Public Services recently teamed up with Organics Alive LLC, Athletic Field Specialists, Non-Toxic Irvine and Non-Toxic Costa Mesa for a year-long pilot program and study on the use of organic fertilizers and materials only at the Luke Davis Sports Field.

The program officially started on Thursday, July 12 and relies solely on organic materials including brewed, beneficial microbial rich solutions, humic acids and worm castings.

The team will inspect, photograph and monitor the site throughout the year taking soil samples on a regular basis to document the microbial activity in the soil as well as gauge the overall success of the program with regards to aesthetics, playability and health of the turf and soil.

This pilot program follows the city’s effort since 2014 to evaluate the effectiveness of organic materials for weed control in addition to an ongoing review of its and other local agencies’ cultural maintenance practices, including mowing heights and plant and shrub trimming standards, to ensure current practices were appropriate to maintain plant health and decrease the need for synthetic pesticides.

Since that time and following the success of the effort, the application of synthetic weed control material in passive parks and sports fields with mixed turf was eliminated. Additionally, the use of glyphosate in parks citywide has been eliminated.

The city has replaced the use of glyphosate with organic materials. The City has also significantly increased the use of mulch to naturally prevent invasive weeds in planters and tree wells. The city more than doubled the amount of mulch used in FY 2017-18.

This pilot program will be used to further evaluate the use of organic materials and maintenance practices throughout the City of Costa Mesa.

The 128th annual OC Fair continues its run through Aug. 12. and Friday July 20 is Costa Mesa Day at the fair.

While several cities share a “day,” fair officials have designated one entire day solely for the City of Costa Mesa.

That day, residents, business and civic leaders are invited to come to the fair, sing the National Anthem and take part in a flag-raising ceremony, which begins at 12:30.

The OC Fair offers residents a $2 discount admission coupon, which are available at City Hall.

Click here for more information on this year’s OC Fair.

The next General Municipal Election will be held on Tuesday, Nov. 6, 2018. Costa Mesa voters will elect three residents to serve a four-year term on the City Council, one each from Districts 3, 4, and 5. Also, this is the first time Costa Mesa voters will directly elect a Mayor to serve a two-year term.

The nomination period for candidacy opens at 8 a.m. Monday, July 16, and closes at 5 p.m. on Friday, August 10.

Candidates are encouraged to make an appointment with the City Clerk to review all documents. Appointments will be scheduled during regular business hours Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Candidates may also make an appointment to speak to members of city staff to ask questions about city operations and administration. Click here for a City Services Directory.

For further information, please contact the Costa Mesa City Clerk’s office at (714) 754-5225 or visit at 77 Fair Drive, 1st Floor of City Hall.

Click here for more information.

The Orange County District Attorney’s Office has just created a Sober Living Home Investigation and Prosecution Team, giving residents the opportunity to report a problem sober living home, addiction and treatment or recovery center incident.

Click here for more or to report a problem.

The Orange County District Attorney’s Office (OCDA) Sober Living-Home Investigation and Prosecution team (SLIP) investigates reports of criminal and civil violations related to rehab industry.

In conjunction with its regulatory, administrative, and law enforcement partners, the OCDA gathers reports, investigates incidents, refers cases to partner agencies and prosecutes cases criminally or civilly when appropriate.

Residents who feel they have been the victim of or have information regarding possible criminal or civil misconduct by or surrounding a rehab or treatment center can click here to download a form and return it via email to Rick.Bradley@da.ocgov.com or call the District Attorney’s 24 hour SLIP TIP line at 714-647-3228.

The Costa Mesa Police Department has concluded that a proposal by the Orange County Needle Exchange Program (OCNEP) to distribute syringes in the Westside of Costa Mesa has the potential to increase discarded needles in the city and present a safety risk to residents and others.

According to the Department of Public Health website, the Orange County Needle Exchange Program has submitted an application to operate its needle exchange program daily in Costa Mesa from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. in an area bounded by (N) West 18th Street, (E) Monrovia Avenue, (S) West 16th Street, (W) the outer border of Armstrong Petroleum.

The Costa Mesa Police Department submitted a response to the California Department of Public Health opposing the program.

Click here to read the response.

