It is with great sadness that we have learned of the passing of the City’s first woman Council Member and Mayor Norma Hertzog.

Norma passed away on Monday Aug. 21 at the age of 94 at her home in New Jersey.

In July of 2021, I was honored to participate in the unveiling of the Norma Hertzog Community Center, which along with the remodeled Lions Park Playground (Airplane Park), marked the final chapter on a $36.5 million, world-class campus that is now the jewel of Costa Mesa’s Westside. Through the Norma Hertzog Community Center, Norma will be remembered in Costa Mesa for generations to come.

Norma had provided a video message for all of us that day and personally appeared via Zoom from New Jersey to greet the crowd gathered for the opening. It was a blessing to see her on screen. 

Norma was the owner of two local preschools, Mesa Verde and West Bay, when she ran for City Council and won in 1974 with the campaign slogan “A different point of view.” She was officially appointed Mayor by her colleagues in 1977 and served two terms, ending her council service in 1986.

Besides being the first woman Mayor, Norma is credited with spearheading the move to bring South Coast Repertory theater to Costa Mesa, and the Segerstrom Performing Arts Center soon followed. Norma also received the Mayor’s Award in 2014.

We send our deepest condolences to her family and we are all going to miss her dedication to public service, her great smile and sense of humor. Thank you, Norma, for all you did for Costa Mesa and may you rest in peace.

Norma and her first husband Roger Hertzog had four children, John Hertzog and Sue Ward, predeceased, Elaine Burkert (Ron) who live in Dumont, NJ, Carolyn Fetters (Paul) who live in Palm Desert. She is also survided by six grandchildren, 10 great grandchildren and five step grandchildren and 13 step great grandchildren from her marriage to Charley Wagner.

Services will be planned in her home state of New Jersey.

City Manager Lori Ann Farrell Harrison presented Senior Management Analyst Hadassa Jakher with the City Manager Leadership Award for the month of August.

“Hadassa is the consummate utility player and supports the City Manager’s Office in various tasks including public relations, outreach, finance, and budgeting capacities,” Farrell Harrison said. “She is a pleasure to work with and is an exceptional member or our team and our entire CostaMazing family.”

In addition to supporting Administration, Communications & Marketing, and Constituent Services Teams, she has also assisted in myriad special projects with the City Manager and Deputy City Manager, including the Strategic Plan — one of the most important documents aside from Budget.

She has been instrumental in the area of communications, especially bilingual communications as she has assisted in the translation of over 35 Spanish-language materials. She has created monthly social media plans and collateral for cultural festivities such as Hispanic Heritage Month, Black History Month, Women’s History Month, Asian American and Pacific Islander Month.

She is always thinking ahead and developing creative ways to improve employee morale. Some of these ideas have transformed into events and programs coordinated by the City Manager’s Office. Most notably, Jakher has assisted divisions within the department in “clean up” invoices in certain accounts and took on the development of a better flow of processes.

Jakher joined the City team in 2019 as a part-time Council Aide and assisted City Council with constituent services, outreach, and response to requests. In March 2020, she was promoted to full-time Management Analyst and in April 2023, she was promoted to Senior Management Analyst. 

Before joining Cost Mesa, she was a planning intern for the City of Menifee. She also served as a Public Service Fellow for the Western Riverside Council of Governments. 

Jakher has a Bachelor of Arts in Government and Spanish and minors in Latin American Studies, International Relations, and Law & Society from Cornell University. While at Cornell, she studied abroad and was a Political and Economic Intern for the US Consulate General Barcelona. Jakher also has her Master’s in Public Administration from USC and is pursuing a law degree at Western State College of Law.

Due to the high impact weather in the area, City hall counters will be closed Monday, Aug. 21. These counters include:

• Planning
• Building
• Code
• Business Licenses
• Engineering
• Transportation

The counters will be open again on Tuesday, Aug. 22.

Please be prepared for heavy rain and report any flooding, fallen trees and other storm-related issues to 714-754-5252.

