Based on numbers released Wednesday May 11 by the County of Orange, Costa Mesa’s extensive measures to reduce homelessness are paying dividends as the number of unsheltered homeless people living in Costa Mesa dropped by 20 percent, compared to the previous count performed in 2019.

“This is fantastic news,” Mayor John Stephens said. “I’m grateful to City staff and Mercy House for their heroic work of housing so many people despite the obstacles posed by the pandemic. Since the 2019 count, we have permanently housed a total of 215 individuals, and a Federal court order allows us to enforce laws against camping in our public spaces. Through the hard work of many and the Council’s decisive actions, we are in a much better place than we were three years ago.”

The Point in Time Count by the County of Orange is conducted biennially to determine the number of people experiencing homelessness on a given night. While the last count took place in 2019, the COVID-19 pandemic pushed the 2021 count to February 22, 2022 through February 24, 2022.

Costa Mesa Outreach staff and members of the City’s Network for Homeless Solutions assisted with the count, which provides vital information that helps the City better understand homelessness and helps guide the City’s provision of services.

The positive results are attributed to several factors. First, the City Council’s will to address homelessness by creating a temporary 50-bed Bridge Shelter in April of 2019, followed by the completion of the 72-bed permanent Bridge Shelter that opened in April of 2021 on Airway Avenue.

Costa Mesa partnered with the City of Newport Beach on the permanent shelter for a more regional approach to address homelessness. “The partnership with Newport beach has been exceptional as they work with our street outreach, volunteer and housing efforts,” Assistant City Manager Susan Price said.

In addition, since 2013 the City’s Network for Homeless Solutions has developed a comprehensive response to homelessness, including street outreach, community policing, nuisance abatement, intensive case management, housing navigation and sustainability, rental assistance, workforce development, affordable/supportive housing and much more.

The Network for Homeless Solutions is a collaborative effort between multiple City departments, Mercy House and other nonprofits and faith-based organizations such as Trellis and the Lighthouse Church.

Since opening its doors in April of 2021, the permanent Bridge Shelter has assisted a total of 204 individuals with shelter and associated services, 33 of whom ended their homelessness by securing permanent housing.

To view the County of Orange’s Point in Time Count click here.

The City of Costa Mesa is partnering with Love Costa Mesa to hold the fifth annual City-Wide Serve Day on Saturday, May 14, where volunteers will participate in projects across the city serving the homeless community, providing practical needs to foster children, beautifying community parks, and much more.

For those who are interested in volunteering, please visit this website https://lovecostamesa.org/volunteer/ to sign up for a project.

“We are so fortunate to have this dedicated group of volunteers who love Costa Mesa and want to make us better,” Mayor John Stephens said. “I am honored to be a part of this effort and look forward to lending my hand to the many worthwhile improvement projects that we plan to tackle that day.”

Costa Mesa City staff volunteers will paint, clean up, plant and perform restoration work on more than a dozen projects throughout the city. Locations include  Ketchum Libolt, Moon, Fairview, Canyon, Balearic, Wakeham, TeWinkle, Wilson and Del Mesa parks. They will also do general cleanup along 19^th Street from Harbor Boulevard to the western City limit.

The Love Costa Mesa event begins at City Hall with an 8 a.m. rally where Mayor Stephens will be on hand to help start the day’s activities. Volunteers will be treated to a breakfast between 8 a.m. to 9 a.m.

When the rally ends, volunteers will head out to work on their projects from 9 a.m. to 12 noon and then return to Costa Mesa for a lunch. The breakfast and lunch will be sponsored by local restaurants, which are Decanso, Newport Rib Co., Dave’s Hot Chicken, El Ranchito, Chick-fil-A and Miguel’s Jr.

Love Costa Mesa, which is led by a team of pastors from numerous congregations in the city, is an arm of the local faith-based nonprofit Trellis, a key City partner in the effort to aid those experiencing homelessness.

The City is pleased to announce the California Department of Housing and Community Development has awarded the County of Orange approximately $10.7 million in Project Homekey funds to convert one of Costa Mesa’s motels into permanent supportive housing for those experiencing homelessness.

“Costa Mesa is already a leader when it comes to addressing homelessness through our Bridge Shelter,” Mayor John Stephens said. “This new project takes those efforts to the next level. To get 88 units of permanent supportive housing is a game changer in our efforts to eliminate homelessness in Costa Mesa. I’m grateful to Supervisor Foley and the county team for working with our City staff to secure this important funding.”

