Because of scheduling and time constraints, the City Council will now only interview the candidates for Parks and Recreation and Senior commissions during a Special Council Meeting on Tuesday Jan. 24, 2017 in Conference Room 1A at City Hall beginning at 4:15 p.m.

Interviews of candidates for Planning Commission will now take place at a Special Council Meeting on Tuesday Jan. 31, 2017, also in Conference Room 1A.

The City Council will also make the appointments for all three commissions at that time.

A powerful winter storm that whipped through Costa Mesa on Friday knocked down at least two large trees and one tree took out some power lines.  

Crews from Southern California Edison responded and assisted with the power lines.

There were more than 30 calls for service related to issues with smaller trees and two metal plates in the road near Sunflower and Main fell into the hole they were covering as part of some road construction work, forcing the city to close two lanes of traffic.

Who to call?

With another storm coming possibly on Sunday and Monday, residents in need of assistance are encouraged to call the city’s non-emergency line at 714-754-5252.

As always, in the case of emergencies, downed power lines or other life threatening issues, please dial 9-1-1.

Click here to see how to contact Southern California Edison or call 1-800-611-1911 to report power outages.

Sandbags available

Residents are also encouraged to obtain sandbags to deal with potential or real flooding problems.

The city offers a self serve process at the Southeast corner of the parking lot at City Hall located at 77 Fair Drive where residents can get up to 15 sandbags.

There are signs on Fair Drive that will direct you to the location.

Please visit City Hall as our primary location for sandbags, or if we are out of sand, you can obtain sandbags at Fire Station No. 4 located at 2300 Placentia Ave.

Click here for information on how to prepare sand bags.

211 OC

Furthermore, the agency “211 OC” is also poised to help coordinate assistance. 211 OC has an around the clock phone line to help with all types of emergencies and provides regional connection to resources for disasters victims, the homeless, and others needing health and human services.

Information about 211 OC can be found at www.211OC.org or by simply calling 2-1-1.

Residents interested in potential changes in flight paths involving John Wayne and Long Beach airports are encouraged to attend a Southern California Metroplex meeting on Wednesday Feb. 1 at the Oasis Senior Center in Corona del Mar.

The meeting, one of several taking place throughout the Southern California region, will be held from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the center’s Evelyn Hart Event Center at 801 Narcissus Ave.

The Metroplex Project would improve the efficiency of airspace in the Southern California Metroplex by optimizing aircraft arrival and departure procedures at multiple airports and military stations,according to Federal Aviation Commission website.

While the Project may involve changes in aircraft flight paths and altitudes in certain areas, it would not result in any ground disturbance or increase the number of aircraft operations within the Southern California airspace, the FAA website states.

Click here for more information.

The announcement Thursday that the Chargers NFL franchise is moving to Los Angeles brings good news to Costa Mesa as the team has confirmed it will make the City of the Arts its official corporate headquarters and training and practice facility.

“While we understand this move was a difficult decision, the city is excited to be the new home for the Chargers,” Mayor Katrina Foley said.

Foley spoke by phone Thursday with Chargers owner Dean Spanos, who said he is also looking forward to moving to Costa Mesa and hopes to have their headquarters operational by July.

“Mr. Spanos said he wants his organization to be part of the fabric of our community,” said Mayor Foley, who looks forward to the energy, excitement and community involvement of having an NFL team make Costa Mesa its home.

She said Spanos told her that many of his players get involved in and support the local community.

In fact, according to the National Football League’s website, “As steward of a sport enjoyed by millions of fans, the NFL has a special responsibility to use its platform to promote causes that improve the health and well-being of its fans and players and support the communities in which they live.”

The city staff continue to work closely with the Chargers organization on the tenant improvements needed for the existing building and to ensure a smooth transition.

With the impending and recurring storms, the city of Costa Mesa is providing up to 15 sandbags for residents who reside in the city.

Residents can obtain sandbags through a self serve process at the Southeast corner of the parking lot at City Hall located at 77 Fair Drive.

There are signs that will direct you to the location.

Please visit City Hall as our primary location for sandbags, or if we are out of sand, you can obtain sandbags at Fire Station No. 4 located at 2300 Placentia Ave.

Click here for information on how to prepare sand bags.

