Sandbags Available at Costa Mesa City Hall

Residents Can Obtain Up To 15 Sandbags As Winter Weather Hits

With the impending and recurring storms, the city of Costa Mesa is providing up to 15 sandbags for residents who reside in the city.

Residents can obtain sandbags through a self serve process at the Southeast corner of the parking lot at City Hall located at 77 Fair Drive

There are signs that will direct you to the location.

Please visit City Hall as the primary location for sandbags, or if they are out of sand, you can obtain sandbags at Fire Station No. 4 located at 2300 Placentia Ave.

Click here for information on how to prepare sand bags.

The agency “211 OC” is also poised to help coordinate assistance. 211 OC has an around the clock phone line to help with all types of emergencies and provides regional connection to resources for disasters victims, the homeless, and others needing health and human services.

Information about 211 OC can be found at www.211OC.org or by simply calling 2-1-1.

Be Prepared Costa Mesa for Weekend Storms

City Preps For Coming Winter Storm. Sandbags Available To Residents

Maintenance Services Staff has been preparing for any inclement weather this weekend.

Storm drains and flood areas are being cleaned and checked.

Sand and sandbags are available at Fire Station No. 4. 

Maintenance Services will have additional staff on standby Sunday with a truck prepped for rain response and possible flooding issues.

Click here for information on how to prepare sand bags.

With rain forecasted for this weekend, everyone, including the homeless community, is advised to stay out of the flood channels, including the Santa Ana River.

Flood channels can be life-threatening during storm events.

The agency “211 OC” is also poised to help coordinate assistance. 211 OC has an around the clock phone line to help with all types of emergencies and provides regional connection to resources for disasters victims, the homeless, and others needing health and human services.

Information about 211 OC can be found at www.211OC.org or by simply calling 2-1-1.

City of Costa Mesa Seeks Volunteers

City Seeks Volunteers To Sit On Parks And Recreation, Planning And Senior Commissions

The Costa Mesa City Council is currently seeking interested individuals from the community to serve on the following Commissions:

Parks and Recreation Commission – This Commission assists the City Council and various City departments with issues related to parks and parkways.  There are 2 vacancies each for four-year terms.  Applicants must be registered voters in the City.  For further information, please contact Recreation Manager Justin Martin at (714) 754-5065.

Planning Commission – This Commission derives its power from the provisions of the California Government Code, and has the power, by law, to act upon or recommend to the City Council: 1) the regulation of future growth, development, and beautification of the City in respect to its public and private works; 2) consistency with municipal plans to ensure that future growth and development do not impede upon sanitation, public utilities, and transportation facilities; 3) the location of any proposed buildings, structures or works; and, 4) the design and improvement of proposed subdivisions of the land.  There are 2 vacancies each for four-year terms.  Applicants must be registered voters in the City.  For further information, please contact Interim Assistant Development Services Director Peggy Schneble at (714) 754-5182.

Senior Commission – This Commission serves as an advisory body to the City Council in matters related to the operation of the Costa Mesa Senior Center.  There are 2 vacancies each for four-year terms and 1 vacancy for two-year terms. Applicants must be a Costa Mesa resident.  For further information, please contact Recreation Manager Justin Martin at (714) 754-5065.

Application Process – Residents who are interested in getting involved in local government are encouraged to complete a Committee Application Form from the City Clerk’s Office or from the City’s website (www.costamesaca.gov/apply).  The completed application may be submitted online; mailed to Costa Mesa City Clerk at Post Office Box 1200, Costa Mesa, California, 92628-1200; faxed to (714) 754-4942; emailed to cityclerk@costamesaca.gov; or hand-delivered to the City Clerk’s Office at City Hall, 77 Fair Drive, Costa Mesa.  The deadline is 5 p.m., Wednesday, January 18, 2017.  Appointments are tentatively scheduled for the February 7, 2017 City Council meeting.   For further information regarding commission appointments, please contact the City Clerk’s office at (714) 754-5225 or cityclerk@costamesaca.gov.