Be advised that City team and CMFR remain well-prepared and are continuously monitoring the situation. Below are key pieces of information and links to websites for real-time updates:

• Residents should anticipate periods of heavy rain, Sunday afternoon/evening into Monday.
• Residents should prepare for high winds, and secure outdoor items, watch for the potential of downed power lines, uprooted trees and roof issues (this is specific to mobile homes, sheds and out buildings).
• Modeling shows wind gusts 20-50 mph sustained once the storm hits
• Rain expectations have increased from 2 to 4 inches
• Sand bag availability at City Hall beginning Aug. 18, 2023 in the south east area of City Hall parking lot.
• For the non-emergency information line, please call 714-754-5252
• For up-to-date power outages, please visit the SCE website at https://www.sce.com/
• To remain up-to-date and for preparedness recommendations, please visit Ready OC at: https://www.readyoc.com/
• Please signup for alert messages through Alert OC at: https://member.everbridge.net/453003085613900/login

Please visit the following link for current up- to-date weather info. You can customize to your zip code: https://www.weather.gov/sgx

Southern California Gas Company has awarded Costa Mesa $50,000 to conduct a crucial climate vulnerability assessment for low-income and disadvantaged communities that may be disproportionately impacted by climate change.

The $50,000 grant is the only one awarded in Orange County and is part of SoCalGas’s Climate Adaptation and Resiliency Planning Grant created to assist cities.

The Energy and Sustainability Division, under the City Manager’s Office, is in the process of developing Costa Mesa’s first Climate Action and Adaptation Plan – a comprehensive strategy and roadmap to help address the impacts of climate change.

“We are embarking on an exciting journey to develop our first climate action and adaptation plan that prioritizes equity and community resilience, said City Manager Lori Ann Farrell Harrison. “I want to express my gratitude to SoCalGas for awarding the City of Costa Mesa the climate adaptation and resilience grant. It will enable our city to expand our work in developing an inclusive climate action plan that specifically addresses the needs of vulnerable community.”

The climate plan will put equity at the center of the planning process, and will identify greenhouse gases reduction and adaptation measures that enhance public health, community resilience and promotes the creation of local green jobs.

The grant will supplement the council approved climate plan budget, and will allow the City to do targeted outreach and engagement to vulnerable and underrepresented communities in Costa Mesa.

The Division of Energy and Sustainability is responsible for developing and implementing citywide programs and initiatives that reduce Costa Mesa’s carbon footprint, increase resource efficiency, minimize waste generation, and enhance the natural and built environment.

The sustainability team works with various City departments, community-based organizations, regional and state agencies, and the business community to build a stronger, more sustainable and equitable city together.

Click here for more information https://www.costamesaca.gov/government/departments-and-divisions/public-works/sustainability.

City Manager Lori Ann Farrell Harrison presented Code Enforcement Officer Andy  Godinez with the July City Manager Leadership Award.

 “Andy is one of the most popular Costa Mesa employees both here at City Hall and in the community,” Farrell Harrison said. “He’s a pure joy to work with and he always greets his fellow employees with a smile. His daily goal is always to serve the community and he often is able to achieve this through simple, kind and informational communication. As someone who grew up in Costa Mesa, we are fortunate to have his institutional knowledge and commitment to the City he loves. I am thrilled to be able to present him with this award.”

Godinez has been working in Costa Mesa since 2008, when he started part time in Parks & Community Services in the afterschool program at Whittier Elementary School, the same school and program he attended growing up on Costa Mesa’s Westside.

He later transferred to the Concierge Desk and worked for the City Clerk’s Office before being promoted to a full-time Code Enforcement Officer in 2018.

From day one, as a Code enforcement officer, Godinez has projected his love for this City, his home.  He has worked feverishly to learn the job.  He is extremely thorough in his approach while maintaining a balanced demeanor when dealing with the public. 

