At the Tuesday, July 21 meeting, the City Council honored two Costa Mesa Little League teams for their outstanding baseball season.

The Costa Mesa Little League Minor B Brewers were recognized as the Champions of the District 62 Tournament of Champions. 

The team completed a final nine-game winning streak that included a 7-6 victory in the ninth inning to capture the Costa Mesa Little League Championship before continuing their momentum into the District 62 Tournament of Champions. 

The Brewers became the fifth Costa Mesa team since 2002 to win a District 62 Minor B title, and only the second since the league merger in 2021. 

Coach Zack Byrne accepted the Certificate of Recognition on behalf of the team.

The 2026 Costa Mesa Little League Superstars for capturing the District 62 Superstars Championship. 

The Superstars opened the tournament in dominant fashion, winning their first three games while outscoring their opponents 19 to 1. After experiencing their first setback in the championship series, the team responded with determination, defeating Huntington Valley Little League 3-1 to bring home the title. 

With this victory, the 2026 Superstars became just the second Costa Mesa Little League Superstars team to win the District Championship since the tournament began in 2013.  

Coach Ryan Wist accepted the Certificate of Recognition on the team's behalf.

The City hosted a Community Q&A for the Fairview Developmental Center (FDC) Specific Plan on July 23 that drew a strong turnout of more than 120 participants.

The event, which was attended by Council Members Andrea Marr, Arlis Reynolds, Jeff Pettis and Mike Buley and Planning Commissioner Jon Zich, included a presentation on the FDC Specific Plan and offered community members the chance to ask questions and engage in a productive discussion. 

City Manager Cecilia Gallardo--Daly and Community Development Director Carrie Tai were the main presenters at the event.

Community members will have another opportunity to provide input at Planning Commission study session on Monday, July 27 at 6 p.m. in the City Council Chambers.

The updated Public Hearing Draft FDC Specific Plan is available at www.fdchousingplan.com, and the Planning Commission agenda is available by clicking this link. 

Mayor John Stephens, Mayor Pro Tem Manuel Chavez, Council Members Mike Buley and Jeff Pettis and City Staff joined community leaders, elected officials, and OC Fair Staff to celebrate the official opening of the 2026 OC Fair on July 17.

Also in attendance were Assistant City Manager Alma Reyes, Public Works Director Raja Sethuraman, IT Director Steve Ely, County Supervisor Katrina Foley and Assembly Member Diane Dixon.

The annual Opening Day Ceremony marked the start of one of Orange County's most beloved summer traditions, bringing together residents and visitors for weeks of entertainment. The OC Fair runs from July 17 to August 16.

Mayor John Stephens and Mayor Pro Tem Manuel Chavez joined the owners, community members, and local business leaders to celebrate the grand opening of LJ's Lounge with a ribbon-cutting ceremony.

Also in attendance were Congressman Dave Min, County Supervisor Katrina Foley and Chamber President David Haithcock.

Located in Triangle Square, LJ's Lounge brings a fresh dining and entertainment experience to Costa Mesa, featuring Southern-inspired cuisine, handcrafted cocktails, and live music.

The City welcomes LJ's Lounge to the community and wishes the owners and staff continued success as they contribute to Costa Mesa's vibrant local business scene.

National Night Out is two weeks away.

Mark your calendar’s for Aug. 4 and join CMPD. The Department encourages the public and families to come out and enjoy this free fun-filled event at Lions Park Event Lawn, Tuesday Aug. 4, from 5:30pm – 7:30pm.

Assistant City Manager Alma Reyes presented the City Manager Leadership Award for the month of July to Finance Department Payroll Coordinator Lindsey King.

“Lindsey always goes above and beyond and is ready to assist coworkers, share her knowledge, and tackle even the most challenging payroll issues with patience and professionalism,” Reyes said. “Her positive attitude, reliability, and calm demeanor have earned the trust and respect of her colleagues, making her a valued resource within the Finance Department and a trusted partner to departments throughout the city. I’m thrilled to honor her with this award.”