50 Years for Costa Mesa Snoopy House

Costa Mesa’s Snoopy House Hits 50 Years Of Making Families Merry For The Holiday Season

This year, the iconic Snoopy House will mark its 50-year anniversary in Costa Mesa and fifth year at City Hall with an expanded holiday display that will feature a new Main Street look and three nights of snow.

Snoopy House, which features holiday scenes populated by “Peanuts” characters, is a free event available for viewing at City Hall from 5:30 to 9 p.m. nightly from Dec. 10 through Dec. 23.

“It has been an honor to have Snoopy House here these past five years,” Costa Mesa Mayor Steve Mensinger said. “It’s a wonderful tradition that now further connects the community to City Hall.”

The opening night of Snoopy House will begin with a formal presentation by the mayor and City Council members at 5:30 p.m.

In addition, Jim Jordan, whose family started the display at their Eastside Costa Mesa home in 1966, will be honored for the 50-year tradition.

The Jordan family members and friends put together a series of Christmas scenes that eventually took up most of their front yard, side yard and even the roof of their home.

Since its inception, the display has attracted an estimated 80,000 visitors annually.

Snoopy House moved to Costa Mesa City Hall in 2011, when city officials learned the fate of the annual tradition was in jeopardy.

The city of Costa Mesa agreed to host the display and provide other assistance and has been doing so every year since with the help of devoted staff members as well as Jim Jordan and his wife Linda, who have worked to help create the City Hall display for the last five years.

Over the last five years, Snoopy House has added several new features including nightly live music, snow, free apple cider, free photos with Santa and free train rides for children.

To complement the Snoopy House, the city also puts on a nightly light show on the façade of City Hall.

The Santa visits take place each night between 7 to 9 p.m. beginning opening night, Dec. 10, through Dec. 23. Children and their families will have opportunities to receive free photos with Santa.

In addition, several youth nonprofit groups will have booths at the Snoopy House display each night selling beverages and snacks.

OC Fair & Event Center Opens OC Veterans Museum on Nov 11th

Heroes Hall Opening Set For This Veterans Day

The OC Fair & Event Center  will celebrate the Nov. 11 Veterans Day holiday Friday with a public dedication and ribbon-cutting ceremony for its new Heroes Hall veterans museum at 1 p.m. at the OC Fair & Event Center.

Heroes Hall at the OC Fair & Event Center will be a permanent, year-round museum with exhibitions, performances and educational programs that celebrate the legacy of Orange County veterans and others who have served our nation. The two-story exhibition space will rotate themes semi-annually with each focusing on an aspect of the personal stories and experiences of veterans.

The event free to the public.

The fairgrounds property was once part of the Santa Ana Army Air Base, a 1,300-plus-acre training facility active during World War II. Orange Coast College, Vanguard University, Costa Mesa High School, Davis Elementary School, Tewinkle Park and several commercial and residential areas are also on former army air base land.

The dedication ceremony will be a salute to local veterans and veterans groups including Vincent Okamoto – the most decorated Japanese American veteran of the Vietnam War and a Los Angeles Superior Court judge – and Santa Ana Army Air Base veterans.

Approved by the OC Fair & Event Center Board of Directors in 2014, Heroes Hall is expected to encompass more than 12,000 square feet with indoor/outdoor exhibit space. Crews broke ground in March and the former “Memorial Gardens,” a two-story, 5,000-square-foot WWII-era building, was placed on the site in April to house exhibitions.

Crews have been diligently working on the building and the surrounding courtyard which includes a 50-foot-wide centerpiece designed after the Congressional Medal of Honor, the highest U.S. military decoration that is awarded by Congress for gallantry and bravery in combat at the risk of life above and beyond the call of duty. Construction is expected to be completed by the end of this year.

