Costa Mesa citizens are invited to attend several community meetings throughout the city with demographic mapping expert David Ely, of Compass Demographics, to discuss the process of creating maps for voting district boundaries.

The meetings are scheduled June 2, 4, 15 and 18 and are designed to give residents an opportunity to discuss and interact with others on the district mapping process.

Ely will typically use sample maps as a starting point to give an idea of how equal population district boundaries might be distributed and solicit input and mapping ideas during these meetings.

The meetings will be held:

• Thursday June 2 at 7 p.m. at the Neighborhood Community Center, 1845 Park Ave.
• Saturday June 4 at 10 a.m. at Halecrest Park, 3107 Killybrooke Lane.
• Wednesday June 15 at 7 p.m. at St. Joachim Catholic Church, 1964 Orange Ave.
• Saturday June 18 at 10 a.m. at the Balearic Community Center, 1975 Balearic Drive.

Translators will be present to assist with language needs in Spanish and Vietnamese.

R.S.V.P.’s are requested, but not required, to help plan for the number of attendees and translation needs.

For more information or to R.S.V.P., please email districtelections@costamesaca.gov or call the City Clerk’s office at (714) 754-5225.

Kelly Shelton, assistant to CEO Tom Hatch, was presented with the CEO Leadership Award for the month of April. See that story here.

To get a better idea of what it’s like to be the assistant to the CEO, we spent some time with her and got a glimpse of what her day is like.

See the video for more.

Mariners Christian School has earned the highest accreditation status, a six-year renewal from the dual accrediting organizations of Association of Christian Schools International (ACSI) and Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC).

“Dual accreditation is often more difficult to achieve because there are broader and deeper evaluations of school performance, including a higher requirement for teacher and administrator training, and a detailed focus on biblical elements of instruction and organizational practice,” said Head of School Troy Moore. “When a school achieves dual accreditation, it has demonstrated its ability to meet rigorous standards, both secular and biblical in nature.”

The entire accreditation process required two years of preparation, with Vice Principal Megan Shahabi leading the effort.

The visiting committee from ACSI/WASC, which included delegates from other private schools in the Southern California region, toured the school extensively in April, with a formal accreditation being granted on May 4.

Longtime Costa Mesa resident John Carpenter, who is retiring this year after 38 years as both a teacher and coach at Estancia High School, was the recipient of the Mayor’s Award at the Tuesday May 17 City Council meeting.

“Tonight, we are honored to have long-time Costa Mesa resident John Carpenter here to receive the Mayor’s Award,” Mayor Steve Mensinger said. “John has touched the lives of many throughout this community, especially youth through his work as a teacher and coach at Estancia High School.”

Carpenter move to Costa Mesa from El Paso Texas when he was 10 and attended Sonora Elementary, Davis Jr High, Costa Mesa High School and Orange Coast College.

In high school he was an All-American swimmer and a starter on the OCC National Champion Water Polo Team in 1972. In 1985, he was named Newport Beach Lifeguard of the year.

At Estancia, Carpenter spent his career both as the school’s water polo and swim coach and also as a biology teacher, serving as the Science Department Chair.

“I’d like to thank Mayor Steve Mensinger for this outstanding and humbling honor, I am deeply touched by it,” Carpenter said. “I’d also like to thank the City Council for all you do. I can’t believe 38 years have gone by, it’s been the most wonderful time in my life and it’s going to be harder to leave it.”

CityView, a premier investment management and development firm focused on urban multifamily real estate in the Western United States, and Red Oak Investments, an urban redevelopment company active in Los Angeles and Orange County, held a naming ceremony Thursday for Baker Block, their new apartment community located at the corner of Baker and Pullman Streets.

The ceremony for Baker Block featured speeches by Mayor Steve Mensinger, Sean Burton, CEO of CityView,  Henry Cisneros, Founder and Chairman of CityView and the former Secretary of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and Joe Flanagan, Principal and Co-founder of Red Oak Investments.

The attendees were also treated to lunch by the Lime Truck, a popular food truck service.

When completed in mid-2017, Baker Block is expected to feature 240 residential apartments and a six-story above ground parking structure. Planned amenities include a rooftop deck, a fitness center with yoga room, a conference room, a Wi-Fi lounge, a dog park, a dog wash station, a club room with a kitchen, a bike storage and maintenance area, and multiple outdoor spaces with a resort-style pool, BBQ grills and fire pits.

“This is really a cruise ship,” Mayor Mensinger said of the development and its extensive amenities. “But it also means jobs and it means housing and this is where the next generation of Costa Mesa lives. And hopefully they will stay here for life.”