The agency “211 OC” is also poised to help coordinate assistance. 211 OC has an around the clock phone line to help with all types of emergencies and provides regional connection to resources for disasters victims, the homeless, and others needing health and human services.

Information about 211 OC can be found at www.211OC.org or by simply calling 2-1-1.

“On behalf of the Costa Mesa City Council and our entire community, we are elated that the Chargers organization has selected Costa Mesa, the City of the Arts, as their new home if the LA stadium option is exercised. Costa Mesa is uniquely eclectic with wonderful neighborhoods, world-class shopping, exceptional performing arts venues and fairgrounds, the best restaurants in Southern California, and a thriving tourism industry. Costa Mesa is also known for an edgy, trend-setting apparel industry, quality educational institutions, beautiful open spaces and recreational options, and it is full of friendly and creative people. The City understands that this is a difficult and significant decision for Mr. Dean Spanos but Costa Mesa is prepared to graciously welcome his organization and his family of employees as they make us their home for their new headquarters, practice and training facility. Welcome to Costa Mesa.”

Mayor Katrina Foley, Council Member John Stephens and members of the police and fire departments paid a visit to the Westside Boys and Girls Club on Wednesday to deliver 100 donated new coats to the children there.

This is Mayor Foley’s eighth year of holding a coat drive for the city’s low-income community. In addition to the new coats, about about 50 gently used coats and sweatshirts were donated as well as $1,884 raised for the Fire Association charity drive and approximately 40 toys for the OCBA Spark of Love Toy Drive.

Foley and Stephens took questions from the kids in the after school program as did members of police and fire. Emergency coordinator Brenda Emrick urged the children to take a safety pledge and take proper precautions during the holiday season.

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The Costa Mesa City Council is currently seeking interested individuals from the community to serve on the following Commissions:

Parks and Recreation Commission – This Commission assists the City Council and various City departments with issues related to parks and parkways.  Currently, there are five (5) vacancies, two (2) with a term expiration of February 2021 and three (3) with a term expiration of February 2019.  Applicants must be registered voters in the City.  For further information, please contact Recreation Manager Justin Martin at (714) 754-5065.

Planning Commission – This Commission derives its power from the provisions of the California Government Code, and has the power, by law, to act upon or recommend to the City Council: 1) the regulation of future growth, development, and beautification of the City in respect to its public and private works; 2) consistency with municipal plans to ensure that future growth and development do not impede upon sanitation, public utilities, and transportation facilities; 3) the location of any proposed buildings, structures or works; and, 4) the design and improvement of proposed subdivisions of the land.  Currently, there are five (5) vacancies, two (2) with a term expiration of February 2021 and three (3) with a term expiration of February 2019.  Applicants must be registered voters in the City.  For further information, please contact Interim Assistant Development Services Director Peggy Schneble at (714) 754-5182.

Senior Commission – This Commission serves as an advisory body to the City Council in matters related to the operation of the Costa Mesa Senior Center.  Currently, there are seven (7) vacancies, three (3) with a term expiration of February 2021 and four (4) with a term expiration of February 2019. Applicants must be a Costa Mesa resident.  For further information, please contact Recreation Manager Justin Martin at (714) 754-5065.

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., Wednesday, January 18, 2017.  City Council will be holding special meetings on Tuesday, January 24 and Tuesday January 31 at 6:00 p.m. to interview applicants and make appointments to the Commissions.  For further information regarding Commission appointments, please contact the City Clerk’s office at (714) 754-5225 or cityclerk@costamesaca.gov.

Caltrans has announced it is extending the full closure of the 405 Freeway/Red Hill Avenue Overcrossing from Main Street to Pullman Avenue until mid-January of 2017 because of rain saturation to the hillside. This closure is part of a $9 million Embankment Stabilization project in the cities of Irvine and Costa Mesa.

Changeable Message Signs will be used to alert motorists to the closure extension. Motorist may experience delays and are advised to avoid the area, use alternate routes, and check traffic conditions before traveling.

The project benefits are to reinforce the underlying soil embankment as well as construct new retaining walls along the local arterial surface street system. Completion of the project is expected in mid 2018. For more information Caltrans Red Hill project click here.

