As construction begins on the new Arlington Drive Improvement Project, Public Services announced that grading, roadway and storm drain construction is scheduled to start on Monday, Nov. 27, 2017, through March 15, 2018, closing the south half of Arlington Drive from Gate 5 at the OC Fairgrounds/west end of TeWinkle Park to Newport Boulevard.

Only westbound traffic will be allowed in this area, but two-way traffic on Arlington Drive between Fairview Road and Davis Magnet School will be maintained.

Residents are asked to please take a detour around the project site and use alternate routes for eastbound travel. City staff appreciates the public’s patience and cooperation while the project is under construction.

The city has contracted with Sully-Miller Contracting Company to construct the Arlington Drive Improvements Project, which includes roadway improvements, new concrete multipurpose trail along the south side of Arlington Drive, new underground storm drain system, vegetated bioswale, and roadside beautification including new landscaping and water efficient irrigation systems.

One of the City Council’s top priorities is to develop strategies to foster safer neighborhoods in our community.

It is well-understood that neighborhood blight creates a perception for residents that they have no control over their neighborhood and that it has become unsafe.

In line with the City Council’s goals, Development Services’ Community Improvement Division (CID) has developed a strategy in which its staff partners with local resident groups to help reverse this perception through education and a hands on approach.

On Saturday, Nov. 11, Community Improvement staff joined approximately 75-100 residents of the Fillmore-Coolidge neighborhood and hosted a community clean-up event. The Community Improvement staff worked side-by-side with residents cleaning up discarded materials in the public rights-of-way and identified blighted conditions.

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In addition, Community Improvement staff setup an information booth manned by the area code officer, Heidi Jacinto, who emphasized the importance of her role as the code enforcement officer in the community and the usefulness of the Costa Mesa Connect App.

Specifically, Jacinto’s goal was to empower residents to take control of their neighborhood by reporting those activities which create blight such as illegal dumping and or deteriorated conditions.

The event was a huge success. Residents expressed gratitude and a feeling that they were not alone in their concerns for a better, safer neighborhood. Several indicated they felt more connected as a community through the event and that they were happy to put a friendly face on City government.

Huge thanks go out to the City’s Parks and Community Services Department, whose mobile recreation van was onsite providing activities for the kids while parents helped during the clean-up, as well as to Ware Disposal, who provided two 40-cubic-yard containers that were full by the end of the event.

Finally, a huge thank you to our local Chick-fil-A restaurant for hosting lunch. Thank you all for partnering together to make Costa Mesa a safer place.

The Costa Mesa City Council is currently seeking residents and business owners to serve on the Animal Services Committee.

Animal Services Committee:

This newly created committee will meet every other month and will provide the City with recommendations to improve animal care services throughout the city, including animal shelter services and bark park amenities.

Currently there are seven (7) regular member vacancies and two (2) alternate member vacancies.  Five of the applicants must be Costa Mesa residents. Two of the members must have special expertise in animal care, but do not need to be residents.  This is an unpaid volunteer position.  For further information, please contact City Clerk Brenda Green at (714) 754-5225.

Application Process – Residents and business owners 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., Wednesday, Dec. 13, 2017. Appointments are tentatively scheduled for the Jan. 16, 2018 City Council meeting.

Public Services recently began the process of upgrading the coyote warning signs citywide at 75 locations.

The old green sign had excessive text in a small font that was difficult to read. The new sign has updated information and is easier to read.

The sign will also have an interactive Coyote Cacher web site link. The Coyote Cacher program is part of a research project with the University of California Irvine Cooperative Extension that aims to collect data on coyote encounters across California.

Click here to access the Coyote Cacher.

The Coyote Cacher is a quick and convenient way for residents and park patrons to report coyote sightings in their neighborhoods.

Drill Exploration Activities for the I-405 Improvement Project will occur intermittently throughout the project area the week of Nov. 6 to Nov. 9 and the week of Nov. 13 to Nov. 17.

In an effort to make travel easier for motorists this Veterans Day holiday weekend, pre-construction activities will be suspended on Friday, Nov. 10, 2017 and will resume, Monday, Nov. 13, 2017.

Drilling exploration, nest avoidance and ADL sampling activities will be conducted at night, between 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. and during the day, between 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Drill exploration is performed to obtain information on the soil and rock around a site in order to design structures. Crews will be on the northbound (NB) and southbound (SB) shoulders, and on- and off-ramps of the I-405 freeway, as well as on local streets.