The City of Costa Mesa donated $50,000 toward the construction of Heroes Hall.

Attendees on Friday are also invited to attend the free Veterans + Labor Community Celebration scheduled at the OC Fair & Event Center on the same day from 10:30 a.m.-2 p.m. Details for the community event are available here.

The Heroes Hall Veterans Foundation, a 501(c)3 non-profit, provides fundraising support for exhibitions, education, programs and operation. Information about how to become involved and make a contribution is available at ocheroeshall.org.

For more information about Heroes Hall  visit ocfair.com/heroeshall.

Heroes Hall is at the OC Fair & Event Center, which is located off the 405 and 55 freeways at 88 Fair Drive in Costa Mesa. For more information about the event center, please visit ocfair.com, become a fan on Facebook.com/OCFair, follow at twitter.com/ocfair or call (714) 708-1500.

Veterans Day Touch to ARTventure

Second Annual ARTventure Adds A Veterans Day Touch And Expands To Multiple Venues

The City of Costa Mesa’s second annual juried art exhibition, ARTventure, this year will feature a special tribute to coincide with Veterans Day, offering up free photographic portraits to those who served in the military.

ARTventure, which opens on Nov. 11 and runs through Nov. 13, is a fusion of art and entertainment that has expanded to two local venues at SoCo, Cisco Home and the Design Within Reach showrooms.

The Faces of Freedom project, which is run by photographer Jon Haverstick, will be on display during the ARTventure exhibit and veterans who attend on Saturday Nov. 12 can be photographed and become part of the exhibit.

“The Faces of Freedom Project is an ongoing effort to say ‘Thank You’ to the men and women of our military through the medium of portraiture,” Haverstick said in a statement.  “It features elegant black and white portraits of many of the patriots I’ve been privileged to meet over the past few years through a number of veteran outreach events.  Some are people you know. Some are homeless.  Some have passed away since their portraits were made for this project.  All have sacrificed for my freedoms.”

For the event, art is carefully paired with furniture, fixtures, and interior design elements, along with live entertainment featuring musical, theatrical, literary and culinary forms to heighten the artistic experience.

The event will begin with an opening reception and Awards Ceremony from 5:30 to 9 p.m. and that will include hors d’oeuvres and beverages and live musical performances.

Saturday’s festivities begin at 10 a.m. and run to 5 p.m. and will include a pottery demonstration by Costa Mesa High School students. Sunday’s events begin at 11 a.m. and run through 3 p.m. with a performance by the All American Boys Chorus to culminate the event.

Using AlertOC to Prepare for Emergencies

Residents Urged To Sign Up For AlertOC To Get Critical Information During Emergencies

Because September marks National Preparedness Month, public safety officials are urging residents and businesses to prepare for the many hazards that threaten our daily lives and sense of normalcy – most often occurring in Southern California with little to no warning.

Whether it’s wildfires due to the state’s extended drought, mudslides, floods or massive earthquakes, disasters occur rapidly, forcing evacuations and road closures to neighborhoods.

AlertOC, the County’s mass notification system, is a critical link for residents to immediately learn of any required actions, such as evacuating their homes during an imminent fire.

On Thursday Sept. 22, more than two million Orange County residents will receive a call to test AlertOC.

The drill will replicate a large scale, multi-jurisdictional emergency requiring thousands of numbers to be called simultaneously across Orange County’s entire region.

This is the seventh annual regional test of the system and will include 26 participating cities as well as the County’s unincorporated areas.

The distinctive feature of AlertOC is the ability for individuals to register multiple contact methods and addresses.

Registrations of cell phone and alternate numbers dramatically increase the ability to reach the greatest number of community members within minutes.

This enables landlines, cell phones and e-mail addresses to be incorporated into a single notification system.

Residents can do their part to prepare for emergencies by registering for AlertOC.

The time is now to self-register cell phone numbers and e-mail addresses to be a part of the regional test.