With a strong winter storm expected to hit the city of Costa Mesa Thursday night and Friday, city crews have been preparing for any inclement weather this week.

Storm drains and flood areas are being checked. Sand and sandbags are are available at fire station No. 4 in case of flooding.

The City will have additional staff on standby with a truck prepped for rain response and possible flooding issues.

Click here for information on how to prepare sand bags.

Below is a warning from the Orange County Public Works Information Office:

With rain forecasted within the next 24 hours, the County is advising everyone, including the homeless community, to stay out of the flood channels, including the Santa Ana River.

Flood channels can be lifethreatening during storm events and public safety is our No. 1 priority.

The County’s storm preparations –and efforts to notify and assist the homeless community involve a coordinated effort across multiple agencies including Orange County Public Works, Health Care Agency, Sheriff’s Department, local cities, and non-profit organizations.

The County is assisted by “211 OC,” to help coordinate assistance. 211 OC has an around the clock phone line to help with all types of emergencies and provides regional connection to resources for disasters victims, the homeless, and others needing health and human services.

Information about 211 OC can be found at www.211OC.org or by simply calling 2-1-1.

The pool at the Downtown Recreation Center has been undergoing some much needed updating.

The installation of a new pool pump VFD (Variable Frequency Drive), new chemical controller and new backwash controller was recently completed and all are performing up to expectations.

The rusted rebar areas in the plaster on the pool floor have been repaired by scuba divers from Underwater Unlimited and a new pool heater is scheduled to be installed soon.

All work is expected to be completed in January 2017.

Three new members of the City Council were sworn in Tuesday night Dec. 13 and the council chose Katrina Foley as the new mayor and Sandra Genis as the new mayor pro-tem.

Joining the council for four-year terms is returning Council Member Genis, former Councilman and Assemblyman Allan Mansoor and longtime community leader and attorney John Stephens.

The trio of new council members join Mayor Foley and Council Member Jim Righeimer on the five-member body.

“I am so honored and blessed to be serving as mayor in a city that I love so dearly,” Mayor Foley said. “I look forward to working with my colleagues on the council to create an inclusive environment at City Hall for residents and businesses alike. I look forward to partnering with the business, tourism and arts community to enhance and further define our community as the City of the Arts.”

Foley, who was elected to the council in 2014, has a long history of community involvement and was first elected to City Council in 2004 and re-elected in 2008 before running successfully for the Newport-Mesa school board in 2010.

Foley is president of The Foley Group, a Professional Law Corporation in Newport Beach. The Foley Group, PLC provides services in artist and athlete management, employment litigation, family law, education advocacy and non-profit compliance matters.

Genis, who was raised in Costa Mesa and attended Estancia High School, was first elected to the City Council in 1988 and served as mayor from 1989 to 1990. She was re-elected in 1992 and ran again in 2012 and re-elected in 2016 and both times was the top vote getter.

She is a retired city planner and has worked on a number of community causes, such as the preservation of Fairview Park and keeping the OC Fairgrounds in public ownership.

Mansoor was first elected to the City Council in 2002 and was appointed mayor in 2005 and again in 2007 and 2009. Also an Estancia graduate, Mansoor served as an Orange County Sheriff’s Deputy. He was elected to the 74^th District of the State Assembly in 2010 and served until 2014.

This is Stephens’ first stint on the City Council after a narrow loss in 2012. As a resident of Costa Mesa since 1989, he has deep community ties and has served on the city’s Pension Oversight Committee, the Costa Mesa High School Foundation, Costa Mesans for Responsible Government and is a founding member of the St. John the Baptist Finance Council and Pastoral Council.

He was a leader of the “No” on the Charter campaigns in 2012 and 2014, including intervening in a lawsuit between the City of Costa Mesa and the Orange County Registrar of Voters in 2012 and is a member of the Orange County Bar Association’s Judiciary Committee, which evaluates judicial candidates for the governor.

A longtime attorney, his firm Stephens Friedland LLP employees four full‐time lawyers and a staff of 10 employees.

Both Stephen Mensinger and Gary Monahan officially ended their council terms on Tuesday. Mensinger was most recently mayor beginning in 2014, and Monahan was appointed mayor three times in 1998, 2003 and 2011.