As a result of the City of Costa Mesa being named in a lawsuit filed by Orange County Catholic Worker vs. the County of Orange and Santa Ana and Anaheim regarding homeless encampments, city outreach staff compiled a summary of achievements from the city’s Network for Homeless Solutions.

The Network for Homeless Solutions is the only city-sponsored homeless outreach division within the county with three full-time equivalent outreach workers and partnerships with over 50 social service, governmental and private agencies for housing those experiencing homelessness in Costa Mesa.

Below are some of the highlights:

HOUSING

• 101 housed in 2017
• 270 housed since the network began in 2013
• 80 clients placed in permanent supportive housing via Coordinated Entry program

 RECONNECTIONS

• 41 reconnected in 2017
• 112 reconnected to date

 MEDICAL LINKAGES

• 245 in 2017
• 772 since 2012

 SOCIAL SERVICE LINKAGES

• 191 in 2017
• 386 to date

MENTAL HEALTH LINKAGES

• 235 in 2017

OC HEALTH CARE AGENCY BEHAVIORAL HEALTH CONTACTS 2017

• 752 total contacts
• 483 self-disclosed homeless

PSYCHIATRIC EMERGENCY RESPONSE TEAM CONTRACTS

• 221 total contacts
• 47 self-disclosed homeless

The Network for Homeless Solutions collaborates with the County of Orange, the Department of Social Services, Social Security and Department of Motor Vehicles on homeless issues.

In addition, the Network has partnerships with local non-profits including Mercy House, Collette’s Children’s Home and Families Forward.

In addition, the Network for Homeless Solutions partners with the Lighthouse Church of the Nazarene in the Westside of Costa Mesa, which serves as a homeless service center and periodic shelter for extremely vulnerable individuals.

The Network regularly delivers bus passes to homeless and recently housed individuals for medical, job and housing appointments and in addition provides taxi rides to homeless individuals needing transportation for reconnections, housing or medical appointments.

Highlights of the NHS partnerships include the following:

• 51 individuals helped by Mercy House over three years.
• 79 individuals helped by Collette’s Children’s Home over three years.
• 58 individuals helped by Families Forward over two years.
• 580 collaborative actions in 2017 with non-profit housing providers for the purpose of providing housing support to recently housed clients.
• 294 field support actions assisting both Costa Mesa Police Department park rangers, police officers and residents with homeless individuals seeking assistance.
• 41 emergency housing placements in 2017.

The Arlington Drive Improvement Project reached another milestone.

The curb and gutter delineating the roadway along the south side of the street is complete and the pavement along the south side from the Davis School site entry to Newport Boulevard has been base-paved.

Two-way traffic on Arlington Drive is now restored and will remain open through the project’s completion.

Nearly all the underground work is complete and the contractor will finish base-paving the remainder of the street later this week.

Lastly, work on the bioswale, landscape improvements, and construction of the bicycle trail will begin soon.

As part of the on-going Bristol Street Improvement Project, Sully-Miller Contracting Co. will begin grinding existing deteriorating pavement on Bristol Street, between Baker Street and Randolph Avenue, on Friday, Feb. 16 beginning at 8 p.m.

On Saturday, Feb. 17, from 6 a.m. to early afternoon, Sully-Miller will be installing new pavement on Bristol Street, between Baker Street and Randolph Avenue. Adjacent businesses have been notified of this scheduled work and access to them will be maintained.

Please expect intermittent delays during the construction. The median curbs on Bristol Street between Baker Street and Newport Boulevard will be completed in the next two weeks and the landscaping by the end of March 2018.

Click here for a map of the area under construction.

The improvement project includes roadway resurfacing, new storm drain catch basins, new landscaped medians, new traffic signal installation and a storm water diversion project.

This project represents more than $6.5 million in improvements with funding coming from various sources including Federal, State and County agencies, gas tax and local funds.

This project will provide a smoother ride along this stretch of Bristol Street, better operational conditions for vehicular and pedestrian traffic, and improve the water quality of the Back Bay area by providing treatment for some of the storm water runoff.

The construction fencing around Lions Park was expanded on Wednesday Feb. 14, resulting in the closure of the parking lot entrance on Anaheim Avenue and limiting parking availability at the Donald Dungan Library and the Downtown Recreation Center.

The entrance from Park Avenue will be open for park visitors. The parking spaces in front of the portable trailers will be reserved for personnel working on the Lion’s Park Project but may be used by staff and the public on the weekends.

Additionally, the parking spots adjacent to Fire Station No. 2 may be reserved for Donald Dungan Library staff. Street parking on 18th and Anaheim will remain unaffected by these changes. This fencing will remain in place for four to eight weeks.

During this closure, vehicles may not double park or stop anywhere in the parking lot for pick-ups/drop-offs, or any other reason, as the added congestion may pose a safety issue and inhibit or prevent emergency vehicle access to the lot.

Lions Park is currently undergoing a $36 million upgrade that will result in a new library and community center. Click here for more information.

Due to the observation of the President’s Day holiday on Feb. 19, there will be no residential street sweeping.

In addition, no parking enforcement will be done the entire week per city policy.