Aside from his duties as a code enforcement officer, he is often sought out by other City departments to help in community engagement meetings where he brings his home town background to make people at ease.

His intuitional knowledge as well as his community involvement has allowed him to be such a positive face forward of the City’s operations that creates a community trust that is often very difficult to achieve.  

Godinez says he enjoys working for Code Enforcement because he likes developing his community. He looks at every resident, business owner and person he encounters in Costa Mesa as his neighbor first.

It is never a dull day in Code Enforcement, from illegal marijuana dispensaries, to CUP enforcement, to hoarding conditions, to substandard living conditions, there is always something interesting to tackle. Godinez considers himself a “nerd” about Costa Mesa’s history, so researching the history of permits and developments in this city are right up his alley.

At the end of the day Godinez is happy to have an opportunity to leave a “thumbprint/huella” on the community and hopefully the service he provides makes a difference.

Godinez is a graduate of Newport Harbor High School and he met his wife Iris, who is also a lifelong Costa Mesa resident and current City employee, while working in Parks. 

The Costa Mesa City Council is currently seeking residents to apply to serve on the following City Commission:

Planning Commission: The Commission meets on the second and fourth Monday of each month and advises on planning, land use, and development matters. The Commission is the final decision-making body for certain discretionary land use approvals such as design review and conditional use permits. The Commission also functions as an advisory body to the City Council for Zoning and General Plan amendments. The City is recruiting for one member (Appointment by Council Member Marr), for a term expiration of January 2027. For further information, contact Administrative Assistant Anna Partida at (714) 754-5612.

Application Process – Residents who are interested in getting involved in local government are encouraged to complete a Committee/Commission 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; 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, July 20, 2023. The appointment is tentatively scheduled for the August 1, 2023 City Council meeting. 

Due to the observation of the Independence Day Holiday on Tuesday July 4, there will be no residential street sweeping the rest of the week through Friday July 7, as Costa Mesa Sanitary District also observes this holiday pushing trash collection back one day.

This results in residential gutter lines being cluttered with trash cans making it difficult for street sweeper operators to do an efficient job. Street sweeping will resume back to normal schedule starting the week of July 10.

The following are a list of task that Clean Street’s 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.

City Manager Lori Ann Farrell Harrison presented Lead Maintenance Worker Andrew Lucio with the City Manager Leadership Award for the month of June.

“Andrew sets a great example as a member of the Maintenance Services Division and our Costa Mesa team,” Farrell Harrison said. “Whenever I see him he is always smiling and exudes a great attitude. I am happy to present him with this award.”  

Lucio joined the City team in 2016 as a part-time General Aide II assigned to the Parks and Landscape Maintenance Section. Lucio was quickly promoted to a full-time Maintenance Worker in 2017 and assigned to the Graffiti Abatement team.

Lucio spent the next few years under the tutelage of Gaetano Russo, who was the Lead Maintenance Worker in Graffiti Abatement at the time. He was dedicated to learning all that he could from his mentor.

This dedication led him to be assigned as Acting Lead Maintenance Worker for the team following Gaetano’s retirement in 2021. Lucio excelled in his new role that first year and provided a nearly seamless transition. He was officially promoted to permanent status in August of 2022.  

In addition to his regular duties as the lead Graffiti Abatement team member, Lucio was instrumental this past year in assisting the section with the most recent bus stop maintenance service agreement by providing a detailed mapping system along with a Google maps location spreadsheet. 

Lucio and his team also pressure wash on a regular basis: parks and playgrounds, high-traffic sidewalks, high-traffic bus stops and fulfill additional requests as needed. 

The Graffiti team received over 6,500 graffiti-related calls, which is a 2,500 increase over the previous year.

Despite the incredible increase in workload, Lucio still comes to work each day with a smile on his face and a positive attitude that reflects how much he enjoys serving the Costa Mesa Community. Lucio can be heard regularly saying “I love my job”.

