The City of Costa Mesa will hold its first public hearing on Tuesday Oct. 19 to discuss the official 2020 Census data (State-Adjusted), the redistricting process and permissible criteria to be considered to evaluate district boundaries.

In doing so, the City is seeking the public’s participation to redraw boundaries for City Council Districts 1 through 6.

Click here for the agenda.

The City of Costa Mesa will also hold its first public input workshop on Saturday Oct. 23 at 10 a.m. at the Norma Hertzog Community Center. Members of the public will have an opportunity to learn about the redistricting process, data and mapping tools.

Every 10 years, local governments use new data from the Census to redraw their district lines to reflect how populations have changed. State law requires cities  to engage communities in the redistricting process by holding public hearings and doing public outreach, including to underrepresented and non-English-speaking communities.

Subsequent meetings will be scheduled in December of 2021 and January of 2022.

For more information on redistricting or to draw a district map, please visit: https://redistrictcostamesa.org/ In addition, the City has created a dedicated email address for the public to submit questions or comments regarding the City’s redistricting process.  The email address is redistricting@costamesaca.gov

The City of Costa Mesa is seeking the public’s participation to redraw boundaries for City Council Districts 1 through 6.

The City of Costa Mesa will hold its first public input workshop on Saturday Oct. 23 at 10 a.m. at the Norma Hertzog Community Center. Members of the public will have an opportunity to learn about the redistricting process, data and mapping tools.

Every 10 years, local governments use new data from the Census to redraw their district lines to reflect how populations have changed. State law requires cities  to engage communities in the redistricting process by holding public hearings and doing public outreach, including to underrepresented and non-English-speaking communities.

Subsequent meetings will be scheduled in December of 2021 and January of 2022.

For more information on redistricting or to draw a district map, please visit: https://redistrictcostamesa.org/ In addition, the City has created a dedicated email address for the public to submit questions or comments regarding the City’s redistricting process.  The email address is redistricting@costamesaca.gov

City Manager Lori Ann Farrell Harrison presented Human Resources Analyst Ruth Wang with the City Manager Leadership Award Winner for the month of September.

Wang is a valued member of the Human Resources Division, and during the pandemic, Wang navigated the City’s contact tracing program when employees tested positive for the COVID-19 virus. Wang accepted this additional responsibility without hesitation while continuing to manage her regular Human Resources duties.

“This past year has been especially hard for our human resources team as we dealt with an unprecedented pandemic while still needing to recruit for new employees and deal with a wave of retirements,” Farrell Harrison said. “Through it all, Ruth has remained steady and professional and we are so lucky to have her on our team. Congrats to her on this well-deserved honor.”

She successfully manages these stressful situations for the employee with care, sensitivity and professionalism. Wang along with the rest of the City’s contact tracing team have made over 600 contacts.

In addition to this added work load, Wang is the primary recruiter for the Development Services and Fire Departments and has a great working relationship with both departments. She has processed over 150 candidates and conducted over 60 recruitments.

Wang is also responsible for claims administration and coordinating the City’s monthly Meet and Greet events and the annual Employee Service Awards. Wang’s creative ideas and themes for these events, and her attention to detail contribute to the success of these events.

Wang is recognized for her exceptional customer service, always cheery disposition and for being the ultimate team player. She never hesitates to offer her assistance to her fellow HR staff members and also to other Departments when needed.

She joined the City of Costa Mesa as a part-time Human Resources Technician in 2013, was promoted to Human Resources Analyst in 2014, and became a full-time staff member later the same year.

Prior to joining Costa Mesa, Wang worked in varying personnel positions at several local municipalities including the cities of Fullerton, Newport Beach, Mission Viejo and Tustin. Wang also previously worked as a wedding planner.

Wang received her bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from the University of LaVerne.

Jennifer Le, Costa Mesa’s Director of Economic and Development Services, announced that she has appointed Scott Drapkin as the City’s new Assistant Development Services Director.

Drapkin has nearly 25 years of experience in the planning and community development field and comes to Costa Mesa from the City of Laguna Beach, where he worked since 1997.

In 2016, he was appointed to be the City’s Planning Manager, managing day-to-day operations and staff in the Planning Division as well as the activities of the Planning Commission.

A lifelong Orange County resident, Drapkin has been involved with GIS planning since the late 1990s and created and administered one of the first public-serving GIS City services in Orange County in early 2002.

Drapkin has his Bachelor’s degree in Urban and Regional Planning from Cal Poly Pomona and a Master’s degree in public administration from Grand Canyon University.

Director of Public Services Raja Sethuraman has appointed Rob Ryan as the City’s new  Maintenance Services Manager.

In his new position, Ryan will oversee Facilities, Fleet, Parks, Streets and Warehousing sections of the Maintenance Services Division.

Ryan has been serving as Acting Superintendent of Parks and Streets sections of the Maintenance Division over the past year.

He has been with the City for over seven years and has over 17 years of experience in maintenance. a State licensed pesticide applicator and an ISA (International Society of Arboriculture) Certified Arborist.