Click here to read more.

The Costa Mesa Police Department continues to grow, and with growth comes well deserved promotions and new officers starting their careers.

Congratulations to Officer Horne and Officer Villegas who officially took the Oath of Office marking the beginning of their careers.

We also congratulate Captain Carlos Diaz, Lieutenant Jessie Chartier, Lieutenant Nick Wilson, and Lieutenant Jake Jacobi, who were sworn into their new leadership positions.

Their promotions are a testament to their hard work and dedication. 

This week, the Costa Mesa Police Department hosted the Teen Academy.

Teen Academy is a week-long summer program where teens from local high schools get to come and learn about Patrol Operations, Dispatch, Investigations, CSI, and K-9s among other law enforcement topics.

Each participant got to learn firsthand what responding to calls for service is like, on their ride along as well as through the week.

Last week, Costa Mesa Engine 81 responded to a sheared fire hydrant in the 2700 block of Bougainvillea.

One nearby residence sustained minor flooding and water damage to the backyard as a result of the incident. Mesa Engine 81 and Mesa Truck 84 shutdown water to the sheared hydrant and successfully stopped the flow of water.

Mesa Water coordinated permanent repairs to the damaged hydrant.

Recruits continued into week 3 of the Costa Mesa Fire & Rescue Recruit Academy, with a strong focus on the fundamentals of fire attack and water supply.

Recruits trained on connecting fire hydrants, deploying hose lines, utilizing effective fire streams, and applying fire control and extinguishment tactics.

Through hands-on training, they continued developing the skills necessary to safely and effectively operate at structure fires.

Led by a five-member CMFR cadre with more than 70 years of combined firefighting experience, the academy continues to challenge and prepare recruits for the demands of the fire service.

With each week, the recruits continue to build the knowledge, skills, and teamwork necessary to serve the Costa Mesa community.

The City of Costa Mesa Code Enforcement Officers had the distinct privilege of participating in the second annual OC Code Summit 2026, an exceptional conference organized by the International Code Council (ICC) Code Enforcement Chapter of Orange County.

The National Code Enforcement Conference stands out as a pioneering event exclusively designed for code professionals, led by professionals who understand the unique demands of this field.

Spanning three days from July 15 -17, Costa Mesa Code Enforcement II officers Monique Arredondo, Yiseal Murillo, David Saito, Mark Fausto, and Senior Code Officer Alex Ruiz got the opportunity to participate in a variety of informative courses and training sessions designed to enhance their expertise.

The OC Code Summit offered a comprehensive platform that addressed the pressing challenges faced by code enforcement professionals, both in practical fieldwork and administrative tasks.

Some of the sessions the team attended included:

• Human Trafficking Warning Signs for Code Officials
• Introduction to Transitioning from Officer to Supervisor
• Legal Aspects – Code Enforcement
• Self-Care and Mental Health for Code Enforcement
• Residential Building Inspections – Life Safety
• Effective Field Communication Techniques & Using Emotional Intelligence
• Conflict Management and Resolution
• Techniques of De-escalation
• Recovering From a Critical Incident
• Intro to 1st Amendment Auditors and Sovereign Citizens
• Intro to Addressing Homeless Encampments
• Keeping Promises and the Ever-Evolving Threat

The sessions covered a wide range of pertinent topics, equipping our officers with invaluable skills and deepening their understanding of the latest regulations, best practices, and innovations in code enforcement.

The knowledge gained from these interactive workshops and discussions will undoubtedly empower them to tackle real-world challenges more effectively and improve service delivery to the community.

As thousands of visitors travel to Costa Mesa for the OC Fair, the City bus shelter maintenance contractor has increased cleaning efforts at nearby bus stops during the OC Fair to provide riders with a clean, safe, and welcoming transit experience.

