In an effort to minimize the spread of COVID-19, the City of Costa Mesa has taken another bold step and closed all City parks and the Costa Mesa Country Club, the city-owned public golf course, effective midnight March 24 until further notice.

The City is taking this action to ensure appropriate social distancing and reduce places of gathering. The park closures will include parking lots, park restrooms, playgrounds, athletic facilities and walking trails.

The parks closures follow a number of facilities and city parks programs that have already been closed out of the abundance of caution as the public is urged to stay home to slow the spread of COVID-19 and help flatten the curve.

“If you think you’re doing too much, you’re probably doing the right thing,” Dr. Anthony Fauci, the Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.

In order to minimize the spread of the COVID-19 virus, Governor Newsom has issued Executive Orders that temporarily suspend requirements of the Brown Act and as such, the Costa Mesa City Council Chambers will be closed to the public for meetings of both the City Council and Planning Commission effective immediately and until further notice.

Some, or all, of the Costa Mesa City Council and Planning Commission Members may attend this meeting telephonically. There is no public presence allowed at the meetings except for applicants who are not able to make presentations remotely.

Members of the public are strongly encouraged to observe the City Council meetings live on Costa Mesa TV (Spectrum Channel 3 and AT&T U-Verse Channel 99) and Online at www.youtube.com/costamesatv.

Members of the public who wish to make a comment on a specific agenda item can submit comment via email to the City Council at cityclerk@Costamesaca.gov or to the Planning Commission at PCPublicComments@costamesaca.gov.

Comments will be accepted continuously during the meeting and will be read into the record up to the time limit of three minutes.   Any portion of comment not read aloud due to time restrictions will still be included in the record.

In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, if you need special assistance to participate in this meeting, please contact the City Clerk at (714) 754-5225. Notification is needed at least 48 hours prior to the meeting to enable the City to make reasonable arrangements to ensure accessibility to this meeting.

Language translation services are available for this meeting by calling (714) 754-5225 at least 48 hours in advance. Habrá servicio de interpretación disponible para éstas juntas llamando al (714) 754-5225 por lo menos con 48 horas de anticipación.

The City of Costa Mesa thanks you in advance for taking all precautions to prevent spreading the COVID-19 virus.

City staff and leadership teams continue to thank our strong community members who are actively doing their part to flatten the curve of COVID-19.

Here are some tips and informational pieces to keep in mind during this time:

While the City continues to put out timely information as it becomes available, residents looking for additional information or with questions are encouraged to contact the County of Orange Public Information Hotline at (714) 628-7085.

City staff and leadership are asking that residents be alert and vigilant against Cyber Scams. Cyber actors are using the current COVID-19 incident as an opportunity to trick possible victims into revealing sensitive information and even donating to charities that are fraudulent.

Additionally, be mindful of social engineering attacks, which occur when an attacker uses human interaction (social skills) to obtain information about a person or organization. Some precautions that you can take today include:

• Avoid clicking on links that come from unsolicited emails
• Use authentic and trusted sources for up-to-date information on COVID-19, inclusive of government websites, ex: gov
• Avoid giving out personal and financial information in an email
• Review the Federal Trade Commission’s page and verify a charity’s name before making any donations.
• For more information on how to avoid social engineering and phishing attacks, visit: https://www.us-cert.gov/ncas/tips/ST04-014

There has been a lot of questions pertaining to the order from the California State Public Health Officer and Director of the California Department of Public Heath, that was issued on March 19. Although the order does call for California residents to stay home or at their place of residence, please note that during this time, residents are still allowed to partake in essential activities, while practicing social distancing.

Essential activities include:

• Groceries
• Gas
• Banking
• Pharmacies
• Take-out and delivery restaurants
• Laundry services
• Walking your pets
• Spending time with your kids/pets outside/going for a walk/physical exercise outdoors

Please note that residents with pets are still allowed to walk their pets and maintain that level of essential activity for their animals.

Your public safety departments, inclusive of Fire and PD have been and continue to be well-prepared for all incidents and emergencies.  Anyone with questions may call the city Hotline at (714) 754-5156 or visit the city website at: www.costamesaca.gov/covid-19.

Governor Gavin Newsom announced today March 19 that the California State Public Health Officer and Director of the California Department of Public Health are ordering all individuals living in the State of California to stay home or at their place of residence except as needed to maintain continuity of operation of the federal critical infrastructure sectors.

All public safety and city workers will continue working under current circumstance during the declaration of the state emergency.

Read the full Executive Order here.

This goes into effect on Thursday, March 19, 2020. The order is in place until further notice.

Essential services will remain open such as:

• Gas stations
• Pharmacies
• Food: Grocery stores, farmers markets, food banks, convenience stores, take-out and delivery restaurants
• Banks
• Laundromats/laundry services

Starting this week, March 16, the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) requested that law enforcement exercise discretion on enforcement of driver license and vehicle registration expiration dates expiring in the next 60 days, for seniors and those with underlying health conditions so they can avoid a required DMV visit.

In an effort to protect our at-risk population, the Costa Mesa Police Department will practice discretion in accordance with the DMV’s request.

This is specific to license renewals for seniors 70 years of age or older and individuals who have underlying health conditions and are required to visit a DMV office to renew.

For more information on field offices and interrupted DMV services, please visit the DMV website at www.dmv.ca.gov and select the “Offices” icon.

The County of Orange has amended its order issued on Tuesday March 17 to stem the spread of Covid-19.

Please click here to read the county’s press release on the new amended order. https://cms.ocgov.com/civicax/filebank/blobdload.aspx?BlobID=114421

UPDATE:

The Costa Mesa Police Department resumed street sweeping enforcement on July 1, 2020.  Residents were notified through several social media sites and through email and text via Nixle. Residents are now required to adhere to the street sweeping restrictions in their area.  Also, residents should be aware that the police department issues citations for any vehicle parked on the street during the restricted “No Parking” times.  Residents cannot park their vehicle(s) on the street after the sweeper cleans if it is within that restricted time frame.  City Hall remains closed and therefore, permit parking enforcement is still suspended.

