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.

Public Services recently expanded its graffiti removal and pressure washing program. Historically, the Maintenance Division has dedicated a one or two-person operation to manage the program.

Maintenance staff is very dedicated and takes pride in the program, resulting in high level of success in managing graffiti issues throughout the City. Staff attempts to remove graffiti within 24 hours of discovery or reporting.

The program’s current expansion includes additional resources and equipment to better serve Costa Mesa. The program is now staffed by two full-time employees and one part-time employee operating out of two fully equipped graffiti abatement trucks, one pickup truck and trailer, and the gator which is dedicated to Fairview Park and the Joann Bike Trail.

Staff works an overlapping schedule to provide coverage every day. With the additional staff and equipment, the program now has increased the frequency of services to include weekly pressure washing of park shelters and pressure washing high use bus stops in conjunction with the City’s bus stop maintenance contractor.

As part of this program, maintenance staff performs regular pressure washing of the Skate Park, Bark Park, all City owned park playgrounds, Davis field restroom and sidewalks, senior center walkways and City facilities. Staff is also quick to respond with pressure washing services to daily requests related to paint spills, utility markings and graffiti removal.

The City of Costa Parks & Community Services Department has recently appointed Cynthia D’Agosta as the new Fairview Park Adminstrator, who is tasked with maintenance, inspiring local participation and trust in the improvement and protection of Fairview Park.

“Fairview Park as a truly unique and special, local and regional resource, that can serve the community through passive recreation, environmental and cultural education, volunteerism and its pure landscape beauty,” D’Agosta said.

D’Agosta is a native Californian, urban open space planner, landscape architect and artist.  She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in science and fine arts from UC Santa Cruz and a Master’s Degree in landscape architecture from Harvard University’s Graduate School of Design.

In her 25-year career, she has focused on:  enriching human experiences with local landscapes; supporting and leading communities in the area of preservation; and in the creation of meaningful public spaces.

Her expertise includes community leadership, project management, and planning of urban parks, open spaces, natural areas, and cultural resources. She has studied and performed management and design of regional scale urban open spaces for both non-profits and government entities such as the Los Angeles County Dept. of Parks & Recreation, the Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority, the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy, the National Parks Service, and the San Francisquito Creek Joint Powers Authority.

D’Agosta’s Southern California experiences have included projects for the Los Angeles, San Gabriel, and Santa Ana River restorations; LA County regional parks; and in private practice, designing trails and parks for housing developments of Newport Coast and Rancho Santa Margarita.

Most recently while in the Bay Area, she has served as Executive Director for a multi-jurisdictional urban infrastructure creek project (the SFCJPA), 50-year-old environmental advocacy non-profit, and a historic garden estate.

Following recently passed legislation and the corresponding closure of the Ramsay Rexall Pharmacy and Harbor Compounding pharmaceutical drop boxes, Costa Mesa Sanitary District (CMSD) installed a new pharmaceutical waste drop box at the district headquarters.

To dispose of medication in Costa Mesa, stop by the CMSD Headquarters located at 290 Paularino Avenue, Costa Mesa. Pharmaceutical waste will also be accepted at various Orange County drop sites on Saturday, Oct. 28, 2017, the National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day.

The list of drop sites, which are coordinated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, are available at https://www.deadiversion.usdoj.gov/drug_disposal/takeback/index.html.