Mayor John Stephens joined Gov. Gavin Newsom on Thursday, Jan. 18, as he took a tour of Costa Mesa’s Project Homekey development that will soon provide 88 units of housing for low-income veterans, seniors and other local residents in need of a place to live.

The Mayor and Governor were accompanied by County Supervisors Katrina Foley and Vincent Sarmiento, Assembly Member Cottie Petrie-Norris and Community Development Partners President and Chief Financial Officer Kyle Paine at a press conference on Thursday Jan. 18 at the former Motel 6 site that is now known as the Mesa Vista Apartments.

Paine announced that Phase 1 of the project was complete which included the conversion of 40 Homekey-assisted units into housing with wraparound services for individuals earning 30% or less than the Area Median Income, 30 of which are permanent supportive housing units serving homeless veterans and 10 of which are set aside for homeless individuals who meet the Mental Health Services Act (MHSA) eligibility criteria.

The leasing office and interior/exterior common area spaces were also updated. Residents are scheduled to move into the apartments in February, Paine said.

For more on Project Homekey please visit our website here.

At the Tuesday Jan. 16 meeting, the City Council celebrated the well-deserved retirement of CMPD’s Police Service Dog Bodi.

Bodi is an observant Dutch Shepherd who was born in the Netherlands. He joined the Costa Mesa Police Department in December 2018 as the first Police Service Dog with the Police Department in many years.

Bodi and his partner, Sergeant George Maridakis, joined forces and began patrolling the City of Costa Mesa in 2019. By 2020, Bodi became a dual-purpose police service dog certified in narcotics detection. For five years, Bodi has served the Costa Mesa community and put his life on the line for his partner and fellow CMPD officers.

Also that meeting, the Council recognized our Economic and Development Services Director Jennifer Le, who has accepted a role in the private sector.

She has been instrumental in pioneering some of the city’s largest projects. It is through her visionary thinking and creative problem-solving skills, that the city has achieved major accomplishments.

Click here to watch the meeting on our YouTube channel.

Help us decide the future of what should happen at the 121-acre Fairview Developmental Center as it transitions into a mixed-use, mixed-income housing community.

There will be food and refreshments, and childcare at the in-person workshops. Also, a representative from the California Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES) will be in attendance to answer questions from the public.

We invite the public to give us feedback on our draft vision and guiding principles for the project at our second workshop.

Here is the schedule for the workshops at the Costa Mesa Senior Center.

• Tuesday, Jan. 23 - English from 6 to 8 p.m.
• Thursday, Jan. 25 - Spanish from 6 to 8 p.m.
• Monday, Jan. 29 - Zoom from 6-8 p.m.

For more information, please visit our webpage here

With rain expected to hit Costa Mesa and the region this weekend through Monday, the city’s maintenance service crews have made sandbags available for free to Costa Mesa residents in the southeast corner of the City Hall parking lot at 77 Fair Drive.

The location is self-service and bringing your own shovel is suggested as supplies could be limited. The number of sandbags is limited to 15 sandbags per household.

No commercial use please.

City crews will patrol potential flooding spots to make sure catch basins are clear of debris and operational. Crews are also ready to respond to other weather-related incidents. Please report flooding issues to 714-754-5252.

Last week, the Community Policing Unit officers cleaned up this encampment near 17th Street.

This encampment had soiled goods and rotten food. Two were arrested for drug violations and unlawful camping.

When officers contact individuals experiencing homelessness, the resources offered are either accepted or, like in this case, refused. First and foremost, we always try to help. 

Please call our non-emergency at 714-754-5252 when you see these and together we call help keep Costa Mesa clean.

Our Community Policing officers visited some local preschoolers on Thursday to share some safety tips and to let them know we are here to help them.

The visit ended on a high note as the students checked out our cool patrol vehicle!

It’s important to connect with the young community members so they know to call the police when they need help.

Officers do not show up because a child is in trouble, officers show up to serve and protect anyone in need. 

There’s a crime trend we would like to share with you. When you go shopping, do you place your purse in a shopping cart?

If you do, this is a common but avoidable mistake. Thieves are stealing wallets and other valuables from unsuspecting shoppers. Typically, thieves will work with at least one other person. One person will distract the shopper, perhaps by asking a question or engaging in small talk. While the shopper is distracted, the other person will reach into the shopper’s purse and take a wallet or other valuables. Thieves act quickly and are extremely efficient. Before the victim even knows their wallet was stolen, thieves are making high dollar purchases online or at a nearby store.

Helpful reminders:

• If you can, carry your purse while shopping

• If your option is to place your purse in the shopping cart, make sure it’s fully closed and use the straps attached to the cart to secure it. Keep your shopping cart within arm’s reach and keep your purse in sight. But, why would you want to place your purse were a poopie diaper bottom sat? wink wink

• Be mindful of strangers who approach you for any reason

• Be an alert shopper and watch for persons who appear to be stalking elderly customers or customers with their purse in the cart. If you see such activity, report it immediately to store management • Place your purse in a secure place while loading purchases in your vehicle

• If you discover your wallet missing from your purse, immediately notify your bank and the issuer(s) of any credit or debit cards, call the police to report the theft, and notify the store manager

Costa Mesa Fire and Rescue takes a proactive approach to the health and well-being of all its members, with a strong emphasis and focus on behavioral health training, wellness programs, and cancer awareness and prevention efforts. 