Prior to joining the City of Costa Mesa, Ryan spent 11 years as a general manager of a landscape pest control company that specialized in tree, sports turf and landscape pest and disease management and control.

The company focused on serving universities, school districts, cities and other municipalities.  The company also specialized in invasive weed removal and wetlands habitat restoration.

Ryan is currently working towards a degree in Business Administration with a special focus on Leadership.

At the regular Costa Mesa City Council meeting of Sept. 7, the City Council agreed to resume street sweeping enforcement that had been suspended in January of 2021 due to the ongoing pandemic.

While enforcement by the Costa Mesa Police Department can begin on Wednesday Sept. 15, 2021, residents will be allotted a two-week grace period that will end on Wednesday Sept. 29, 2021.

Residents should be aware that after the grace period the Police Department will be issuing citations for any vehicle parked on the street during the restricted “No Parking” times when a street sweeper is present.

Residents may park their vehicle(s) on the street after the sweeper cleans the street if it is within that restricted time frame.

This does not affect residential permit parking enforcement, which is still suspended until the City completes the City-wide Parking Study and obtain direction from the City Council.

Mayor of Costa Mesa John Stephens, along with Council Members Manuel Chavez and Jeff Harlan, took part in a parade and ceremony on Sunday Sept. 12, honoring Orange County Olympians, including Costa Mesa Olympic Gold Medalist April Ross.

The ceremony, which was held at the American Legion Post 291 at Memorial Park in Newport Beach was organized by OC Supervisor, District 2, Katrina Foley’s office.

Mayor Stephens, who emceed the event, and Council Members  Chavez and Harlan presented Ross with a Costa Mesa street sign in her name and the coveted key to the city, an honor rarely bestowed on a resident.

“We are so proud of what April and her teammate Alix Klineman were able to accomplish at the Tokyo Olympics,” Stephens said. “April is a Costa Mesa volleyball legend, and it was an honor to celebrate her gold medal victory. Her skill and dedication are an inspiration.”

Ross, who was a volleyball star at Newport Harbor High School, posted to her Instagram that she was thrilled to be honored.

“So fun celebrating with the Costa Mesa/Newport Beach cities that raised me,” she wrote. “I was also extremely honored to receive from my home town (Costa Mesa) a KEY TO THE CITY, that I was told gets me into any and all donut shops whenever I want, AND my very own street sign (not actually a street but I plan to put it up in front of my driveway).”

Nine local Olympians attended the event. In addition to Ross, Costa Mesa resident Charlie Buckingham, who competed in sailing at the Tokyo Olympics was also recognized.

Also attending Sunday’s event were Congresswoman Michelle Steel, Assembly Member Cottie Petrie-Norris and State Senator Tom Umberg. Newport Beach Council Members Joy Brenner and Diane Dixon, Seal Beach Mayor Joe Kalmick, Los Alamitos Mayor Mark Chirco and Westminster Mayor Tri Ta, Newport-Mesa Unified School District trustees Ashley Anderson and Michelle Barto were also in attendance.

On Wednesday Sept. 8, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the City of Costa Mesa’s sober living home ordinances are not discriminatory and do not violate the Fair Housing Act, validating a federal jury decision in December of 2018 that upheld the City’s laws.

The Ninth Circuit decision effectively ends the case by Yellowstone Women’s First Step House, Inc. and California Women’s Recovery, Inc. and the Sober Living Network against the City and means the City can continue to enforce its ordinance, which regulates sober living home operators, including limiting the number of residents to six or fewer and maintaining a 650-foot buffer between non-licensed sober living homes.

“I’m pleased that the Ninth Circuit affirmed the jury’s verdict,” Mayor John Stephens said. “This is the culmination of years of effective advocacy by our outside counsel Keller Anderle and Buchalter and our City Attorney’s office. They have successfully defended our reasonable regulations designed to preserve the character of our neighborhoods. We will continue to invest in this effort by enforcing and defending these important protections.”

The City implemented the laws in 2014, and revised and strengthened them in 2017, to protect the entire community from operators of unlicensed facilities, which exposed residents to dangerous conditions and created public nuisance concerns that affect the quality of life. By doing this, Costa Mesa has led the way to hold these operators accountable, setting the precedent for other cities to do the same.

The laws also regulate sober living home operators in multi-family zones, requiring a separation requirement to prevent neighborhoods from being converted into institution-like settings.

“The City’s efforts to protect vulnerable individuals seeking a sober living environment while protecting surrounding residents have been vindicated,” said City Attorney Kimberly Hall Barlow.

This latest ruling is one in a series of favorable court cases Costa Mesa has won following the first victory in December of 2018, when the jury unanimously rejected claims by Yellowstone, et. al., that the city’s ordinances are discriminatory and violate the Fair Housing Act.

“The case is important because it affirms the authority of local governments to thoughtfully regulate sober living homes for the benefit of both local residents and those in recovery,” said the City’s lead appellate counsel Mary-Christine Sungaila, chair of the appellate practice at Buchalter.