Street sweeping will resume back to normal on Tuesday, Feb. 20, 2018.

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

Click here for more information on the city’s website.

The Costa Mesa City Council is currently seeking residents to serve on the following city committees:

Access Building, Fire and Housing Board of Appeal: This committee advises on matters pertaining to building construction. The board meets and hears appeals on an as-needed basis. There are five regular member vacancies and two alternate member vacancies with a term expiration of April 1, 2022. Minimum qualifications should include: Civil Engineers, Structural engineers, Fire protection engineers, Electrical/mechanical engineers, Architects, Certified Access Specialists (CASp), and related state or federal licensed professionals, such as fire marshals.  Residents or individuals that conduct business within the City are encouraged to apply.  For further information, please contact Building Official Issam Shahrouri at (714) 754-5604.

Bikeway & Walkability Committee: This committee, which meets monthly, assists with the review, update and implementation of the city’s Master Plan of Bikeways and pedestrian pathways in order to make recommendations for improvements to the City Council. There are seven regular member vacancies with a term expiration of April 1, 2020. For further information, please contact Transportation Services Manager Jennifer Rosales at (714) 754-5180.

Cultural Arts Committee: This committee, which meets monthly, works to promote the city’s slogan, “Costa Mesa City of the Arts.” The committee works to establish programs, events and information that help residents access the arts in many different venues, and through multiple sources. There are three regular member vacancies and one alternate member vacancy with a term expiration of April 1, 2020; and one alternate member vacancy with a term expiration of April 1, 2019. For further information, please contact Recreation Supervisor Ashley Thomas at (714) 754-5052.

Finance and Pension Advisory Committee: This committee, which meets monthly, provides advice to the City Council regarding events and issues which may affect the financial status of the City.  It also evaluates annual and long-term pension and financial impacts from changes in CalPERS contribution rates and/or actuarial schedule changes.  There are six regular member vacancies with a term expiration of April 1, 2020. Applicants shall have pension knowledge or shall be residents or individuals that conduct business within the City and have a background that includes experience in securities trading, financial planning, banking, auditing, accounting, or a closely related and relevant field. For further information, please contact Management Analyst Ray Hull at (714) 754-5227.

Historical Preservation Committee: This committee, which meets monthly, serves to maintain, preserve, educate and promote the city’s historical resources. There are four (4) regular member vacancies and two alternate member vacancies with a term expiration of April 1, 2020. For further information, please contact Recreation Supervisor Ashley Thomas at (714) 754-5052.

Housing & Public Service Grants Committee: This committee, which meets on an as-needed basis, helps to promote community understanding of the community development process and activities funded by the U.S. Housing and Urban Development Department (HUD), and Community Development Block Grants (CDBG). There are four regular member vacancies and one alternate member vacancy with a term expiration of April 1, 2020. For further information, please contact CDBG Consultant Mike Linares at (714) 754-5678.

Application Process – Residents who are interested in getting involved in local government are encouraged to complete a Committee Application Form from the City Clerk’s Office or from the City’s website (www.costamesaca.gov/apply). The completed application may be submitted online; mailed to Costa Mesa City Clerk at Post Office Box 1200, Costa Mesa, California, 92628-1200; faxed to (714) 754-4942; emailed to cityclerk@costamesaca.gov; or hand-delivered to the City Clerk’s Office at City Hall, 77 Fair Drive, Costa Mesa.

The deadline is 5 p.m., Thursday, March 1, 2018.  Appointments are tentatively scheduled for the March 20, 2018 City Council meeting.

Public Services recently completed the installation of new Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliant wheelchair ramps at the intersection of Carnegie Avenue and Swarthmore Lane.

This was part of the city’s ongoing effort to enhance citywide accessibility and meet ADA requirements. In addition to installing wheelchair ramps, the project also included reconstruction of the cross-gutter and splash pad to improve drainage at this location.

Public Services also recently completed the reconstruction of the parkway drain at Wellesley Lane near Fairview Road (see before and after photos). The project entailed demolition of the deteriorated parkway culvert and reconstruction of a parkway drain to meet the city’s standards. In addition to improving drainage conditions in the cul-de-sac, the project also included minor improvements to deteriorated sidewalk to eliminate displacements.

Improvements to the Harbor Boulevard Cornerstone Bicycle Trail at Fairview Development Center was also completed recently. The improvements included the Fairview Developmental Center planter reconfiguration that reduced the planter size and the installation of concrete in its place to ultimately provide a larger turning radius for bicyclists.

The city’s move to the new Newport Center Animal Hospital for shelter services has so far yielded favorable results and improved customer service.

As part of this new operation, the city has also partnered with Priceless Pet Rescue to handle pet adoptions because Newport Center Animal Hospital is currently not set up to do adoptions.

City staff facilitated the first pet adoption out of the shelter through the no-kill Priceless Pet Rescue. Jack the schnauzer mix was adopted by Danielle Rudd, pictured above on the right.

“Already Jack is fitting in perfectly and is loving going to the park for walks and getting tons of cuddles,” Rudd said. “Words cannot express how thankful I am to welcome Jack in my life. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for working tirelessly to ensure she was placed in an awesome home with me and my mom.”