Mayor Pro-Tem Andrea Marr, who represents District 3, where the motel project resides, also expressed her gratitude for the funding.

“We are grateful for the County’s support while we work with motel operators in Costa Mesa,” Marr said. “Providing a full-range of housing opportunities is a priority for our City; Project Homekey will allow us to serve Costa Mesans in great need of housing.”

This project achieves one of the City Council’s five Strategic Goals to “Diversify, Stabilize and Increase Housing to Reflect Community Needs” by exploring opportunities for potential motel conversions.

The money received from Project Homekey will be used to convert the Motel 6 at 2274 Newport Blvd. into 88 units of affordable housing.  These units will serve individuals experiencing homelessness who have been impacted by COVID-19, individuals with mental health conditions, veterans, and seniors.

In addition to the money received from the State, Costa Mesa is contributing $2 million in local matching funds for the project, along with the County of Orange, which is also providing $2 million towards construction of the project.

“I would like to thank our City Council for their leadership and vision.  I would also like to thank the County Board of Supervisors, including District 5 Representative, Lisa Bartlett, and Chairman Chaffee specifically for their partnership and support,” said Assistant City Manager Susan Price, the lead staff person at the City of Costa Mesa for the project.

Project Homekey is administered by the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) with approximately $1.4 billion (FY 2021-22) in grant funding made available to local public entities, including cities, counties, or other local public entities, such as housing authorities or Tribal Entities within California.

Homekey is an opportunity for state, regional, and local public entities to develop a broad range of housing types, including but not limited to hotels, motels, hostels, single- family homes and multifamily apartments, adult residential facilities, and manufactured housing, and to convert commercial properties and other existing buildings to permanent or interim housing.

Costa Mesa Public Services staff recently celebrated the installation of the final touches for a second protected bike lane in the City.

The new protected bike lane extends half of a mile along Bristol Street from Randolph Avenue in the Sobeca District to northbound Newport Boulevard. The project was implemented as part of a larger citywide resurfacing project and comes on the heels of the opening of the Merrimac Way Active Transportation Project with protected bike lanes last year.

The new Bristol Street active transportation improvements connect to existing bike lanes on Newport Boulevard, further expanding the City’s growing bicycle network. Protected bike lanes provide a separation between bicycle riders and vehicles which includes a painted bicycle lane buffer, plastic flexible bollards, and other pavement markings.

City staff are designing and implementing these active transportation facilities to provide a low-stress mobility option for residents and visitors to reach their destination by bicycle. The new Bristol Street facility is the fourth of its kind implemented in Orange County.

In addition to the development of protected bike lanes, the City continues to make additional enhancements to its growing bicycle network. In February, a striped buffer and green paint conflict area striping were added to existing bike lanes on Baker Street.

That facility was extended an additional half mile from west of Harbor Boulevard to Mesa Verde Drive East. The enhanced Baker Street bicycle facility is designed to increase comfort of people riding bicycles and improve mobility and connectivity.

The City of Costa Mesa prevailed in its defense of laws preventing the concentration of group sober living homes within the City.

Today a jury, convened in the Federal District Court for the Central District of California, delivered a unanimous verdict in support of the City’s laws and efforts.

The case was filed in 2019. The plaintiffs are the operators of five locations that are in violation of the City’s municipal code. The suit challenged the City’s legislation that was developed to address concerns throughout the community about the proliferation of the facilities, negative impacts on surrounding residential neighborhoods, and harm to those recovering from drug and alcohol dependence.

“We are grateful that the jury affirmed Costa Mesa’s support of our neighborhoods and well-run, appropriately-sited group sober living homes,” noted Costa Mesa Mayor John Stephens. “We’ve developed, enforced and defended our reasonable laws that prevent sober living home operators from preying upon and exploiting those suffering from addiction while restoring and maintaining the character of our neighborhoods. Our pioneering ordinances balance these important public safety interests. This verdict is yet another in a long string of victories in court that vindicate our approach.”

For nearly a decade, the City has developed and refined a series of laws that have been widely successful in eliminating poorly-run homes and supporting the neighborhoods in which compliant facilities operate. Left unchecked, unregulated sober living homes often provided substandard or dangerous care and disregarded regulations designed to help them be good neighbors.

The decision is expected to be appealed, and the City intends to continue its commitment to its residents and business operators, and most importantly, those seeking addiction treatment.