Lucio enjoys working out in the field and all the positive feedback from residents in our community. From sandblasting walls to pressure washing concrete, to color-matching building walls, no task is too tough for Lucio.

He credits his team and the community here in Costa Mesa, as the reason he calls Costa Mesa a “Home away from Home.”

Due to the observation of the Memorial Day holiday on Monday, May 29, there will be no residential street sweeping the entire week as Costa Mesa Sanitary District also observes this holiday pushing trash collection back one day.

This results in residential gutter lines being cluttered with trash cans making it difficult for street sweeper operators to do an efficient job. Street sweeping will resume back to normal schedule starting the week of June 5. No parking citations will be issued during this time.

The following are a list of task that Clean Street’s 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 requests
• 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.

The City of Costa Mesa has formally submitted comments to the State of California’s Department of General Services, regarding the State’s proposed project to revamp a portion of the Fairview Developmental Center site and turn it into a new Cal OES Southern Region Emergency Operations Center.

Click here to read the City’s response.

The preliminary project proposal would potentially include a 35,000-square-foot office building, a 20,000-square-foot warehouse, vehicle maintenance bay, a helipad and a 100-foot lattice communication tower with 20-foot tall antennas.

The City and the office of Assembly Member Cottie Petrie-Norris were instrumental in requesting that the deadline for comments be extended until April 17 and will continue to work closely with the state and advocate on behalf of the residents of Costa Mesa.

Click here to read the comment letter from Assembly Member Petrie-Norris.

Check back on this webpage https://www.costamesaca.gov/trending/fairview-developmental-center for further updates and information.

The Costa Mesa Police Department (CMPD) is proud to announce the promotion of its first female police captain in the history of the department to the newly created position of deputy police chief. Deputy Chief Joyce LaPointe, a 26-year veteran of CMPD, is now second in command and will oversee both divisions of Patrol Operations and Support Services as well as the Professional Standards Bureau.

“Deputy Chief LaPointe’s well-deserved promotion is a proud moment for our police department,” said Chief Lawrence. “Deputy Police Chief LaPointe will ensure our key philosophies of customer service and professional responsiveness to our community, businesses, and City officials. I am confident that she will work hard in this new role to secure the success of this department. One of my main duties is succession planning and I am reassured that she has the qualifications and drive to take on this role.”

On March 21, 2023, Costa Mesa City Council graciously approved the creation of a new position of deputy police chief requested by Police Chief Ronald A. Lawrence, who said, “Together, we have begun to change the culture and the trajectory of CMPD on a path to a bright future. While there are many accomplishments I am proud of in this short time, one of the many is the adding of staff necessary for us to chart a new course and achieve great things.”
 
“I’ve had many opportunities to work directly with Deputy Chief LaPointe since I began on City Council,” said Costa Mesa Mayor John Stephens. “She is a trusted member of the City team.  I value her many years of experience and leadership with our police department.  Deputy Chief LaPointe will excel in her new position as she has in previous roles within the department.”   
 
City Manager Lori Ann Farrell Harrison also supports this historic appointment.
 
“Deputy Chief LaPointe is an integral part of our City team and it comes as no surprise that she was promoted to second in command at the police department,” said City Manager Lori Ann Farrell Harrison. “I am very proud of her and this accomplishment. As the first woman to hold this high office in the history of CMPD, she is an exemplary professional to us all.”
 
Deputy Chief LaPointe began her career in 1997 as a police officer. She held many positions, including patrol officer, FTO, defensive tactics instructor, tactical flight officer, a traffic investigator and more. LaPointe promoted to sergeant in 2007, and held various supervisory roles including patrol sergeant, jail sergeant, FTO sergeant, force tactics team supervisor, and emergency management coordinator. 
 
In 2015, LaPointe promoted to police lieutenant serving on our Executive Staff, and was initially assigned as an area commander providing management oversight to a variety of special units and teams, as well as performing one of our department’s most crucial and key roles of Watch Commander. 
 