Nest avoidance is performed prior to the start of construction to prevent birds and bats from nesting inside structures. ADL sampling is performed to obtain information on soil on the NB and SB shoulders of the I-405 freeway. Samples are obtained to measure toxicity as a part of dust control measures.

Please be advised that this work may be loud, and dates are subject to change based on inclement weather and other operational factors.

In Costa Mesa, work is planned for the following times and place:

• NB I-405 HOV and #1 lane from MacArthur Boulevard to SR-73

The city has added a new link to a Long Beach Airport web page that monitors and tracks air traffic from multiple airports throughout the region.

A link to the web page is located on the Airport Noise and Concerns page on the city’s website.

The page, which is provided by Long Beach Airport, features a Google map with animation of the aircraft. Web visitors can hover a mouse over the aircraft and learn where it is arriving or departing from and its altitude. Complaints can also be filed using by clicking the Investigate tab at the top left.

Click here to see the page.

Public Services recently completed improvements at Paularino and Pinkley Parks previously approved by the Parks and Recreation Commission.

A new metal hexagonal shelter replaced the deteriorating wood shelter at Paularino Park. The shelter was also relocated farther from the nearby residences and to provide easier access.

Pinkley Park’s existing arbor that was in disrepair with broken concrete columns and wood beams was replaced with a new metal arbor. The new arbor is safer for the community and is an aesthetic upgrade to the park.

Costa Mesa is updating its Bicycle Master Plan (BMP) for the General Plan Circulation Element and is looking for the public’s input.

The Bikeway & Walkability Committee has expanded the BMP to include walking and other forms of personal transportation, resulting in a proposed Active Transportation Plan (ATP).

Join us to review and comment on the proposed ATP.

The draft report and exhibits are available on the City’s website on the Bikeway and Walkability Committee web page. The Community meetings will follow the November 2017 and December 2017 Bikeway & Walkability Committee meetings:

• Dates: Nov. 1, 2017 and Dec. 6, 2017
• Location: City Hall, Conference Room 1A
• Time: 7 p.m.

City Manager Tom Hatch presented Senior Recreation Program Administrator Yvette Aguilar with the October City Manager Leadership Award at the monthly employee Meet and Greet on Thursday Oct. 26.

“Yvette’s success can be seen every day at our city Senior Center,” City Manager Hatch said. “Under her leadership, the Senior Center’s programs and membership have flourished, resulting in what is now one of the most robust and successful public senior facilities in Orange County. I’m extremely proud of what she has accomplished in such a short time.”

Aguilar came to the City of Costa Mesa in 2015, after spending nearly a decade working for the City of Covina. She was hired as the City’s Senior Center Program Administrator, which is a full-time staff position that served to lead in the transition of the operation of the Senior Center from a non-profit corporation to a fully operated City facility.

Aguilar has been a key factor in creating a successful relationship with the City’s Senior Commission as well as with local stakeholders and non-profit organizations to assure the forward moving direction and ultimately the success of the facility and program. Two notable project accomplishments that Yvette was instrumental in creating and facilitating were the implementation of the Senior Center’s strategic one, three and five-year goals and objectives and the revamping of the City’s senior transportation program.

Her current role as the Senior Recreation Programs Administrator has allowed her to branch out beyond the Senior Center Program, and to also take on the managerial responsibility of the facilities, programs and staff at the Downtown Recreation and Aquatics Centers.

She is grateful for and proud of the outstanding team that works diligently within the Parks & Community Services Department to make sure that there are quality programs and services that transcend all age groups.

In addition to honoring Aguilar, City Manager Hatch welcomed several new employees to the City and congratulated Jeffrey Bibler, who was recently promoted to Fire Captain.

Also honored were several new employees including Community Outreach Worker Bill Nelson and Administrative Secretary David Nguyen from the City Manager’s Office, Miranda Garcia the new Human Resources Analyst and Jasmine Vega an Accounting Specialist II in the Finance Department.

Development Services interns Ashley Bonetto and Jorge Maldonado were also honored as well as Parks & Community Services Department employees, Jonathan Hooton, Joseph  Nguyen, Peter Nguyen and Riley Stutz, all Recreation Leader II. Also honored was Cynthia D’agosta, the new Fairview Park Administrator.

The City Manager’s Office has created a web page to allow residents to keep up with the progress on the Lions Park Projects.

Construction crews began work on replacing the old Neighborhood Community Center with a new Donald Dungan Library that will feature a children’s library and teen section.

Click here to visit the Project Update page.