“We will likely face an appeal, however, the City will fight any attempts to weaken its ordinances related to group sober living homes,” added City Attorney Kimberly Hall Barlow.

The City has prevailed in numerous similar legal actions, reaffirming its right to enact ordinances in the best interests of the community. Other related cases are pending, and the City is confident it will continue to prevail.

The City Clerk Association of California has presented Costa Mesa City Clerk Brenda Green with the 2022 Municipal Clerk of Distinction Technology and Innovation award.

“Brenda Green is an unsung hero at City Hall,” Mayor John Stephens said. “Recently, she seamlessly executed our redistricting project. Her department handles all public records requests and thousands of filings and inquiries. She prepares our City Council  agendas and minutes and provides support to the city’s commissions and committees. Brenda is a trusted teammate during our council meetings. I couldn’t get through a meeting without her. Brenda is very deserving of this recognition. Congratulations!”

Green was nominated for the award by Council Member Arlis Reynolds and Assistant City Manager Susan Price. In letters to the City Clerk Association, they both cited her innovation, dedication to the City and community and her professionalism.

Green, who has been the Costa Mesa City Clerk since 2012, was surprised when she learned she received this honor.

“I would like to thank the City Clerk Association for honoring me with this award and also Susan Price, Dina Wild, Stacy Bennett and Council Member Reynolds for the nomination,” she said. “I am so thankful and happy, but I did not achieve this award on my own. I share this with our entire City Clerk team, David Nguyen, Stacy Bennett, Gladys Gonzalez, Tammy Arrington, Sarah Bravo-Wetzel, Karen Walker, and Leslie Pacheco. Also, I would like to recognize Ron Dam and Jeff Trujillo, with CMTV for their collaboration.”

She also noted the obstacles of her job the last two years.

“One morning we woke up during a world-wide pandemic and had to craft workable solutions to continue to hold public meetings,” she said. “It definitely was an adventure in learning, but now we have hybrid meetings and have integrated Zoom, Granicus, Vote Lynx, and You Tube, so the public has access and can participate both remotely and in person with their government. I appreciate this honor for all of our hard work. Thank you.”

Green was instrumental in the implementation of the virtual technology needed to host City Council, Committee and Commission meetings, ensuring public access to City government during a global pandemic where many other amenities had restrictive access.

Most recently, Green has managed the City’s redistricting efforts that required public input and the City Council action to change the geographic boundaries of the City’s six council district based off the most recent 2020 Census data.

She also oversees all City elections and manages the City’s unique elections webpage that centralized election-related information in one place. The webpage is easy to navigate and includes key information such as candidate disclosure statements, ballot measures, a candidate resource guide, an election calendar, election-related notices and voter information, and an interactive district map.

Green manages the City’s Concierge Desk staff that handles residents calls and helps direct City Hall customer traffic to the right place.

Prior to her work in Costa Mesa, Green was the City Clerk in Stanton from 1999 to 2011. Before working for City government she worked as an executive assistant for two assembly members and one state senator in the California State Legislature from 1988 to 1998.

A Costa Mesa resident, Green has a bachelor’s degree in business from Southern Columbia University in Orange Beach, Alabama.

The Costa Mesa Police Department will be conducting a driving under the influence (DUI) and driver’s license checkpoint on the day after St. Patrick’s Day, Friday, March 18, 2022, from 8:00 p.m. to 2:00 a.m. within the city limits.

Checkpoint locations are determined based on data showing incidents of impaired driving-related crashes. The primary purpose of DUI checkpoints is not to make arrests, but to promote public safety by distributing educational information and by taking suspected impaired drivers off the road.

“If you plan to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day on Friday, have a game plan to get home safe and do not drink and drive,” Sgt. Dan Miles said. “These checkpoints, funded by the California Office of Traffic Safety, are essential to keeping the community safe. On Friday, we will be looking for impaired drivers because driving under the influence is dangerous and puts others on the road at risk.”

“Our preference is to have zero DUI drivers on our roadways and that those who decide to drink do so responsibility by always having a designated driver,” said Chief Ron Lawrence. “DUI checkpoints are a way to educate our community and our hope is people learn to plan ahead with alternative transportation when out drinking.”

CMPD reminds the public that impaired driving is not just from alcohol. Some prescription medications or over-the-counter drugs may interfere with driving. Always follow directions for use and read warning labels about driving or “operating heavy machinery,” which includes driving a car. While medicinal and recreational marijuana are legal, driving under the influence of marijuana is illegal. Drivers charged with a first-time DUI face an average of $13,500 in fines and penalties, as well as a suspended license.

