City Manager Tom Hatch presented IT Network Administrator Lloyd Swanson with this month’s City Manager Leadership Award at the Meet and Greet employee get together on Thursday Aug. 24.

“Lloyd has a critical job when it comes to supporting the technology needs of City Hall staff,” Hatch said. “I admire him for his knowledge, patience and problem-solving abilities. His commitment to doing excellent work makes him a great role model for all of us here and this is just an opportunity to thank and honor him for his dedication.”

Swanson joined the City of Costa Mesa in December of 2000 as an Information System Specialist and was assigned to the Police Department until June 30, 2003, when he moved to City Hall.

In May of 2005, his title was changed to Network Administrator.

Swanson excels in customer service and genuinely loves helping users with any problems.

At one point, Lloyd was single handedly supporting both the City and the Public safety system, which included being on call 24/7 for six months.

Prior to working in Costa Mesa, Swanson was hired by the Newport Beach Police Department in 1993 as a part-time Parking Control Officer. His IT career began later in 1997 as he started taking information technology courses at Coastline Community College.

With that technical knowledge, he was later transferred to the IT Department of the Newport Beach PD.

Swanson graduated in 1991 with a Bachelor of Science in Public Administration (Urban and Regional Planning) from USC.

In addition to Swanson, Hatch honored several newly hired and promoted employees as well as one who is retiring.

In the new hire area, Hatch welcomed Eric Arellano, who is an intern in the City Manager’s Office, Parks & Community Services employees Amanda Fenner a new Recreation Leader IV,  Vanessa Orellana a Recreation Leader II and Alexander Schmitten Recreation Leader III.

From the Police Department he welcomed new Animal Control Officer Amanda Clover and new Crime Scene Specialist Robert Rueda as well as Michael Sampson a new Associate Engineer with Public Services. He also honored Parks & Community Services employee Allison Burch for her promotion to Administrative Secretary.

Finally, Hatch took a special mention to bid farewell to his outgoing Executive Administrator Kelly Shelton, who is retiring on Aug. 31.

“I love Kelly and I am going to miss her very much,” Hatch said.

A slurry seal resurfacing treatment that provides pavement protection from weathering will be applied in an Eastside neighborhood on Thursday Aug. 24 and Friday Aug. 25.

Access through this area will be limited during the working hours of 7 a.m. to 5  p.m.

Click here to view a map that shows the Area 25 section that will be resurfaced. The area is bordered by 22nd Street to the south, Newport Boulevard to the West, Santa Isabel Avenue to north to the eastern city limits.

“No Parking” signs have been posted in the neighborhood, indicating the dates and times in which vehicles may not park, drive, or access the streets.

Cooperation in observing all traffic control and parking restrictions will be greatly appreciated and will help in expediting the construction and yielding a better finished product.

A challenge with the slurry seal treatment is minimizing the amount of tire marks upon re-opening of the streets. Slurry seal is susceptible to deformation the first week following construction.

Therefore, the city is asking for everyone’s assistance when driving on these slurried streets, to avoid making sharp turns into and out of driveways and intersections.

Vehicle power steering puts tremendous force on the pavement with little effort from the driver. Whenever possible, and safe, please make wide, fluid turns into and out of driveways and intersections to avoid digging into the slurry.

Your assistance is greatly appreciated.

Costa Mesa Parks & Community Services will again offer after-school programs for both early childhood and teens starting this school year as well as swim lessons for adults and youth.

For elementary-aged children the city offers to the Recreation on Campus for Kids, or R.O.C.K.S, Afterschool Program at 11 sites throughout the city.

The R.O.C.K.S Program will also offer Youth Fitness Programs, showing kids that health and exercise can be fun.

After-school care for teens is offered at three Teen Center locations. These free programs take place at the Downtown Recreation Center, TeWinkle Intermediate, and Costa Mesa Middle School and will be open on the first day of school, Tuesday, Sept. 5.

Any teenagers who want to stop by after school, make a few new friends, try something new and have a good time are welcome.

Teen Center permission slips will be available at 7th and 8th grade registration days at Costa Mesa Middle School, TeWinkle Intermediate, and Ensign Intermediate. Please call (714) 327-7562 for more information.

Click here for more.

Additionally, fall youth and adult swim lessons will be held at the Downtown Aquatic Center at 1860 Anaheim Ave. beginning Tuesday, Sept. 5. Registration will begin on Wednesday, Aug. 23 at 8 a.m. online or at the Downtown Aquatic Center.

The pool is heated year-round. Please call (714) 327-7564 for more information.

Check out the city’s website for a full listing of fall programs and classes by clicking here.

In response to increased concerns about noise and flight patterns of aircraft flying in and out of John Wayne and other local airports, the city has created a new page titled, Airport Noise and Concerns, that provides residents with important resources for monitoring air traffic.

By clicking on the page here , residents can call JWA directly and the page provides access numbers and websites for the Federal Aviation Administration and Long Beach Airport.

City staff continues to work with county and regional officials to stay up to date on any changes regarding air traffic and noise.

Click here for a related story on noise curfew violations at Long Beach Airport.

Southern California Edison crews will be working in certain Eastside Costa Mesa neighborhoods to make improvements to the electrical grid beginning Aug. 21 and extending through Friday Aug. 25.

The work will commence typically between the hours of 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

This maintenance work is important to ensure the power grid is supported with up to date technology and reliability for continuous improvement.

