[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6606819,"mediaKeyId","2958235-b6cf35fd8d7bc12c97ab4a8b327b7565","parentId",2958235,"title","Commission reviews $28.7M parks capital-improvement program, urges $250,000 for Westside park development","audioSeconds",5571,"startMs",6428000,"endMs",11999000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2958235-b6cf35fd8d7bc12c97ab4a8b327b7565&start=6428&end=11999","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2958235-b6cf35fd8d7bc12c97ab4a8b327b7565/thumbnail_6428000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6606819/Costa-Mesa/Orange-County/California/Commission-reviews-287M-parks-capital-improvement-program-urges-250000-for-Westside-park-development","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6606819-3a8b2026e3baea96e96c3c493f9fccfd/orig.mp4?Expires=1775105605&Signature=f--XuIuCv2jr2Mc3PCpzbIQmVG3UVCldgSnratFNU52Y6fYMoNY6RTNn5uGdvqGuATiTb090kSrbMqFFrzU332SqEaceOiPS7E35lO0e9PXJDmzsrQfhs560OoCHz8yXSeMcHPRwoCiCfOon1RQ0WpG4DaW~hlSsojqbOrDlasc~eIeE8fKiafwSCkR7JD1F6q0ZAcXHe2-BTt30fahSe1mznBKsNOI-uXiR2Cj5YfPrt0OAnQH7PVRIU~GdhaQHq64wfqiWwIWUSeqTCS4KiZkuO78yyUw6YhafKRN1QnlOJBURxe~dtdVuo3OlkI61oVEyL3J9C5X7TglF06iB2A__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Costa Mesa","date","2025-04-11T04:54:51.867Z","article","The Parks and Community Services Commission on April 10 reviewed the parks elements of the proposed 2025–26 Capital Improvement Program (CIP) and the city’s five‑year CIP plan, and voted 7‑0 to recommend that City Council add $250,000 to the Westside Park development fund.

City staff presented an overview of the CIP process and funding sources, and said the full draft CIP totals roughly $28.7 million. Staff explained that approximately $12 million of that total is proposed bond financing (for a separate fire station project) and about $6.9 million is grant funding for transportation projects; the remaining amounts are a mix of gas tax, general fund and other restricted sources. Staff said the parks portion of the one‑year CIP (2025–26) is relatively modest — roughly $550,000 in park projects — reflecting limited discretionary funding in the coming year and many projects already in permitting and design phases.

Staff reviewed near‑term project schedules: Ketchum (permits, construction expected late summer), Lions Park (café nearing completion), Shalimar Park (construction expected in September after acquisition activity), skate‑park design (bid in July with hoped construction start in October), and improvements such as batting cages at TeWinkle and Lehi Community Center air conditioning. Staff also said a citywide park assessment and a Fairview Park master-plan technical report will be underway; those studies will inform future CIP prioritization.

Members of the public and several commissioners raised specific concerns: a public commenter urged moving earlier the repair/replacement of lighting along Cornerstone/Joanne bike trails because theft and vandalism have left key lights offline; commissioners noted deferred playground replacements (e.g., Harbor View/Marina View and Harper Park) and asked how long items have been deferred. Staff said some playgrounds had been deferred roughly two years while the city focused on other large projects and noted limited grant sources for playground equipment replacement.

Commission discussion focused on priorities and equity: several commissioners argued that neighborhoods lacking nearby parks — especially the West Side — should receive prioritized funding and that the commission should recommend targeted allocations or a dedicated fund for Westside park development. Commissioner Dorn Parker moved, and the commission seconded, a recommendation to add $250,000 to the Westside Park fund to begin acquisition and planning; the motion passed 7‑0. Staff noted there is already an existing allocation in that project and the $250,000 would add to the fund.

Ending: Staff will include the commission’s recommendation when the CIP goes to council for review; the full budget calendar anticipates council review in April and final budget adoption in June.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Costa Mesa Parks and Community Services Commission Meeting April 10, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","Staff presented the parks component of the city’s proposed 2025–26 capital improvement program and a five‑year plan; commissioners heard project updates and deferred-item concerns, then voted 7‑0 to recommend city council add $250,000 to the Westside Park development fund to begin planning and acquisition efforts.","taxTitle","Costa Mesa, Orange County, California","taxId",3682,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6606823,"Parks commission approves memorial bench, plaque and Southern magnolia at TeWinkle Park; arborist condition added",3289,3258000,6547000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2958235-b6cf35fd8d7bc12c97ab4a8b327b7565&start=3258&end=6547","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2958235-b6cf35fd8d7bc12c97ab4a8b327b7565/thumbnail_3258000.jpg","/articles/6606823/Costa-Mesa/Orange-County/California/Parks-commission-approves-memorial-bench-plaque-and-Southern-magnolia-at-TeWinkle-Park-arborist-condition-added","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6606823-4eccfd9fd548957112a07ec6d5f8f71a/orig.mp4?Expires=1775105605&Signature=PoIJ6qDsddY52mLOqo5bul3VhLRK2VhIDh3ziEux1UAda0tgARI190qCMwHLe9M8X-nFcNtq9HTrY7F16fhFpuy~4bp-Q4oymOlULU0WG6nAwZrovq9Y483Ho6qMLSdQBZmRnT6tyo5hIUmdXJFAlIj8sygJuPqiLLpW1A3oNh74ywfgRnSpI2xM9UqqzUxGP8GgyJ6ORhrtyC80CCEwxJLApE5yI8HpgbvycERuClkPY2a1mk39xXFr~94yQQW6bgvEIvF4pJNI~FyZi4vFjGKEfEw~nTFcVudkywwsNS1LFLN6FURAj4uLk5N8U8sqoJFXZhIO0HXkWRT2U3ssyg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Parks and Community Services Commission on April 10 voted 7‑0 to approve a donor-funded memorial bench, plaque and Southern magnolia tree to be installed at TeWinkle Park in memory of Sierra D’Alessandro.