Residents interested in adopting pets can visit this page for more information

City Manager Tom Hatch presented Recreation Coordinator Kevin Stoddart with the City Manager Leadership Award at the monthly Meet and Greet employee recognition event on Thursday Jan. 25.

“As someone who has managed recreation and community services in the past, I know how important Kevin’s work is in regards to teaching kids about water safety and preventing drownings,” Hatch said. “I know I appreciate him, but even more I know his colleagues appreciate him as a hard worker who does the best job for the public we serve.”

Stoddart is a seven-year employee who began with the city as a part-time lifeguard and eventually was promoted to a full-time Recreation Coordinator.

In his role, he ensures the city remains compliant with all local, state, and federal laws governing water safety, and his staff is well-equipped to provide this same level of care during the busy summer months when Aquatics is the busiest.

He works to make sure his staff is trained properly, and his work ethic extends beyond that of his job description.

In January 2017, Stoddart was assigned the teen program, and he saw this as an opportunity to develop his staff and use his critical thinking skills to think of new ways to increase program attendance. And he was successful – in fact, so successful that the program reached new high records in attendance.

While his leadership is evident to both his supervisors and his peers, the same can be said in his interactions with the general public. His level of customer service is bar none, and again, his critical thinking enables him to provide customers with more than a “no” or a “maybe” – he always looks for ways to accommodate the public to the best of his ability and ensure their experience with the Parks & Community Service is a memorable one.

He is a great contributor to the team and always looks and is willing to share creative ideas to take the department to the next level.

In addition to honoring Stoddart, City Manager Hatch welcomed several new employees and congratulated one on a promotion.

The new employees include, Antonette Penalba, an intern working with the Network for Homeless Solutions, Stacy Daugherty, the city’s new Finance Director, Jonathan Cruz, a Recreation Leader II and Cassandra Gamboa and Yassmin Perez, both Recreation Leader III.

Police Aide Miguel Villana was also recognized as well as Mikaela Soriano and Don Vu, two new interns in Public Services. Finally, City Manager Hatch congratulated Arash Rahimian for his promotion to senior engineer.

Public Services is halfway complete with the $1.2 million citywide alley rehabilitation project. The city contracted with Black Rock Construction, who began the project in September 2017.

The project includes rehabilitation of 10 alleyways, which includes 145,000 square feet of new concrete improvements. The new pavement section replaces old asphalt with concrete containing fibrous, which are strength reinforcing additives designed to provide an extended service life under the stresses of passenger vehicles and trash trucks.

To date, the following alleyways are complete: 19th Street Alley located between 19th Street and Flower Street, from Orange Avenue to Westminster Avenue; Flower Street Alley located between Flower Street and Broadway, from Orange Avenue to Westminster Avenue. Several Broadway alleys were also completed including one located between Broadway and Magnolia Street, from Raymond Avenue to Tustin Avenue; another located between Broadway and Magnolia Street, from Westminster Avenue to Santa Ana Avenue; and another located between Broadway and Magnolia Street, from Orange Avenue to Westminster Avenue.

The following alleys are anticipated for completion by summer 2018: Flower Street Alley located between Flower Street and Broadway, from Westminster Avenue to Santa Ana Avenue; Mace Avenue Alley located between Mace Avenue and Ginger Avenue, from Caraway Drive to Wintergreen Place; another Flower Street Alley located between Flower Street and Broadway, from Orange Avenue to Fullerton Avenue; Sterling Avenue Alley located between Pomona Avenue and Wallace Avenue, from Sterling Avenue to W 20th Street; and another Sterling Avenue Alley located between Pomona Avenue and Wallace Avenue, from W 20the Street to W 19th Street.

In response to a civil nuisance abatement legal action filed only 21 days ago on Jan. 2 by the City of Costa Mesa, Morningside Recovery LLC has agreed to shut down its remaining three sober living homes in the city, all of which were in violation of the city’s sober living home ordinances, and to pay the city $20,000 in legal fees and enforcement costs.

“This is a great outcome for the residents of Costa Mesa,” said Mayor Pro Tem Allan Mansoor. “We are happy that the group home operator decided to work with us and settle this without significant court costs for either party. Hopefully, this sends a message to others that we will strictly enforce our city ordinances and ensure that our neighborhoods maintain a balance that is good for all residents.”

The city had taken the abatement action against Morningside, several related entities and the owner of the properties, Barry Saywitz, LP, for failure to apply for and obtain conditional use permits and otherwise comply with in the city’s sober living home ordinances.  The city had initially taken code enforcement action against six Morningside’s facilities within the city.  While three ultimately closed, the properties on Orange Avenue, Peppertree Lane and Pomona Avenue remained in operation.

As a result this settlement, the facilities on Peppertree Lane and Pomona Avenue are required to close immediately, while the one on Orange Avenue is required to close on or before Aug. 31, 2018.

In addition, Morningside agreed that in connection with the closure of its sober living facilities, it will not “curb” residents onto the city streets and will otherwise comply with the provisions of the city’s ordinances relating to eviction of residents.