As we prepare for the 20th year remembrance of 9/11, we reflect on a day that has left an unforgettable impression on us and has impacted us all, where nearly 3,000 lives were lost, including 343 FDNY firefighters, 23 members of NYPD and 37 members of the Port Authority Police who died in the Line of Duty.

The City had originally begun planning for a large community event for this 20th remembrance of 9/11, but due to the ongoing pandemic, we will be paying tribute through much smaller community-based recognitions to ensure the health and safety of our first responders and the community remains the priority.

On Saturday, Sept. 11, Costa Mesa Fire & Rescue and the Costa Mesa Police Department, led by Fire Chief Dan Stefano, our new Police Chief Ron Lawrence in collaboration with City Manager Lori Ann Farrell Harrison, would like to invite the community to join us in remembrance of the victims of Sept. 11.

As in years past, there will be a brief ceremony of remembrance and reflection in their honor.  A number of local, regional, statewide, and worldwide ceremonies will be taking place throughout the day and we will be conducting ours as part of a countywide remembrance in the morning.

Specifically, the community is welcomed to join us at any one of the city’s six fire stations or via livestream on Sept. 11 at 8:45 a.m. Please be mindful if you plan to attend that strict health and safety protocols will be in place and access will be limited to the exterior of the fire stations.

Additionally, if attending in person, please arrive no later than 8:45 am, as the countywide broadcast is brief, beginning just after 9:00 am and concluding at approximately 9:10 am.

There will not be any formal presentations or speakers, other than the countywide broadcast, as the purpose of this ceremony is for us to reflect, remember, and honor all of those lost at the World Trade Center, the Pentagon, and Shanksville, Pennsylvania.  This remembrance service provides an opportunity for us to pay tribute to all who lost their lives that day while giving a salute to the members of the following uniformed services:

• 343 fallen members of FDNY
• 23 fallen members of NYPD
• 37 fallen members of Port Authority Police

We would like to thank you in advance for your understanding of our smaller in-person gathering this year, and most importantly, thank you for taking any time throughout the day on Sept. 11 to pay tribute to all of those we lost during these tragic events and their families.

Please keep these families in your thoughts and prayers, as we come together to reflect and remember as we mark the 20 years since Sept. 11, 2001.

The City Manager Leadership Award Winner for the month of August is Senior Planner Nancy Huynh.

“Nancy works on some of the City’s most high-profile projects and because of that I’ve been witness to her skills, innovation and creativity,” City Manager Lori Ann Farrell Harrison said. “She is a valued member of our planning team, a trusted colleague and a rising star in the organization. I congratulate her on this well-earned honor.”

Huynh is a valued member of the Economic and Development Services Department. She joined the City of Costa Mesa as an Associate Planner in 2018 and was promoted to Senior Planner earlier this year.

She established herself as a leader in the Department early on by assisting some of the most challenging customers at the public counter with professionalism and a smile, while eagerly accepting several very difficult projects. Huynh is the project planner for One Metro West, a mixed-use project that includes office, retail, and over 1,000 housing units proposed next to SoCo.

After two years, an Environmental Impact Report, hundreds of public comments, and several public hearings, the City Council approved the project in June of this year. One Metro West is the first project headed to a vote of the people under the voter-approved initiative, Measure Y.

As if that wasn’t enough, Huynh was instrumental in the preparation of Measure Q and the City’s retail cannabis sales ordinance, which was a result of the passage of Measure Q last November by over 65% of Costa Mesa voters.

Following meetings with the Council’s Cannabis Ad Hoc Committee and the local cannabis business industry and after several iterations of the new regulations, the City’s retail cannabis permitting program successfully launched earlier this month with nearly 20 applications received on the first day.

Through it all, she always has a positive attitude. Huynh is perpetually smiling and enthusiastically helping her fellow staff members or customers at the counter or on the phones.  Despite an intense workload, Huynh has also taken on the role of “social coordinator” for the Department, always taking the time to celebrate her colleagues, organizing office decorations, food, and gifts for birthdays, retirements, new babies and more.

Prior to joining Costa Mesa, Huynh worked a variety of jobs reflecting her interest in planning and sustainability and food, including working as a tour guide at Tanaka Farms, working on a food truck and working as an Associate Planner in the private sector for over four years.

Huynh received her bachelor’s degree in Urban Studies with a minor in Global Sustainability and her master’s degree in Urban and Regional Planning from UCI.

Due to the observation of the Labor Day holiday on Monday, there will be no residential street sweeping Sept. 6 – Sept. 10 2021.

This coincides with the Costa Mesa Sanitary District, which also observes this holiday by pushing trash collection back one day.

This results in residential gutter lines being cluttered with trash cans making it impossible for street sweeper operators to do an efficient job. There should be no parking citations issued during this time.

Street sweeping will resume back to normal schedule the week of Sept. 14.

In lieu of sweeping streets, the following are a list of task that clean streets operators will be conducting next week.

• City wide alley street sweeping
• Sweeping of park parking lots and other city owned facilities
• Accident call outs and special request
• Night route sweeping on all arterial streets

For more information, residents can call the city’s street sweeping hotline at (714) 327-7471, which has been updated with this information.