Members of the public who are interested in more information or commenting on this program can visit the California Department of Public Health’s application page here.

Responses can be sent to this email address SEPApplication@cdph.ca.gov.

Click here to read the full application by the Orange County Needle Exchange Program. 

Public Services Maintenance staff recently completed the rehabilitation of the pedestrian bridge at Shiffer Park.

The original wood bridge had termites and rotted wood, which required staff to regularly make repairs. The TeWinkle Park Bridge Replacement Project provided an opportunity for staff to salvage material from the existing bridges.

The material was repurposed to replace the Shiffer Park bridge, thereby reducing the cost to replace the Shiffer Park bridge and diverting the debris from a local landfill. The bridge replacement was completed in April and a fresh coat of stain was applied.

Public Services recently reached another major milestone with the reconstruction of Fire Station No. 1.

The new LEED Gold station is in the final stages of construction with the installation of architectural finishes and permanent power being supplied to the building. Southern California Edison (SCE) is onsite delivering the new electrical transformer and installing cables and wiring to provide electrical service to the building.

This major milestone will provide the utility necessary to begin the early stages of mechanical, electrical, and plumbing testing, preparations for energizing these systems, ensuring proper system functionality, and conformance with energy standards to meet LEED Gold certification.

Local restaurants continue to receive high praise as both the LA Times and OC Register recently named Costa Mesa restaurants to prestigious awards and lists.

Taco Maria was named the Times’ 2018 Restaurant of the Year by renowned LA Times food critic Jonathon Gold, who noted that “no restaurant in years may have had quite the impact that Taco María and its chef Carlos Salgado have had on the Southern California scene.”

The OC Register recently published their list of the Top 75 places to Eat in Orange County and not only did Brad A. Johnson name 7 Costa Mesa restaurants in his top 13, but his list of top 75 restaurants includes 13 from Costa Mesa.

Costa Mesa eateries placing in the top 10 include #2 Vaca, #3 Arc, #5 Hana Re, #9 The Capital Grille and #10 Taco Maria.

Although it was a big week for dogs, the city would also like to congratulate cats Spartan and Sage on finding their forever homes.

The cats are the beneficiaries of the city’s new partnership with Priceless Pet Rescue, who adopt out stray animals who end up at the city’s animal shelter at Newport Center Animal Hospital.

The Orange County Registrar of Voters is in need of poll workers throughout Orange County. Election Day is June 5, 2018 and hundreds of poll workers are still needed as Inspectors and Clerks. As long as an individual is registered to vote in California they are eligible to volunteer in Orange County.

The Polling Place Inspector has the responsibility of overseeing the Election Day operations at an assigned polling place. This includes managing and working with poll workers assigned to the polling place, coordination of site access, picking up supplies, setting up equipment, assisting and processing voters, completing the closing procedures, and transporting the results and supplies to a collection center on Election Night. The stipend for serving as a Polling Place Inspector is $160. A training course is required and are offered throughout Orange County.

The Polling Place Clerk has the responsibility to assist the Inspector in the polling place operations. This includes setting up equipment and supplies, assisting and processing voters, and assisting in the closing procedures. Individuals are needed who are bilingual in Chinese, Korean, Spanish or Vietnamese, which is required under federal law. The stipend for service as a Polling Place Clerk is $120. A training course is required and are offered throughout Orange County.

Interested individuals can volunteer by calling 714-954-1901 or visiting ocvote.com/volunteer.

Public Services recently contracted with R.E. Schultz Construction for the replacement of two pedestrian bridges at TeWinkle Park.

Last week, the contractor installed both pedestrian rustic style bridges. Over the next two weeks, sidewalk adjacent to the bridge will be constructed along with the concrete platform for both bridges.

Following completion of the concrete improvements, the TeWinkle Park Lake system water levels will be restored.

Public Services Maintenance staff recently completed upgrades to the lighting at Ketchum Libolt Park.

The existing high pressure sodium lights were inefficient and did not provide a sufficient amount of light.

Rear portions of the park are lit dimly at night. Staff replaced the inefficient lights with high efficiency, brighter LED lights. The rear of the park now has a quad multi-directional light mount, which can illuminate several areas of the park simultaneously. Staff also painted the light posts for an overall aesthetic improvement to the park.