond the adrenaline-fueled competition, attendees will have the opportunity to tap into their artistic side.

They can create personalized tie-dye shirts, add a splash of color to their wardrobe, and contribute to a collaborative Color Rush mural, showcasing their creativity on a grand scale. These activities ensure that every participant, whether competitive or creative, has a way to express themselves and make lasting memories.

With only 75 spots available, interested participants are encouraged to sign up early. Registration can be completed online or in person at the Downtown Recreation Center. Don’t let your teen miss out on this incredible opportunity to engage, compete, and create!

For more information and to register, visit the Downtown Recreation Center or sign up online.

We are calling all Costa Mesa Teens. Ready for adventure? We are offering a variety of Spring Excursions throughout Orange County.

Join fellow 7th—12th graders on excursions, make new friends, explore beyond Costa Mesa, and create unforgettable memories. Space is limited to the first 23 participants, and spots fill up fast, so sign up early.

Laserland

Friday, March 28, 2025 from 5:30-9:30 pm

Cost $7.50 per participant

LA Galaxy Game

Friday, March 28, 2025 from 1:00-5:00 pm

Cost $7.50 per participant

Angel’s Game

Friday, May 9, 2025 from 5:30-10:00 pm

Cost $7.50 per participant

Along with the City of Long Beach, Costa Mesa Senior Center staff led a presentation on the growing demand of social services for aging populations at municipal senior centers at the annual California Parks and Recreation Society conference in Sacramento.

Representatives from parks and recreation departments throughout the entire state of California were in attendance to learn about best practices and innovative programs from each other.

Recreation Coordinator Enyelber Franco and Community Outreach Worker Lucy Tseng led a presentation on trends among seniors and their needs for housing, social activities, transportation, and healthcare and how the resources on these subjects are available at the Costa Mesa Senior Center.

The City of Costa Mesa‘s senior center is rather unique in the fact it’s one of the few senior centers that employs a licensed clinical social worker.

The presentation finished with a Q&A session in which representatives from several other senior centers sought advice from Lucy’s expertise.

To apply for this job our others please visit our webpage here.

Blade is a 2 year old., domestic shorthair, male cat. Blade is known to be the sweetest, most cuddly, gentle and affectionate boy. Blade likes to crawl into laps and cuddle with his human.

He will tuck his head under your chin and make biscuits on your chest while purring until he falls asleep. Blade would do well in a home with other gentle animals.

Blade is neutered, up to date on his vaccines and is microchipped, which will be registered to his new family.

Blade is located at The Orphanage – Costa Mesa, 1536 Newport Blvd. Costa Mesa, CA 92627, Tuesday through Friday from 12 p.m. -7 p.m. and Saturday and Sundy from 12 p.m. - 5 p.m.

For other adoptable pets, visit, pricelesspetrescue.org.