For more information or to register alternate phone numbers or e-mail addresses, visit AlertOC.com

Costa Mesa Reports $11 Mil Budget Surplus

A combination of sound fiscal policy and a thriving retail environment, along with expenditures lower than anticipated for a variety of factors, has resulted in a significant budget surplus of an estimated $11 million for the City of Costa Mesa.

At the end of the last fiscal year on June 30, 2016, the city’s revenues totaled more than $122.5 million while expenditures were $111.4 million. That surplus represents 9 percent of the total revenues.

 “We have made concerted efforts to keep our spending under control while still providing great customer service to our residents by rebuilding our older infrastructure, investing in new capital improvement projects and hiring top-level staffing in city departments,” said Mayor Steve Mensinger.

The mayor called this a proud moment for the City of Costa Mesa.

 “A significant amount of hard work, difficult decisions and favorable business conditions have resulted in this environment for success,” he said. “Many people deserve thanks for their contributions, especially my fellow council colleagues, commissioners, city staff, the business community and Costa Mesa residents.”

Indeed, the City Council now has the opportunity to determine where to allocate the surplus money and could follow its established policy of using surplus funds to increase reserves, reduce pension debt and increase expenditures on capital projects.

The process for the last two years has been for staff to bring a recommendation to the City Council’s Financial Advisory Committee around November or December and the City Council review the Committee’s recommendation as part of the council’s Mid-Year Budget Review in February.

Based on the City Council’s policy and based on prior budget discussions, staff will likely recommend that the committee increase the general fund reserves by $2.66 million, which will immediately allow the city to reach the Council’s $55 million reserve goal.

The council can also recommend a number of measures, including paying down pension debt and other debt obligations as well as funding projects and enhancing various community priorities.

Formal Dresses Needed for Marine Wives

Wanted: A Few, Good Formal Dresses For Wives Of City’s Adopted Marines

Once again, the City of Costa Mesa and the Costa Mesa Military Affairs team seek donations of “like new” prom dresses, ball gowns, cocktail dresses and accessories for the spouses of 1st Battalion, 5th Marines (1/5), the Camp Pendelton-based infantry battalion that the city has adopted.

The dresses will be worn at the annual Marine Ball, which takes place in October and celebrates the anniversary of the Marines Corps’ founding.

The collection point for the dresses will be the concierge desk in the lobby of City Hall at 77 Fair Drive. Donations will be accepted now through Sept. 10.

For further information, please contact Dan Baker at (714) 754-5156.

CEO Leadership Award Goes to Officer Lance Healey

Costa Mesa Police Officer Lance Healey was the recipient of June’s CEO Leadership Award.

The city's video team spent some time with Healey, who helps run the Police Department’s highly successful Pre-Academy, to get an idea of what his workday is like. Click on the video below for more:

Costa Mesa Seeks Public Input

Public input sought for city's Consolidated Plan at Feb. 12 meeting

The City of Costa Mesa Housing and Community Development Division—which is in the process of preparing the city’s Consolidated Plan—and will seek input from residents and other stakeholders at a community workshop from 6 to 8 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 12 at the Costa Mesa Senior Center
(695 W. 19th Street).

The Consolidated Plan identifies needs and priorities related to housing, community service, public facilities/infrastructure, and economic opportunities that are funded with federal monies. Federal Community Development Block Grant and HOME Investment Partnerships Grant funds are utilized over a five-year period to address the needs outlined in the Consolidated Plan.

Residents and stakeholders interested in providing input may also submit an online survey available on the City’s website.

For additional information regarding the survey or workshop, or to learn more about the Consolidated Plan process, contact Mike Linares at (714) 754-5678 or mike.linares@costamesaca.gov.

Costa Mesa Mayor Announces Listening Tour

Mayor Mensinger announces '2015 Listening Tour'

Costa Mesa Mayor Steve Mensinger has announced a “2015 Listening Tour” to allow residents five ways to more easily access to City Hall and share their hopes and concerns with the mayor.