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Secretary Cisneros complimented the Costa Mesa city staff and leadership for their hard work in getting this development done.

“We need to keep up with housing of all types,” Cisneros said. “It is immensely foresighted of the leaders of Costa Mesa that they recognize that balance.”

CityView is creating the project along with its development partner, Red Oak Investments. The project sits on a 4.17-acre site previously occupied by an office building. The project is the first of significant scale to be re-zoned for residential use in the area adjacent to the South Bristol Entertainment & Cultural Arts (SoBECA) District, which is commonly known for its low-density office buildings and light manufacturing facilities.

Burton said his company is glad to be in Costa Mesa.

“Orange County is an important market for CityView as it is now entering the redevelopment phase, where obsolete structures are being converted into housing,” said Burton. “These urban infill projects are typically complex, so they are often overlooked by other investors. We are able to overcome these challenges by working with local partners who know the local market better than anyone else. The Red Oak Investments team has been instrumental in bringing Baker Block to fruition, and I thank them for all of their hard work.”

Construction for Baker Block is being led by Johnstone Moyer, Inc., one of the top-10 multifamily builders in California. The building was designed by Architects Orange.

Costa Mesa’s State Sen. John Moorlach will be part of a Town Hall discussion on Sober Living Homes tonight from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Laguna Hills Community Center.

Moorlach will be joined by state Sen. Pat Bates and Assembly Members William Brough and Matthew Harper as they discuss the laws governing residential recovery facilities as well as what cities like Costa Mesa have done to address the issue.

Also presenting tonight will be Costa Mesa’s Assistant City Attorney Tarquin Preziosi, who has played a key role in the enactment and enforcement of the city’s single family and multi-family ordinances.

The Association of California Cities Orange County chapter as well as the Orange County Association of Realtors are partner sponsors of the event.

Click here to see the entire agenda.

The Community Center is located at 25555 Alicia Parkway in Laguna Hills.

Costa Mesa Fire and Rescue Chief Dan Stefano announced that Travis Johnson and Justin Horner, two firefighter/paramedics, were both promoted to the position of fire engineer, a personnel move that has not taken place in the department in over eight years.

“Travis and Justin represent the best of our organization and each has respectively contributed in a variety of areas, while serving the community with extraordinary passion, pride, and professionalism,”   Chief Stefano said.

Johnson brings over 10 years of fire service related experience to his new role, inclusive of his most recent nine years split between his current assignment here with us at the City of Costa Mesa and his previous assignment with the City of Escondido, serving as a firefighter/paramedic.

His mechanical savvy, positive attitude, and ability to adapt well in challenging circumstances are characteristics that will serve him well in his new role and will add to the extraordinary strength of the entire Engineer group.

Horner has been a member of the Costa Mesa team since 2005, preceded by service to the Garden Grove and Alhambra Fire Departments as a firefighter/paramedic.

Horner’s contributions to the organization, in particular as it relates to EMS, have been instrumental in helping the department move forward and his professionalism is to be commended. He earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology from California State University, Fullerton as well as an associate degree from Orange Coast College and was awarded the CEO’s Leadership Award in 2014.

The sound of music in the Costa Mesa High School Performing Arts Center is now many octaves improved with the addition of a Yamaha C6 Grand Piano donated through the efforts of a prominent alumni, a local family and the school’s foundation.

The piano was unveiled Tuesday night during a Costa Mesa High School Choir concert at the performing arts center.

Speaking to the concert crowd, Costa Mesa High School Foundation President and Councilmember Katrina Foley credited the school’s music director Jon Lindfors for asking the foundation to purchase the piano that was sorely needed to enhance the school’s musical performances.

“This year it is no surprise that the Costa Mesa High School Foundation awarded Mr. Lindfors with our first ever Visionary Award,” Foley said. “It’s through his vision that Costa Mesa High School breeds an environment of innovation, culture and creativity.”

In addition to the foundation donation, the piano was made possible by a $25,000 gift from Costa Mesa High class of 1992 alumnus Lane Merrifield and local residents Bob and Sue Denton.

Merrifield is notable for being the co-founder of Club Penguin, a hugely popular virtual online gaming site for children.

“My Costa Mesa High School music and drama experiences were so critical to me during my time there,” Merrifield told Lindfors in a written note. “I am confident that without the artistic outlet and foundation in my life that you and others provide, I would not have enjoyed the success I have today.”

Costa Mesa High Principal Jacob Haley thanked the donors for the gift to the school.

“A piano such as this is a once in-a-lifetime purchase and will serve students and audiences to come for many decades,” Haley said.

