Assistant City Manager Alma Reyes presented the City Manager Leadership Award for the month of June to Management Aide Ivis Torres.

“For Ivis, public service is more than a profession” Reyes said. “It is an opportunity to give back to the community that helped shape who she is today. Through her compassion, creativity, and unwavering commitment to service, she continues to make a meaningful impact on the community she is proud to call home. It is an honor to present this award to her.”

Torres joined the City in 2019, as part of the then newly established City Council Aide team or as we know it now, the Constituent Services Team in the City Manager’s Office.

As a member of the inaugural team, she supported the Mayor and City Council in their efforts to increase responsiveness to resident concerns and to have a pulse on the community’s needs.

When the COVID-19 pandemic emerged in 2020, Torres became an integral member of the City Manager’s Office response efforts due to her background working in the medical industry.

She played a key role in communicating critical public health information to residents while helping City staff understand and address evolving community needs.

In 2021, Torres was promoted to a full-time Management Aide, continuing her work as a liaison to the Mayor and City Council. In this role, she coordinates responses to constituent concerns, facilitates Council requests, and works closely with departments to ensure residents receive timely and effective service.

Her multilingual efforts contributed to successful public engagement initiatives for major City projects and community improvements, including Ketchum-Libolt Park, Shalimar Park, and various housing initiatives.

In 2023, as Costa Mesa experienced an unprecedented number of evictions, Torres played an important role by providing housing navigation services and helping affected families connect with temporary housing resources.

Through her direct engagement with residents, she gained firsthand insight into the challenges facing tenants and relayed community concerns and feedback to City leadership. Her work helped inform the City’s response to the housing crisis and contributed to the development and eventual adoption of the City’s Tenant Protection Ordinance.

Recently, Torres assumed expanded responsibilities supporting the Mayor and City Council. In addition to her constituent services responsibilities, she is supporting the Council in an executive assistant capacity.

Torres has an associate’s degree in liberal arts from Orange Coast College and is currently pursuing her bachelor’s degree at Southern New Hampshire University.

The Costa Mesa City Council has agreed to a contract with WAGS Pet Adoption in Westminster to provide interim animal shelter services and veterinary care, concluding a previous agreement with Priceless Pets Rescue to provide shelter and adoption services for Costa Mesa pets.

The WAGS contract with the city is a temporary agreement and city officials will issue a formal request for proposal (RFP) to secure a permanent shelter provider.

“I am very grateful for how Priceless Pets has cared for our pets in Costa Mesa since 2018,” Mayor John Stephens said. “I look forward to starting a new chapter with WAGS. I personally visited their facility and was very impressed. They have an outdoor play area for dogs, a large kennel capacity, another play area for cats and veterinary services onsite. They are going to be a great partner going forward.”

In addition to Costa Mesa, WAGS provides animal shelter services for the cities of Westminster, Stanton and Seal Beach. As it pertains to Costa Mesa, WAGS will provide shelter services and assistance with lost and found pets, pet reclaims, and animal adoptions. The City of Costa Mesa will still provide the services of dog licensing, license renewals, rabies verifications, and licensing questions. 

WAGS is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization that has been in business for 15 years. WAGS promotes adoptions and follows a high-save standard. Their priority is to find forever homes for pets, and they do not euthanize due to time or space. Euthanasia is used only when there are no humane alternatives, and only after a careful determination that, medically and behaviorally, every safe option has been exhausted, and the animal cannot be returned to an adoption pathway.

“On behalf of the Costa Mesa Police Department, I want to express our sincere gratitude to Priceless Pets for their commitment to serving our community and the animals entrusted in their care,” said Police Chief Joyce LaPointe. “Their dedication to providing compassionate care, finding loving homes for animals in need, and improving the lives of both pets and families has made a lasting impact throughout Costa Mesa. As we transition to WAGS, we remain appreciative of the partnership we had and look forward to working with another organization that shares the same commitment to animal welfare.”

