Assistant City Manager Cecilia Gallardo-Daly presented the City Manager Leadership Award for February to Chief Plans Examiner Charles Chamoun.

“Charles has a lot of fans here at City Hall, and I’m one of them,” Gallardo-Daly said. “Charles is known for delivering customer service that exceeds expectation. Anyone who visits the second floor knows him as a problem solver and solution-oriented individual who treats the public and city staff with respect and courtesy.”

He first began working for the City of Costa Mesa Public Works Department in January of 1991 as an Engineering Technician I. He later transferred to Development Services where he was eventually promoted to Chief Plan Examiner.

Due to his 34 years of experience, his institutional knowledge is so important to the City and fellow employees. It is very common for staff to go to him for clarification and explanation of Department practices and policies, and how they can best be applied.

Chamoun deeply cares about our community and residents. Most recently, he has been monitoring and occasionally driving by the South Coast Drive leaning fence wall, which has been an issue lately.

In the early years, the wall’s deflection was nearly 3 to 4 inches. However, in 2024, he noticed the excessive deflection of the fence wall and reported to the Building Official where immediate action was put in place.

After graduating college, Chamoun moved to Maryland where he got a job in Civil Engineering with emphasis on Surveying, Hydrology design, and Street improvements. After two years, he decided to move back to California and worked with a private Civil Engineering firm to further enhance and gain more experience in Civil Engineering.

Chamoun has a bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering from California State Long Beach.