CMPD offers these reminders to ensure you have a safe night of fun that does not involve a DUI:

• Always use a designated sober driver to get home, which could be a friend who is not drinking, ride-share, a cab or public transportation.
• If you see someone who is impaired try to drive, take the keys and help them make other arrangements to find a sober way home.
• Call 911 to report drunk drivers.
• If you are hosting a party, offer nonalcoholic drinks. Monitor those who are drinking and how they are getting home.
• If you plan on drinking or taking medications that may impact your ability to drive safely, plan on staying at home.

City Manager Lori Ann Farrell Harrison has presented the City Manager Leadership Award for the month of February to Finance Accounting Specialist II Ricardo Rosiles.

“Ricardo plays a key role in the City of Costa Mesa as he works on a variety of revenue projects, collaborating with multiple City Departments and businesses to record monthly payments,” Farrell Harrison said. “I admire his positive, can-do attitude and am happy to present him with this leadership award.”

His projects include Measure Q taxing retail sales/deliveries of cannabis, Measure X cannabis manufacturing and distribution tax remittance, Transient Occupancy Tax (TOT/BIA), Property Taxes, Solid Waste Hauler Franchise Fees and Costa Mesa Country Club to name a few.

Every day, Rosiles goes above and beyond his job responsibilities to ensure the Treasury Division is well supported. He is detail-oriented, which is essential when examining financial documents for errors or discrepancies.

Rosiles is also an active listener and communicates effectively. He takes pride in providing exemplary customer service to the public and his own co-workers. He is a pragmatic problem solver; he looks at problems as an opportunity to test and showcase his financial knowledge.

Rosiles joined the City of Costa Mesa, Parks and Community Services Department in 2005 as Recreation Leader III, in 2009 he was promoted to Recreation Leader IV

In January 2013, he joined the Finance Department as Accounting Specialist I (cashier). In December 2021, Rosiles became Accounting Specialist II.

Originally, from Santa Ana, Rosiles is a graduate of Santa Ana High School.

City Manager Lori Ann Farrell Harrison presented Fire Capt. Joseph Noceti with the City Manager Leadership Award for the month of January.

“Capt. Noceti has been an instrumental part of the collective city team in our response to the COVID-19 pandemic and his guidance and leadership has been invaluable to me as we navigated through this difficult time,” Farrell Harrison said. “I’m delighted to be able to present him with this well-deserved award.”

Noceti began his career with CMFR on Aug. 3, 1997. During his tenure with the department, he has served in a variety of areas, including the Tool and Equipment Committee, the Apparatus Committee, SOP Committee, Academy Cadre, Explorer Advisor and his current role as Training Officer.

Captain Noceti continues to do an outstanding job serving as the department’s Training Captain, with a number of additional areas he contributes his strong talents to, including serving as the primary Fire & Rescue PIO and as the current President of the Orange County Fire Chiefs Training Officers Section

Captain Noceti is also highly regarded and respected as an exceptional teacher, coach and mentor to many, helping to prepare our next generation of firefighters and leaders.”

Noceti was born in Torrance, CA. One of three children, Noceti has an older brother and a younger sister. His mother worked as a cafeteria clerk at the school he attended and his dad was a tug boat captain.

Noceti attended San Pedro High School and after graduation went on to attend Los Angeles Harbor College for his Associate of Science in Fire Technology. Noceti then continued his studies at Brandman University where he earned his Bachelor of Arts in Organizational Leadership proceeded by a Masters in Management and Homeland Security from Arizona State University.

When asked if he always wanted to be a firefighter, Noceti said, “I wanted to do something different from the rest of my family, who all worked on the water front, that was the norm.”

One day after work, Noceti knocked on the door of a fire station to ask some questions and shortly after that, became a fire explorer. Noceti attributes the fire explorer program with showing him how a career in helping people and making a difference could feel meaningful.

Proceeding the explorer program, Noceti did a ride along with the LA Fire Department at the age of 17 and he knew a career in the fire service was what he wanted.

The City of Costa Mesa is accepting applications from existing tax-exempt California nonprofit corporations operating within its jurisdiction that provide public services and are eligible for grant funding under the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program for Fiscal Year 2022-2023.

The primary objective of the CDBG Program is “the development of viable urban communities by providing decent housing, a suitable living environment and expanding economic opportunities, principally for persons of low- and moderate-income.”