• Meet the Mayor. Mayor Mensinger will hold “Meet the Mayor” sessions at City Hall and other locations around town from 2 to 4 p.m. on the second Sunday of each month. The first “Meet the Mayor” will be at City Hall (77 Fair Drive) on Jan. 11.
  
• Walk and Talk with the Mayor. At 5:30 a.m. on the third Friday of each month, residents can participate in the “Walk and Talk with the Mayor” for approximately a 90-minute walk. The group will meet at the Estancia High School parking lot (2323 Placentia Ave.) adjacent to the tennis court.
• Coffee with the Mayor. To set up a meeting over coffee, please e-mail Mayor Mensinger (mayor@costamesaca.gov) or contact the City Council’s executive secretary, Sharon Rodelius, at (714) 754-5107.
• Write the Mayor. E-mail the Mayor Mensinger at mayor@costamesaca.gov and you’ll get a response back within 24 hours.
• Invite the Mayor. Schedule permitting, Mayor Mensinger would love to accept your invitation to ribbon-cuttings, nonprofit meetings, public or private school classes on local government and more. To schedule an event, please e-mail Mayor Mensinger (mayor@costamesaca.gov) or contact the City Council’s executive secretary, Sharon Rodelius, at (714) 754-5107.

“I’m looking forward to listening to my fellow residents and finding out how we can continue to improve our fine city,” Mayor Mensinger said. “This will be a great learning experience for me, and I know residents will be impressed at the responsiveness of their local government.”

For more information about the “2015 Listening Tour,” please call the City Council’s executive secretary, Sharon Rodelius, at (714) 754-5107 or email her at sharon.rodelius@costamesaca.gov.

Only 2 Days Left for Costa Mesa Residents

Residents have until Wednesday, January 7th to apply to serve on three city commissions.

Wednesday is the deadline for Costa Mesa residents to apply to serve on one of three city commissions: Planning Commission, Parks and Recreation Commission and Senior Commission.

The five-member Planning Commission has three vacancies (each four-year terms). This commission functions as an advisory body to the City Council on issues related to the growth and development of the community. The commission holds public hearings and provides recommendations to the council on requests for General Plan amendments, rezones, specific plans, environmental impact reports and amendments to the city’s Zoning Ordinance. The board has the authority to take final action on a variety of planning applications, including conditional use permits, variances, planned development projects, and tentative tract and parcel maps.

The five-member Parks and Recreation Commission has three vacancies (each four-year terms). This commission assists the City Council and various city departments with issues related to parks and parkways.

The five-member Senior Commission has five vacancies (three for four-year terms, and two for two-year terms). This newly established commission will serve as an advisory body to the City Council in matters related to the operation of the Costa Mesa Senior Center. 

Those interested are encouraged to complete a Committee Application Form from the City Clerk’s Office or from the City’s website (www.costamesaca.gov/apply).

Planning commissioners and Parks and Recreation commissioners must be registered to vote in Costa Mesa.

The completed application may be submitted online; mailed to Costa Mesa City Clerk, Post Office Box 1200, Costa Mesa, California, 92628-1200; faxed to (714) 754-4942; or hand-delivered to the City Clerk’s Office at City Hall, 77 Fair Drive, Costa Mesa.

The deadline is 5 p.m., Wednesday, Jan. 7. Appointments are tentatively scheduled for the January 20, 2015 City Council meeting.

For further information, please contact the City Clerk’s office at (714) 754-5225 or cityclerk@costamesaca.gov.

Costa Mesa Helping Citizens with Rain

In anticipation of rain storms predicted to hit this week, the City of Costa Mesa is making free sandbags available to residents and putting emergency crews on standby to deal with any flooding, downed trees, inoperable traffic lights or other weather-related issues.

"We don't anticipate any major problems, but we want to be ready just in case," City CEO Tom Hatch said.

