The Association of California Cities – Orange County awarded the City of Costa Mesa’s reStore Costa Mesa Recovery Team and the Costa Mesa Business Assistance Collaborative (Costa Mesa’s BAC) with a Golden Hub of Innovation Award for Excellence in Public Private Partnerships at its annual awards ceremony on Oct. 15.
“We are thrilled to receive this award from ACC-OC,” Mayor Katrina Foley said. “After the COVID-19 pandemic hit, our local businesses were forced to shut down. We immediately formed the reStore Costa Mesa Recovery Team that met for 13 meetings virtually to keep businesses informed, cut through red tape, and assist in reopening. This was a coordinated effort with my Council colleagues Mayor Pro-Tem John Stephens and Andrea Marr, City staff, Travel Costa Mesa, South Coast Metro Alliance, and the Costa Mesa Chamber of Commerce. A big thanks to everyone involved.”
City Manager Lori Ann Farrell Harrison credited the City’s Economic Development staff, especially Economic Development Administrator Dan Inloes and Chief of Staff Connor Lock, for identifying ways to help local businesses most affected when the economy shut down.
“I’m extremely proud of our staff and their commitment to help local businesses by providing timely information regarding funding opportunities and reopening guidelines to get the economy reopened,” Farrell Harrison said. “Costa Mesa has a reputation of being business friendly and we proved it by engaging with industry leaders and exploring creative ways to assist them with keeping the doors open during this challenging time.”
Costa Mesa’s BAC deployed a call center to reach out to over 2,000 businesses to find out how they have been impacted by COVID, launched a new mass email campaign to keep thousands of businesses up to date on actions and guidelines issued by federal, state and county governments and the resources available to them.
City staff also launched a Shop Costa Mesa Campaign, which included a social media push and with graphics and branding. Staff managed the administration of the Small Business Relief Grant Program and provided universal signage designs for businesses to use while Orange County COVID Safety Guidelines are in affect. It assisted businesses with modifying hours of operation and service restrictions and helped create outdoor seating, outdoor retail, and curbside or drive-through pickup opportunities.
Finally, the staff developed a new Website www.costamesabac.com to mobilize businesses and patrons by directing residents to local businesses in a safe manner and providing resources to local businesses through a comprehensive resource guide.
ACC-OC hosted its 9th Annual and first ever virtual Golden Hubs of Innovation Awards ceremony to acknowledge public agencies and public servants that are improving the community around them with innovative programs and service excellence.
Due to the ongoing state-mandated restrictions, this year’s ACC-OC awards event was streamed live over Zoom. The award presentation included short videos of each Golden Hub recipient.
Click here to watch a video of Mayor Foley’s award acceptance message.
For more about ACC-OC click here.