The scope of CDBG-eligible activities established by HUD ranges from public works improvements to housing rehabilitation and social service programs that primarily benefit low- and moderate-income persons.

Funding for social service programs is limited to 15% of the City’s total allocation for a given year.

HUD has not notified the City of its actual 2022-2023 grant; however, for planning purposes, an estimated $140,000 in CDBG funds may be available on a competitive basis for public services for fiscal year 2022-2023.

At this time, the City is accepting applications from interested, tax-exempt nonprofit organizations that provide CDBG-eligible services that benefit low- and moderate-income Costa Mesa residents.

Organizations that want to apply for funding for a particular program may view the application and related instructions on the City’s website here https://www.costamesaca.gov/city-hall/city-departments/development-services/housing-and-community-development.

The actual application can be obtained by contacting Mikelle Daily at  mikelle.daily@costamesaca.gov or (714) 754-5678 prior to the application deadline

Applications will be available beginning February 3, 2022.  Applications must be submitted to the City of Costa Mesa Housing and Community Development by 2 p.m., Friday, February 25, 2022.  Late applications will not be accepted.  

Questions regarding this notice should be directed to Grant Administrator Mikelle Daily at mikelle.daily@costamesaca.gov.

The Costa Mesa City Council is currently seeking residents to serve on the following City Committees/Commissions:

Parks, Arts and Community Services Commission: This Commission meets monthly, and serves as an advisory body to City Council, working closely with the Public Services and Parks & Community Service Departments. The Commission helps collect public input on issues that pertain to parks, parkways, recreation programs and community services. The City is recruiting for a 1-year term for one (1) member, from District 3 only. For further information, contact Executive Secretary Laura Fautua at (714) 754-5009.

Animal Services Committee: This committee meets monthly and assists with the planning of animal related events, explores and provides recommendations to improve animal services, and promotes pet licensing within the City. The City is recruiting for a 2-year term for four (4) regular members and two (2) alternate members. For further information, please contact Recreation Coordinator Jessica Torrejon at (714) 754-5128.

Bikeway and Walkability Committee: This committee meets monthly and assists with the review, update and implementation of the city’s Active Transportation Plan in order to make recommendations for their improvement to the City Council. The City is recruiting for a 2-year term for six (6) regular members and two (2) alternate members. For further information, please contact Transportation Services Manager Jennifer Rosales at (714) 754-5180.

Cultural Arts Committee: This committee meets monthly and works to promote the City motto, “City of the Arts.” The committee works to establish programs, events and information that help residents access the arts in many different venues. The City is recruiting for a 2-year term for four (4) regular members. For further information, please contact Recreation Manager Monique Villasenor at (714) 754-5679.

Fairview Park Steering Committee: This committee meets every other month and provides advice to the City Council regarding the implementation of the Fairview Park Master plan and impacts of Measure AA on Capital Improvement Program projects, maintenance and activities. The City is recruiting for a 1-year term for one (1) alternate member and a 3-year term for one (1) alternate. For further information, please contact Fairview Park Administrator Kelly Dalton at (714) 754-5135.

Finance and Pension Advisory Committee: This committee meets monthly and 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. The City is recruiting for a 2-year term for four (4) members. 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, contact Executive Secretary Stella Giragossian at (714) 754-5243.

Historical Preservation Committee: This committee meets monthly and serves to maintain, preserve, educate and promote the city’s historical resources. The City is recruiting for a 2-year term for four (4) regular members and 2-year term for two (2) alternate members. For further information, contact Recreation Supervisor Kevin Stoddart at (714) 327-7561.

Housing and Public Service Grants Committee: This committee meets twice a year with further meetings scheduled on an as-needed basis and helps to promote community understanding of the activities funded by the U.S. Housing and Urban Development Department (HUD) and Community Development Block Grants (CDBG) with a focus on social service grants. The City is recruiting for a 2-year term for four (4) regular members and one (1) alternate member. For further information, contact Grant Administrator Mikelle Daily at (714) 754-5678.

Mobile Home Park Advisory Committee: This committee meets quarterly and addresses mobile home park issues and concerns in Costa Mesa. The City is recruiting for a 2-year term for one (1) park owner or his/her representative, two (2) mobile home resident owners, and one (1) independent citizen at-large. For further information, please contact, Dan Inloes at (714) 754-5088.

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, March 3, 2022.  Appointments are tentatively scheduled for the March 15, 2022 City Council meeting.