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On Tuesday May 3, Mayor Steve Mensinger presented the Mayor’s Award to Tammy Guadagno, the operator of the Chick-Fil-A restaurant on Harbor Boulevard, citing the organization’s strong support for local schools and community groups.

“It’s exciting to see Tammy’s passion for our community and how she has ingrained that into her team of employees,” Mayor Mensinger said. “We are grateful for Chick-Fil-A’s investment in the Costa Mesa community and the positive impact they are having on the local economy.”

Guadagno thanked Costa Mesa and said she gives back so much because the community takes care of her and her employees. In turn, she wants to return the favor and take care of Costa Mesa in any way she can.

“It is one of the best communities I’ve ever been involved in,” she said. “I’ve lived in a lot of places and I’m not going anywhere. Costa Mesa is where I’m staying forever. It’s an amazing city.”

The City of Costa Mesa filed a public nuisance complaint against the New Harbor Inn, a rare civil abatement move that, if successful, will bring the blighted and crime-infested motel on Harbor Boulevard under court control.

“As we saw with a recent stabbing at a local motel, these establishments continue to be a detriment to our community and are havens for prostitutes, drug users and other criminal elements,” said Costa Mesa Mayor Steve Mensinger. “By taking this action against this public nuisance, the City Council is trying to eliminate the unlawful use of the property.”

Since 2010, the New Harbor Inn generated nearly 1,800 calls for service and it is a known locale for drug storage and sales and multiple narcotics arrests. The motel is the source for a disproportionate amount of police calls.

Click here to see a copy of the complaint.

In addition to the criminal activity, inspections at the New Harbor Inn have turned up multiple code violations over the years including substandard property maintenance and health, life and safety violations.

In March of 2014, 79 violations were found in 33 rooms and in August of 2012, the property received fire code violations after it was discovered that 30 rooms had no smoke detectors, there were improper exits, non-operational fire extinguishers and fire hazards caused by extension cords.

According to the complaint filed in Orange County Superior Court Central Division, the city is asking for myriad remedies enforceable by the court including but not limited to:

• Shutting down the hotel temporarily or permanently.
• Appointing a receiver or court officer to take over operations and assume management and control of the property.
• Requiring the property owner to comply with existing law and completely revamp its business procedures, hire armed security guards and improve lighting and other areas of concern.

Recently, the city and Costa Mesa law enforcement have had to increase enforcement efforts on motel operators whose properties have multiple calls for service and are the venue for criminal activity such as drug use and sales and prostitution.

In a unanimous vote, the city council voted in closed session to take this legal action against the New Harbor Inn. If the court grants the city’s request to shut down, or place a court-appointed receiver over  the New Harbor Inn, that would be a major victory for residents and business owners who regularly have to deal with the criminal activity.

“Costa Mesa works hard to encourage and support our local businesses and residents,” Mayor Mensinger said. “But this drastic intervention is necessary given the pattern and practice of bad business operations.”

After a string of dumpster and small brush fires throughout the weekend, Costa Mesa Fire and Police personnel conducted an arson investigation that led them to a 13-year old male Costa Mesa resident.

The boy was arrested for the related arson incidents and later booked at OC Juvenile Hall.

Click here to read the press release of the arrest.

On April 30, please join Costa Mesa Mayor Stephen Mensinger along with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Christ Lutheran and Palm Harvest Churches for the second annual Neighbors Helping Neighbors event to assist homes throughout the Costa Mesa community in need of some TLC.

“I’m looking forward to joining my fellow Costa Mesans as we help out our neighbors in times of need,” Mayor Mensinger said. “It’s always impressive how many volunteers answer the call when we ask for help. And this year is no different.”

Once again, no City funds will be used, just good old fashioned community elbow grease and donations.

Last year, Neighbors Helping Neighbors successfully cleaned up two homes, much to the appreciation of the owners. This year, church organizers have identified a number of properties in the community that are in need of assistance and have begun the prep work for painting.

Funds and additional volunteers are still in need for the prepping, painting and clean-up and materials to ensure success.

Those interested in donating and keeping COSTA MESA COOL can email or call cm.cool@costamesaca.gov or 714-754-5156 to sign up.

Donors so far for this year’s event include:

• The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
• Christ Lutheran Church
• Palm Harvest Church
• Mayor Pro Tem Jim Righeimer
• Council Member Gary Monahan
• Preface Group
• Estancia Sports Boosters
• Skosh M0nahan’s
• The Harbor Center
• Vista Paint
• CR&R

Larry’s Building Supply