Street sweeping operations will continue until further notice.

Earlier message:

Effective immediately, the Costa Mesa Police Department will suspend issuing parking citations for street sweeping and residential permit parking violations as approved by the City Council on March 17, 2020.

Street sweeping operations will continue until further notice.

COSTA MESA, Calif. (March 17, 2020) – Today, County Health Officer Dr. Nichole Quick issued a Health Officer’s Order effective immediately through March 31, 2020 to protect the health and wellbeing of Orange County residents during the COVID-19 pandemic.

To view the Health Officer’s Order in its entirety, click on the link bit.ly/OCHealthOrder

The City of Costa Mesa will be coordinating efforts to take necessary measures in ensuring compliance with the Order.

Essential activities that will remain operational include City business that provide for the health, safety, and welfare of its community, the Costa Mesa Police Department (CMPD), Costa Mesa Fire & Rescue, Emergency Management, and the Dispatch Center.

In accordance with the legally enforceable Order, CMPD has been given the following directive that any person who violates or who refuses or willfully neglects to obey the Order is subject to a fine, imprisonment, or both.

The City is asking its residents to heed the Order and abide by the restrictions collectively to slow the spread of COVID-19. Since this is not yet a shelter in place order, the City recommends caution and social distancing while residents are in public for essential activities. We are in this together and we can all do our part to keep the City of Costa Mesa healthy and safe.

The City of Costa Mesa is calling for the closure of movie theaters, fitness clubs, and limiting restaurants to take out and delivery services only, effective March 17 at 11:59 p.m.

This is in concert with the most conservative guidance, which is in direct alignment with local, state, and federal actions to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

The City carefully considers every decision and is working around the clock to prevent the risk of further transmission of COVID-19. As such, these closures are crucial and in the best interest of our community.

In addition to the closures, the City reminds the Costa Mesa community to practice social distancing (six feet of separation), wash your hands thoroughly and frequently, avoid any gathering of 10 individuals or more, isolate yourselves if you are feeling sick, and avoid all non-essential activities.

We are not doing this just for our own well-being but for the best interest and health of our families, friends, and loved ones.

Collectively, as a community, we will defeat COVID-19.

Click here to read our webpage for more information. https://www.costamesaca.gov/covid19    

Governor Newsom held a press conference Sunday March 15 stepping up measures to combat the spread of COVID-19. The City of Costa Mesa urges the public and business community to closely follow these guidelines.

Key Points 

It is important to focus on the highest priority needs during any emergency. At this point in time, we all need to collectively prioritize our efforts to protect the most vulnerable. This guidance provides details regarding the statewide efforts we should all employ going forward.

Protect the Most Vulnerable

• The Governor’s guidelines focused specifically on the 5.3 million seniors who are vulnerable, those with chronic conditions of any age and individuals experiencing homelessness.
• The Governor called for home isolation of all seniors in the State of California for those 65 years and older and individuals with chronic conditions. The guidance is to minimize contact with others as much as possible.
• Visitation to senior facilities will be restricted further to only allow end-of-life visitations.

Reduce Contact in Public places

• All bars, nightclubs, wineries, and brewpubs are to shut down, presumably through March 31 in accordance with the Governor’s public gatherings direction from March 11. The March 31 date may be extended.
• Restaurants and grocery stores can remain open, however, restaurants are to reduce occupancy levels by half and make arrangements for social distancing.
• The Governor is sharpening his focus on assisting businesses during this time through unemployment, disability insurance and through the Small Business Administration. Other resources will be explored to help businesses get through this difficult time.

What Costa Mesa is doing

• We want the Costa Mesa community to know that the City is taking strong and proactive measures to protect vulnerable populations and reduce the risk of the spread of COVID-19. It’s also important to remember to prepare, check in on relatives and friends. We must also remember to show compassion toward our neighbors.
• In an abundance of caution, the City of Costa Mesa is making a major shift in our city’s operations as we continue to address the COVID-19 health crisis as follows.

City Facilities closed to public

• Starting Monday, March 16 many city facilities, including City Hall and community centers, will be closed to the public. Our city leadership team is currently developing plans for the provision of essential city services and will be providing services to the public online, via telephone and through our website in order to follow the Governor’s guidance and reduce the potential spread of COVID-19. The following operational changes will be effective Monday, March 16, through the end of April, or until further notice. Open space venues will remain open to the public, including parks and golf courses.
• Please know that our residents, businesses and community partners are extremely important to us. We are going to do everything we can to help you during this difficult time. We are going to work on helping to minimize this disruption to our daily lives as much as possible. We are putting into place disaster recovery efforts to help secure disaster relief funding to the greatest extent possible.
• Our team is monitoring all federal and state resources for disaster relief. Our finance team is going to be sending instructions to businesses to assess economic damages related to this incident. This is precisely why we took the bold action to be the first in the county to declare a local emergency. Please go to the Small Business Administration for additional resources.
• Finally, know that your City leaders and public safety officials are prepared to deal with the crisis, and we are working day and night to get us through these difficult and uncertain times.

In response to Governor Gavin Newsom’s direction regarding COVID-19, the City of Costa Mesa has closed all City facilities out of concern for public health and safety.

Essential services related to meals and social services will be available on a limited basis. Please contact the Senior Center for detailed information about access to specific resources at (714) 327-7550 or via email cmseniorcenter@costamesaca.gov.

Community health and safety is a top priority for us and we will work to provide timely updates as they become available.

Please be patient as we work through this challenging time together.