Dr. Michelle Russillo, the President and CEO of WAGS Pet Adoption said she looks forward to the partnership with Costa Mesa.

“WAGS Pet Adoption is grateful for the opportunity to serve the City of Costa Mesa and will focus on a smooth, community-first transition that prioritizes pets’ safety and care,” Dr. Russillo said.

WAGS is located at 6621 Westminster Blvd. in Westminster, and for more information, please visit the website wagspetadoption.org.

Residents who find injured or deceased animals should continue to call the city’s Animal Control dispatch at (714) 754- 5674. For missing/lost pets, found pets, and general questions regarding animal control or to report wildlife related issues please call the Animal Control hotline at (714) 754-5311.

MEDIA CONTACTS
Roxi Fyad
(714) 754-5282
rfyad@costamesaca.gov

Tony Dodero
(714) 754-5288
tony.dodero@costamesaca.gov 

The City of Costa Mesa’s Neighborhoods Where We All Belong effort will implement several Housing Element programs and rezone Measure K sites to encourage and facilitate homebuilding in our community.

Two rounds of public visioning have been completed as part of this initiative.

In preparation for round three of outreach activities, draft amendments to the Zoning Code, specific plans, some General Plan Elements, and new multifamily and mixed-use objective design standards are available for public review May 18 through June 15 at www.costamesaneighborhoods.com.

Provide comments on the proposed regulations through an online comment form on the project website or by emailing neighborhoods@costamesaca.gov.

Instructions for providing input on the drafts can be viewed here: Provide Input On The Future Of Costa Mesa Housing

Draft amendments to the Housing Element, including additional sites to be added to the Housing Opportunity Sites Inventory, will be available in early June. The public comment period specific to the Housing Element will take place between June 8 and 15.

At that time, the draft Housing Element will be available on the project website and www.costamesaca.gov/housing-element-update. 

Let’s complete the plans together!

Please join us at an Open House to discuss the draft regulations and Housing Element requirements on June 3 at the Costa Mesa Senior Center.

Spanish interpretation, free snacks and refreshments, and a children’s art activity will be provided. 

Neighborhoods Where We All Belong Open House
Wednesday, June 3, 6-8 p.m.
Costa Mesa Senior Center
695 W. 19th Street

(Click flier to enlarge)

The Statewide Direct Primary Election will be held on Tuesday, June 2 and starting Saturday, May 30, five more Vote Centers will open in Costa Mesa.

The Costa Mesa Senior Center Vote Center officially opened on Saturday, May 23. Voters can cast ballots from 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. through June 1. On Election Day, June 2, the Senior Center will be open for voters from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. The center is at 695 W. 19th Street

The other Vote Centers opening May 30 are the following:

• Costa Mesa City Hall (Drive-thru and in-person)
  77 Fair Drive
• Balearic Community Center
  1975 Balearic Drive
• Norma Hertzog Community Center
  1845 Park Ave
• Orange Coast College – Student Union Bldg
  2701 Fairview Road (Enter off Pirate Way, Park in Lot A)
  
• Sofia University
  3333 Harbor Blvd (Enter off Law Court)

For a list of all vote center locations in Orange County and hours of operation click here https://ocvote.gov/elections/vote-center-locations.

Voters can also cast ballots at drop box locations. For a list of drop box locations in Costa Mesa click here https://ocvote.gov/elections/ballot-drop-box-locations.

For detailed information regarding the election please visit ocvote.gov or contact the ROV below: 

Orange County Registrar of Voters (ROV)
1300 South Grand Avenue, Building C
Santa Ana, CA 92705
(714) 567-7600
Monday through Friday; 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.

rovwebmaster@ocvote.gov.

Make your plan to vote today.

Due to the observation of the Memorial Day holiday on Monday, May 25, there will be no residential street sweeping the entire week through
Friday, May 29 as Costa Mesa Sanitary District also observes this holiday pushing trash collection back one day.