Crews from the city's Public Services Department have also cleared out the catch basins of storm drains to reduce any potential flooding.

Costa Mesa residents can fill up to 15 sandbags for free (shovels provided) at the Placentia Fire Station at 2300 Placentia Ave.

$6 Mil Budget Surplus for Costa Mesa

Costa Mesa finishes 2013-14 fiscal year with at least a $6 million budget surplus

Costa Mesa’s General Fund finished the 2013-14 fiscal year with at least a $6 million surplus, according to the city’s preliminary audited numbers.

The surplus—which represents 5.5% of the General Fund budget—was achieved through a combination of higher-than-expected revenues and disciplined spending and financial management, allowing the city to finish in the black for the fourth consecutive year. Over the past four fiscal years, the city’s budget surpluses have added up to $19.4 million ($6 million for 2013-14; $7.1 million for 2012-13; $2.5 million for 2011-12; and $3.8 million for 2010-11).

“We are pleased to deliver to taxpayers another significant surplus,” said the City’s Chief Executive Officer Tom Hatch. “We look forward to discussing with the City Council and community how to incorporate the surplus into our future financial planning.”

Final audited numbers will be available in November when the city’s Comprehensive Annual Financial Report (CAFR) is completed.

OC Airport Commission Meets Tonight in Costa Mesa

Airport Commission to discuss John Wayne Airport Settlement Agreement and Environmental Impact Report

 

The Orange County Airport Commission will meet Sept. 17 to discuss the extension and amendment to the 1985 John Wayne Airport Settlement Agreement. The meeting begins at 5 p.m. in the Airport Commission Hearing Room at 3160 Airway Avenue, Costa Mesa.

The Airport Commission will discuss the Environmental Impact Report (EIR), which includes the terms of the proposed project; alternatives; impacts such as noise, air quality, utilities and transportation; and feedback received from the public regarding the draft EIR. 

Final recommendations made by the Airport Commission will be considered by the Orange County Board of Supervisors on Sept. 30 at the Hall of Administration, 33 West Santa Ana Boulevard, Santa Ana.

For more information about the Settlement Agreement and upcoming meetings or to view the commission agenda, visit John Wayne Airport’s website at http://www.ocair.com/communityrelations/settlementagreement/.

Costa Mesa Challenges Appeals Court

Costa Mesa files amicus brief with U.S. Supreme Court on group homes ordinance

Costa Mesa and four other Southern California cities have submitted an amicus brief asking the U.S. Supreme Court to review an appeals court decision that declared Newport Beach’s group-homes ordinance unconstitutional.

The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled earlier this year that while the Newport Beach had enacted a facially neutral zoning ordinance to regulate group homes, the law was unconstitutional because of purported discriminatory statements made by individual council members and the public during its adoption.

The amicus brief states in its summary:

“The Ninth Circuit’s decision overturns decades of deference to local land use decisions that are facially-neutral and are supported by findings that evidence a rational basis for the regulation, and abrogates a city’s ability to regulate land uses where an individual legislator makes potentially improper statements that have not been recited or adopted by the legislative body as a whole. The Ninth Circuit applies a level of scrutiny reserved for racial discrimination, fundamental rights and suspect classifications to land use decisions involving sober living facilities. This heightened standard of review thwarts a city’s ability to adopt and enforce ordinances aimed at protecting public health, safety and welfare, the so-called “social or economic legislation,” and is in conflict with the rational basis standard applied in other circuits.”

In a May 6 e-mail to Costa Mesa City CEO Tom Hatch, Newport Beach City Manager Dave Kiff said legal experts estimated that likelihood that the Supreme Court would take up the case was 20 to 25%, and that amicus—or “friends of the court”—briefs from other institutions and individuals would help maximize those chances.

Bradbury, Claremont, Laguna Beach and San Clemente joined with Costa Mesa to file the brief.