In 2018, LaPointe served as the telecommunications manager, where she oversaw the Police and Fire Dispatch Center, Technical Services, and special projects.   
 
In 2020, LaPointe was promoted to police captain to serve on the department’s Command Staff, and has been the division commander for both the Support Services Division as well as the Field Operations Division. She is an associate member of the California Police Chiefs Association, and a member of the International Association of Chiefs of Police.
 
LaPointe earned her Bachelors Degree in Physical Education & Kinesiology from Vanguard University in Costa Mesa. She is recognized by some in the community as a past sports coach at Costa Mesa High School before starting at CMPD. Throughout her long and distinguished career in policing, she has completed several advanced law enforcement training courses including the Sherman Block Supervisory Leadership Institute, Force Science Institute Certificate Course, the Executive Development Courses for both California POST and the California Police Chiefs Association. LaPointe is a long time resident of Costa Mesa, where she lives with her spouse Linzi and their three dogs.
 
“I am honored to have been promoted to Deputy Chief of the Costa Mesa Police Deparment, where I grew up from police officer to captain,” said Deputy Chief LaPointe. “I thank Chief Lawrence and the City for recognizing my value and accomplishments during my 26 years here. I also thank my CMPD team for their support and warm welcome as I continue my every day efforts to help lead this wonderful police department and serve Costa Mesa, a City I live and work in. My heart is here and I’m grateful for this opportunity to keep serving my community.” 

City Manager Lori Ann Farrell Harrison has named Payroll Supervisor Anna Dolewski as the recipient of the latest City Manager Leadership Award.

“As a full-service City, Payroll in Costa Mesa can be a very complex operation,” City Manager Farrell Harrison said. “But with Anna in charge, I have complete confidence that everything will run smoothly. She is such a valuable member of our team and I’m honored to present her with this award.”

As the Payroll Supervisor, Dolewski provides her expertise and analytical abilities for the labor contract negotiations. Upon adoption, Dolewski  works with IT and Human Resources to ensure the labor contracts are correctly implemented in the City’s payroll system.

She is diligent, detail oriented, and is passionate about ensuring Costa Mesa’s staff are correctly compensated.  Her passion and strong work ethic are to be commended. 

During COVID, Dolewski  took the lead for Finance on setting up the payroll processes to ensure City staff could electronically track their COVID time correctly for cost recovery reporting.

She is also the lead to ensure that the COVID sick time approved by the Federal Government during the COVID shut down period is fully reimbursed. During this period of time, she successfully navigated the Internal Revenue Services inquiries related to tax submittals, proving yet again her detailed day-to-day processes and strong internal checking systems work. 

Aside from the normal bi-weekly payroll processing efforts, Dolewski  also ensures the City transmits the correct CalPERS payments, State and Federal Taxes, and all health benefit payments biweekly. She also processes W-2’s annually, a long and arduous process in the beginning of each calendar year.

She always avails herself to all City staff for any payroll-related inquiries. In fact, she makes sure to personally meet with each new employee and explain payroll.  She also meets personally with each staff member who are planning to retire.

Further, as a full-service City, with complex Police and Fire schedules, she has a thorough understanding of those safety payroll complexities, and is able to ensure that the City’s payroll system correctly captures those complex formulas.

For many years, Dolewski  was the only staff member in the payroll office for the City.  Throughout her many years in payroll, she worked with Information Technology and Human Resources staff to create specialized payroll modules to ensure that the payroll processing is fully automated; thereby reducing error and ensuring proper internal controls are in place for payroll. 

Dolewski started her career with the City of Costa Mesa over 35 years ago as a part time staff member in Central Services. She quickly promoted into the Finance Department, working her way through multiple areas within the Department. She was a Clerk Typist, Office Specialist I, Accounting Specialist I and II, Payroll Coordinator and is currently the City’s Payroll Supervisor.

She is instrumental in the daily, monthly, quarterly and annual payroll processes for the City. In fact, in 2022, she processed over 17,300 payroll checks and 780 W2s.