This results in residential gutter lines being cluttered with trash cans making it difficult for street sweeper operators to do an efficient job. Street sweeping will resume back to normal schedule starting the week of June 2. No parking citations will be issued during this time.

The following are a list of tasks that Clean Street’s operators will be conducting next week.

• City wide alley street sweeping
• Sweeping of park parking lots and other city-owned facilities
• Accident call outs and special requests
• Night route sweeping on all arterial streets

For more information, residents can call the city’s street sweeping hotline at (714) 327-7471, which has been updated with this information.

City Manager Cecilia Gallardo-Daly presented the May City Manager Leadership Award to Senior Planner Michelle Halligan.

“Michelle is an unstoppable force, with a keen understanding that it can take a lot of small steps to achieve a greater goal,” Gallardo-Daly said. “Her clear passion and enthusiasm as a public servant is demonstrated in everything she works on, creating lasting and meaningful impacts in the Costa Mesa community. I’m honored to present her with this award.”

Michelle began working for the City in 2019 as a consultant in Current Planning, then acting as the Planning Division’s Cannabis subject matter expert, processing numerous cannabis applications, and providing guidance on cannabis entitlements. In January 2024, Michelle became a permanent member of the Costa Mesa family as a Senior Planner in the Advanced Planning & Housing Division.

Over the last two years, Michelle has project manager for various key advanced planning efforts including implementation of the City’s Housing Element, managing the City’s Neighborhoods Where We All Belong effort to rezone the City’s Housing Element and Measure K sites, supporting the Climate Action and Adaptation Plan (CAAP).

Michelle has spearheaded outreach for the neighborhoods effort, including branding, maximizing our social media and CMTV assets, and hosting several pop-up events across the City.

When the City received a letter from HCD, requesting a faster pathway for Housing Element certification, she quickly jumped in to help pivot and set a new schedule for rezoning the Housing Element sites.

She met the HCD’s timeline and got the Housing Element rezoning approved by City Council in March.

The mother of twins, Michelle is also on the Orange Coast Mother’s of Multiples Board and the Friends of Casa Holiday Luncheon Committee that raised over $700,000 for foster care programs in Orange County last year.

Michelle has a bachelor’s degree in City and Regional Planning from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and over 18 years of dedicated planning experience.

On Wednesday, May 6, the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), Orange County section, presented the City of Costa Mesa with the “2026 Outstanding Transportation Project” Award for the Fairview Road Mobility Improvements Project.

The project is nearly completed between Fair Drive and Newport Boulevard.

This project implemented innovative mobility and safety improvements along one of the primary corridors in Costa Mesa. 

The roadway travels near College Park Elementary School and residential areas as well as Vanguard University and the Civic Center. 

The project delivers improvements while still serving existing car traffic along Fairview Road. Improvements include new high visibility crosswalks; new low-stress Cycle Tracks, the City’s first bus boarding islands, the City’s first bike signal, a new Pedestrian Hybrid Beacon (HAWK) signal connecting residents to College Park Elementary School. 

Public Works Director, Raja Sethuraman and staff received the award at the ASCE OC Annual Awards Dinner in Fullerton. 

The Public Works Transportation Services Division is proud to receive an ASCE award on behalf of the City of Costa Mesa for three consecutive years and will continue to strive in developing award-winning projects that benefit the community and improve the quality of life in Costa Mesa for all roadway users.

This week, the contractor building safety and mobility improvements on Adams Avenue used a creative solution to install the new center medians with a machine that “extrudes” the concrete in a shape of a typical curb. 

The machine was in operation for one day to quickly form the curb and roll it out rapidly. 

One day of using the new machine replaces the usual process of creating a curb that takes about two weeks. 

Normally, staff use wood and stakes to create forms that are then filled with concrete. The wood forms are then removed after the concrete hardens and staff touch things up and fill in voids and irregularities.