January is cancer awareness month and CMFR remains steadfast to support all fire personnel through resources, information and hands-on support.

CMFR continues to follow the cancer support network and assist in the push to educate fire personnel; fire personnel are more likely to develop cancer than the general public, due to the elements of exposure from the job. 

CMFR has actively been following and promoting weekly education of best practices through awareness and prevention tools and survivorship stories.

Several modules have been included in station discussions, including video testimonials that are aimed to guide firefighters and educate them on the cancer specific hazards faced each shift. 

The goal is to tie all wellness approaches together and allow for longevity in the job so that everyone goes home safe and stays well for years to come.

Costa Mesa Fire & Rescue’s emergency ambulance transportation program continues to provide a high level of service and great value to the community and the city. 

Recently, CMFR conducted a mini-academy and training to the department’s newest Ambulance Operators. 

Firefighter/Paramedics Mark Martinez, Kyle Brosamer and Spencer Hibbard recently spent the week instructing the new operators on administrative, operational and vehicle operations of the department. 

After completion of CMFR’s AO Training, incumbents are eligible to work open shifts and work towards earning a full-time assignment. 

On Jan. 18, Costa Mesa Fire & Rescue personnel held various breakout sessions via Zoom for the official kick-off of their 2022-2027 Strategic Plan implementation phase.

The Strategic Planning kick off was facilitated by  Assistant Fire Chiefs Jason Pyle and Jon Neal.

CMFR’s primary strategic initiatives (goals) are: 

• Technology

• Staffing

• Infrastructure

• Training

• Communication 

• Accreditation

Members of CMFR personnel were identified in the beginning of the process to formulate a committee for each initiative.

Each committee of assigned personnel gathered throughout the day to discuss their respective goal and evaluate, develop and execute the initial critical tasks related to objectives and desired outcomes. 

With a plan identified, steps will continue to be taken for each identified goal and staff/committee’s will continue to meet for updates and next course of actions. 

The Fire Alarm at the Senior Center was recently replaced with a new updated Fire Alarm system.

Fire alarm systems are among the most vital components of our building’s fire protection strategy. The system has multiple smoke detectors throughout the facility that when activated send an alert directly to City Communications to dispatch Costa Mesa Fire. 

The smoke detectors also activate an audible signal and visual strobe lights that alert occupants to a potential fire and direct them to evacuate the building. The entire system is supported by a back-up battery system that will provide continuity of service should the building lose power.  

A properly functioning and well-maintained fire alarm system is critical in order to keep our City buildings and the occupants safe from fire. 

As with most systems in our City buildings, our fire alarm system’s performance is largely dependent on how well it’s installed and how frequently it is inspected and tested which is typically managed by our City’s Maintenance Division. 

In the continued efforts to ensure the public transit system in the City is clean and accessible, Public Works has coordinated with the City’s bus shelter maintenance contractor to repaint all of the bus shelters in the City.

Seven more shelters were repainted in December. Those shelters are located at:

• NB Bristol Street, North of Baker Street

• NB Harbor Boulevard, South of Baker Street

• NB Harbor Boulevard, South of Peterson Place

• NB Harbor Boulevard, North of Victoria Street

• SB Harbor Boulevard, South of Merrimac Way

• SB Harbor Boulevard, South of Fair Drive

• SB Harbor Boulevard, South of Harbor Center

This work will be continuing at no additional cost to the City and included in the franchise agreement with the bus shelter contractor.

Join us for a Conversation Over Coffee hosted by Black Market Bakery at the Camp to discuss your accessible program wants and needs in Costa Mesa.

We welcome those with medical, cognitive, behavioral, developmental, and physical disabilities and their supporters to join the conversation.

Black Market Bakery is located at 2937 Bristol St. Costa Mesa. For more information call 714-754-5300.

Victoria is a 3 year old, female, domestic short haired cat. Miss Victoria has a beautiful tortoiseshell coat.

Victoria is your typical cat, who enjoys spending her day lounging and catching some sunrays.

Victoria is up to date on her vaccines and is spayed. If you are interested in meeting Victoria, she is located at The Orphanage – Costa Mesa (1536 Newport Blvd. Costa Mesa, CA 92627). For other adoptable pets, you can visit https://pricelesspetrescue.org/

OC Parks is beginning the Master Plan process for Talbert Regional Park, which will help shape the park for the next decade.

Residents and visitors interested in sharing feedback are invited to attend a public outreach meeting on Wednesday, Jan. 31 from 5-7 p.m. at the Norma Hertzog Community Center, 1845 Park Avenue, Costa Mesa, CA 92627. 

Visit the County's Talbert Park page here for more information.