“Briefs carry a lot of weight with the Court, and are especially valuable in demonstrating that an issue presented for review transcends the parties to the case,” Kiff wrote.

The City of Costa Mesa paid $10,000 to be one of the amici cities. You can read the amicus brief here.

West Nile in Costa Mesa

West Nile virus update and contact information; here are precautions you can take

Residents who encounter biting mosquitoes; dead birds; and standing water such as abandoned swimming pools, ponds, and fountains are advised to contact the Orange County Vector Control District immediately.
To contact the Orange County Vector Control District, call (714) 971-2421 or (949) 654-2421, Monday through Thursday from 7 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and Friday from 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.  Online reports can also be made on their website.
To report suspect or confirmed human cases of West Nile, contact Orange County Epidemiology at (714) 834-8180.
 
The number of West Nile virus cases is increasing, and the Orange County Vector Control District has issued a public health advisory. West Nile virus -- a blood-borne disease transmitted to humans by mosquito bite – has been found in 94 humans countywide and four in Costa Mesa as of Sept. 6. Tests in over 200 dead birds and mosquito samples have also shown positive cases of West Nile.
Approximately 80 percent of people who contract West Nile virus do not show symptoms. However, 20 percent of infections will advance to West Nile fever and may display flu-like symptoms such as fever, headache, nausea, and rash.
Residents are encouraged to help reduce the number of breeding mosquitoes in the community by dumping or draining any standing water on properties. Additionally, the following precautions are recommended to protect residents and their families from being bit or creating breeding areas for mosquitoes:

• Drain pots, unclog gutters, and keep swimming pools clean and chlorinated or drained and covered.
• Repair door and window screens to ensure there are no holes for mosquitoes to enter through.
• When outdoors, use an insect repellent containing DEET, oil of lemon eucalyptus, picaridin, or IR3535.
• Avoid spending time outdoors at dawn or dusk when mosquitoes are most prevalent.
• Report locations of biting mosquitoes; dead birds; and abandoned swimming pools, ponds, and fountains to the Vector Control District.

Costa Mesa Captures National Award

City emergency preparedness program captures national award

The City of Costa Mesa has won a national award for an extensive earthquake preparedness drill it conducted last year in a local park.

Costa Mesa’s Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) received an Honorable Mention Award from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) for its Brentwood Neighborhood Exercise. The drill featured 55 trained CERT volunteers who practiced:

• Performing search-and-rescue operations;
• Providing medical aid;
• Accessing damage;
• Setting up areas for family reunification and pet rehabilitation.

Twenty-six households participated in the nearly six-hour drill.

“Our collective group of fire, police, and community CERT members is incredible,” said Fire Chief Dan Stefano. “Congratulations to all involved.”

According to recent FEMA research, nearly 70 percent of Americans have not participated in a preparedness drill or exercise, aside from a fire drill, at their workplace, school or home in the past two years.

“Strong emergency management requires teamwork, community engagement, innovation, and strong relationships at all levels before disasters occur,” said FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate in announcing his agency’s 2014 Individual and Community Preparedness Awards. “This year, we recognize individuals and organizations that exemplify this approach, and I congratulate them on their dedication to make our nation stronger and safer.”

Costa Mesa & Marine Wives Need Your Help

Wanted: A few, good formal dresses for wives of city's adopted Marines

The City of Costa Mesa and the Costa Mesa Military Affairs team are seeking donations of new or lightly used prom dresses, ball gowns, cocktail dresses and accessories for the spouses of 1st Battalion, 5th Marines (1/5), the infantry battalion that the city has adopted.

The dresses will be wore at the annual Marine Ball, which will take place in November and celebrates the anniversary of the Marines Corps' founding.

The collection point for the dresses will be the footlocker in the lobby of City Hall at 77 Fair Drive. Donations will be accepted now through Sept. 18. 

For further information, please contact Dan Baker at (714) 754-5156.