Members of the public who have traveled along Adams Avenue on Monday may have seen the crew working quickly to lay out the concrete (a bit like play doh), smooth out irregularities, and prepare the area for remaining paving and landscaping work. 

The Adams Avenue project will rebuild the medians, install new landscaping, slurry seal the roadway, provide fresh roadway striping, and add Cycle Track bikeways. Construction is planned to continue in May and June, with completion before the OC Fair this summer.

Thanks to everyone for your patience traveling through the construction zone and keep an eye out for continued innovations to shorten construction duration by City crews.

California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) documents for the Fairview Park Master Plan Update are now available for public review.

The CEQA documents evaluate potential environmental impacts associated with the updated Fairview Park Master Plan. These documents have been circulated for a 30-day public comment period, during which agencies, stakeholders, and members of the public are invited to review the documents and submit written comments.

Following the close of the comment period on May 29, the City will review and prepare responses to environmental comments received as part of the final CEQA process prior to the City Council’s consideration of project approval.

Please visit the project webpage on the City’s website to review the study and document and for instructions on public comment submission: costamesaca.gov/fvpmp.

As part of a collaboration between the city’s Public Works and Parks & Community Services departments, the City of Costa Mesa is accepting short poem entries for the Sidewalk Poetry Project from residents and individuals with connections and ties to Costa Mesa.

The city is looking for new poems to imprint into new concrete at Ketchum-Libolt Park.

ELIGIBILITY AND SUBMISSION GUIDELINES
Ketchum-Libolt Park: All writers/poets/ages are invited to submit poetry for consideration.
Themes: Community, Heroism, Duty, Safety, Service
Application Deadline: April 27

Click link below for more:

SIDEWALK POETRY PROJECT 2026 Ketchum Libolt Park Survey

City Manager Cecilia Gallardo-Daly presented the City Manager Leadership Award for April to Recreation Coordinator Victoria Castillo.

“Victoria is beloved by her coworkers and city facility users for her kind personality and excellent customer service,” Gallardo-Daly said. “She makes everybody around her, especially her staff, feel like a VIP. She is the embodiment of what we want our city staff to strive for. I’m so glad she is part of our team, and it’s my honor to present her with this award.”

Castillo joined the City in September 2019 as a Community Services Leader at Lions Park and was quickly promoted to a Senior Community Services Leader for the ROCKS program.

She was soon promoted to the Recreation Specialist position at the Senior Center and then to her current position of Recreation Coordinator overseeing Facility rentals in July 2022.

She helped kick start the grand opening and remodel of the Norma Hertzog Community Center. She took full ownership of the facility and developed many of the policies and procedures for the building’s operations and hired and trained most of the Community Service Leaders for the facility team.

She continues to strive in her facility management role as she also oversees and manages the city’s teen program, which includes special events, seasonal camps, monthly excursions, and activities for the two after-school teen centers. Victoria trains all the Parks & Community Services Department’s commercial drivers and is always a team player for last minute projects and initiatives.

Castillo is a Cal State Long Beach graduate with a bachelor’s degree in health science.

The public is invited to take part in the fun, family-friendly “Cruise the Loop” community festival on Sunday, April 12, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

For the duration of event on Sunday, the City will close the outside lane to cars and provide a wider space for biking, scooting, and rolling in golf carts.

Experience the corridor in a new way and provide your thoughts on how this re-imagined Mesa Verde Drive could enhance safety, connectivity, and accessibility in our community.

Bike, roll or drive your golf cart along Mesa Verde Drive East between Baker Street and Harbor Boulevard. Two activity hubs along the route will offer:

• Bike Safety Rodeo

• Live Music

• Carnival Games

• Face Painter

• Health & Wellness

• Bike/Golf Carts Showcase

• Kids arts and crafts

• AND MORE!

For more details about the Cruise the Loop event, please visit our webpage here.