Click here to read the letter from Edison and to learn which areas are to be affected.

Public Services, in collaboration with the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, has completed bid documents for the Fairview Park Vernal Pool Fencing Project.

Per the Fairview Park Master Plan, all seven vernal pools on the west side of the park, and one on the east side, will be protected by installing cable rail fencing. Approximately 6,500 linear feet of fencing will be installed in the fall of 2017.

The Fairview Park vernal pools are home to small aquatic crustaceans, the San Diego and Riverside fairy shrimp (Branchinecta sandiegonensis and Streptocephalus woottoni), which are listed as federally endangered species.

For more information on vernal pools and other biological resources at Fairview Park, please visit the City’s website at https://www.costamesaca.gov/index.aspx?page=1576.

Caltrans will be closing both the Southbound SR-55 connector to the Northbound I-405 and the Bristol Street on-ramp to the Northbound I-405 this Friday evening, Aug.11 from 10 p.m. until 4 a.m. Saturday Aug. 12 for AC paving.

Caltrans appreciates the public’s patience while this work is being conducted.

Detour signs will be posted to alert motorists of the closure.

For more information, you may contact the District 12 Public Information Office at (657) 328-6000 or log on to the Caltrans website at www.dot.ca.gov/dist12.

Strike, a Treeing Walker Coonhound, is looking for a new home.

He is smart, sweet, and outgoing and loves to stay active by going on walks and being outdoors.

Strike is 9-years-old but has the energy of a young pup.

He’s eager to please, knows all of his commands and is ready to move in with a new family.

Come visit with this handsome boy today at the OC Humane Society.

For more information go to the OC Humane Society website here

Mayor Katrina Foley, Mayor Pro Tem Sandra Genis and City Council Members Jim Righeimer and John Stephens joined city staff to and other members of the community to officially break ground on the new Lions Park Projects last Friday.

Also in attendance were state Sen. John Moorlach, Chairwoman of the Board of Supervisors Michelle Steel, Supervisor Second District, project architect Steve Johnson as well as Orange County Librarian Helen Fried.

The $36.5 million public works projects will include a new 20,000-square-foot Donald Dungan Library as well as the refurbishment of the existing library into a new Neighborhood Community Center and many park improvements.

About 150 members of the public attended the event.

To see a slideshow from Friday’s groundbreaking, click here.

City Manager Tom Hatch awarded Development Services Administrative Secretary Julie Colgan with the City Manager Leadership Award at the July Meet and Greet.

“Julie has the important job of being the recording secretary for the Planning Commission meetings,” Hatch said. “Her organization skills and ability to remain cool under pressure are impressive traits and I appreciate her professional style very much.”

Colgan started with the City as an Apple temp in April 2012 and was offered a part time administrative secretary position in August of 2014 and later promoted to full time for the Development Services Department in November 2015.

As the Recording Secretary for the Planning Commission she has to make sure the various types of public notices occur on time, that agendas and staff reports are readied and copied and sent off to the Commission and other parties, as well as attend all the meetings and prepare the minutes.

Colgan wants to make sure that everyone knew that it’s not possible for her to do her job without the support and companionship of her colleagues.

In addition to honoring Colgan, City Manager Hatch welcomed several new employees and congratulated others for their promotions.

New employees included Barry Curtis, the city’s new Economic & Development Services Director; Issam Shahroui, the new Building Official; and Courtney Harvey, Office Specialist in the Finance Department.

From Parks & Community Services, he welcomed Zander Fletcher and Elise Price, two new Recreation Leader I hires and Kianna Gicale a new Recreation Leader II. The Police Department’s Mayra Avalos, a new Police Records Technician was also welcomed.

In the promotions category, Hatch congratulated Ana Baca, the new Revenue Supervisor in the Finance Department; Katelyn Walsh, who was promoted to Assistant Planner Economic & Development Services; and Theresa Byrne, promoted to Recreation Leader III in Parks & Community Services.

The City will hold an official Groundbreaking Ceremony this Friday July 28 at 10 a.m. for the planned Lions Park Projects.

The $36 million public works projects will include a new 20,000-square-foot Donald Dungan Library as well as the refurbishment of the existing library into a new Neighborhood Community Center.

City Council members, staff and other dignitaries are expected to attend, including the architect of the project Steve Johnson as well as Orange County Librarian Helen Fried.

The Boy Scout Troop No. 339 will be the Color Guard that morning.

Click here for more information about the Lions Park Projects.

A ribbon-cutting ceremony to celebrate the new Costa Mesa Line bus shuttle will take place Friday July 14 at 8:30 a.m. in front of the Experian building at 475 Anton Boulevard in Costa Mesa.

The new bus shuttle is the culmination of an OCTA grant obtained by the city as well as  a partnership with Anaheim Resort Transportation and Travel Costa Mesa. Click here for details about the Costa Mesa Line schedule.

The ART-Costa Mesa Line is free to the public and began operating daily on a fixed route schedule on June 15. It offers area businesses, employees, residents and visitors an easy and economical transportation option and is designed to reduce traffic, and enhance the dining, shopping and the arts experience in Costa Mesa.

This service transports riders on 30-passenger (CNG) Compressed Natural Gas ART vehicles along nine fixed-route stops covering South Bristol Street between South Coast Metro’s business and residential areas, South Coast Plaza, The LAB, The Camp, and Costa Mesa’s cultural arts centers.