Whether traveling from nearby communities or across Orange County, visitors can take advantage of OC Bus Routes 47, 55, 71, and 178 as well as the OC Fair Express, which provides convenient service to the OC Fair through connections with transit stations in Irvine, Santa Ana, Huntington Beach, Anaheim, Laguna Hills, and Fullerton, making public transit an easy and stress-free way to enjoy the Fair.

To ensure the comfort of riders accessing the OC Fair by transit, Clear Channel Outdoor will provide daily trash retrieval and cleaning at 12 OC bus stops that serve the OC Fair & Event Center. 

Clean and comfortable bus stops encourage the use of public transit in the City. An effective public transit network is an important component of the menu of mobility options available to Costa Mesa residents and visitors that make it possible to travel outside of personal automobile. 

Costa Mesa Fire & Rescue Fire Protection Specialist Ben Castillo and Interns Christian Cucinotti and Mario Patino recently attended another concerts in the park at the annual summertime event.

Concerts in the Park is a perfect community event that CMFR enjoys participating in every year, because of the opportunity to engage with the members of this great community and provide information about CERT, disaster preparedness, and the skills that are offered throughout the CERT course.

After months of collaboration with residents, businesses, community organizations, stakeholders, and City staff, we're excited to announce that the Draft Costa Mesa Climate Action and Adaptation Plan (CAAP) is now available for public review.

A heartfelt thank you to everyone who participated in workshops, surveys, community events, and meetings throughout the planning process.

Your ideas, feedback, and passion have helped shape Costa Mesa's first comprehensive Climate Action and Adaptation Plan.Review the Draft CAAP here: www.costamesaca.gov/CAAP.

Public Review Period:

Now through Aug. 4, 2026

We encourage everyone to read the draft and share your thoughts. Your feedback will help refine the plan before it is considered for adoption.

As a reminder, the draft Safety Element and Environmental Justice policies are still out for public review. Those drafts can be reviewed here: www.costamesaca.gov/sustainability.

Please submit comments on any or all drafts (CAAP, Safety Element and Environmental Justice Policies) to: sustainability@costamesaca.gov.

The public is also invited to join us at upcoming meetings where we will discuss the CAAP, Safety Element Update, and the Environmental Justice Policies Update.  

Meeting Dates:

Planning Commission Study Session

July 27, 2026

Planning Commission Public Hearing

August 10, 2026

Together, we're building a more sustainable, resilient, and climate-ready Costa Mesa. We look forward to hearing your comments and continuing this important community conversation. 

The Wilson Park restroom renovation has been completed and reopened to the public on Thursday July 23.

The City’s recently completed Park and Playground Assessment identified issues including broken tiles and a deteriorated wood pergola. 

In an effort to enhance the appearance and user experience of the park, the Parks Maintenance section embarked on remodeling the interior and exterior of the facility. 

The completed upgrades to the facility will enhance usability, reduce long term maintenance needs, and extend the service life of the essential public amenity. 

The project supports the City of Costa Mesa’s commitment to maintaining high quality public parks by providing clean, safe, and reliable restroom facilities for the residents and visitors. 

The City of Costa Mesa is creating a new GIS Strategic Plan to improve the online maps and location-based information residents use every day.

Your feedback will help us build more functional tools, improve access to information, and better serve our community.

Click here to take the survey.

Complete the survey by August 5, 2026, and you can enter a random drawing for a chance to win a prize. Thank you for sharing your ideas!

The City of Costa Mesa is wrapping up another summer of Movies in the Park with one more evening of free, family-friendly entertainment under the stars with the showing of Zootopia 2.

Bring your blankets, lawn chairs, and your favorite movie buddies, and join us on Saturday, Aug. 8, at Shiffer Park for our final outdoor movie night of the season.

Pre-movie activities begin at 7:30 p.m.

Movie begins shortly after sundown

Parking is limited, so we encourage guests to walk, bike, carpool, or ride-share whenever possible.

Gather your family and friends and help us end the summer with a night to remember.