The donation request — submitted by Mike and Carol D’Alessandro and reviewed under the council policy governing park donations — covers the cost of the tree, the memorial bench and the plaque. City staff said the bench design will match existing park furniture and the plaque will be installed in the concrete base in front of the bench. The family chose a Southern magnolia (described by staff as an evergreen shade tree with fragrant white summer blooms) for the site overlooking the upper West-side fill pond near a pedestrian bridge at the park.

Staff told the commission that donors pay for the donated items and the city supplies labor for installation; maintenance and long-term care remain the city’s responsibility. Staff also said the city recently instituted a small tree-care program with West Coast Arborists to monitor and care for newly planted trees, and that, if a donated tree fails, the city will replace it at no cost to the donor.

During the meeting commissioners asked about long-term tree care and whether families could help with simple tasks such as clearing weeds near the base. Staff replied that a maintenance contractor handles tree care and plaque upkeep and that the city’s contractor will address problems. A resident who identified herself as a family member spoke in support of the donation and described Sierra’s ties to Costa Mesa: Sierra had been a local resident, an Estancia High School graduate, an early employee of the city’s parks department and later a teacher.

Before the approval the commission added a condition requiring a certified arborist to be present for planting and to brief the family on proper planting technique; that condition was included in the motion. The final vote carried 7‑0.

Ending: Staff will coordinate installation and notify the family of the planting date; the city will assume long‑term maintenance and replace the tree if it fails.","The commission approved a donor-funded tree, bench and plaque in memory of Sierra D'Alessandro to be installed at TeWinkle Park, with the city to install and maintain the planting; commissioners added a condition that a certified arborist be present at planting. Vote: 7‑0.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6606828,"Costa Mesa senior-center staff present model for delivering social services at statewide conference",604,595000,1199000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2958235-b6cf35fd8d7bc12c97ab4a8b327b7565&start=595&end=1199","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2958235-b6cf35fd8d7bc12c97ab4a8b327b7565/thumbnail_595000.jpg","/articles/6606828/Costa-Mesa/Orange-County/California/Costa-Mesa-senior-center-staff-present-model-for-delivering-social-services-at-statewide-conference","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6606828-85fd9ff01543a9f0deadfb69ad04cbe7/orig.mp4?Expires=1775105605&Signature=T1EFnZqGAivYXloU9M9tNa692eFPyuB~uy~BpgyzlBXPPzazwgcgaXvilOk6iRYhRrS5G6jfCfxb80Ag7wCEhJgvUAuLG8JEfF48tEcGrfeh4BZ4gLj0Up6OpN60hK-rCvm773xmsKNJTUBGwx2uS-uuymNuEFfg5lw-mnOew8Vmf1YcyWkMm6IsqKXVDGXqnBbG9qi5BjFKnV8e7ICAl4guABglWCeYNDeaMBgStBQVGsPBH3klVong0iIOmEYFjnpxE7Pjua4ysK7VzHIS7r3OCsD3vCdY8aoXTW65XQDw5tuHl2iK8JoBYK5UejciQ2KlFr6uBNC9REwOCIOSmw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Costa Mesa Senior Center staff told the Parks and Community Services Commission on April 10 that they presented a model for delivering social-service supports through senior centers at the 2025 California Parks and Recreation Society (CPRS) conference in Sacramento.

The presentation, titled “Bridging the gap of social services in aging services,” described a four-part approach: (1) define the scope of social-service support for a given senior center; (2) build partnerships with community providers; (3) identify and pursue funding sources (including nonprofit grants and Community Development Block Grant funds); and (4) create protocols for wellness checks and elder-abuse referrals. Staff said they provided intake forms, sample partnership packets and USB drives with resources for other cities to take back to local legal and administrative review.

The presentation team included a recreation coordinator and a licensed clinical social worker from the Costa Mesa Senior Center. Staff said their 60‑minute CPRS session had about 80 attendees, of whom three reported they had social workers embedded at their senior centers. In a live problem-solving portion, staff walked conference attendees through a typical intake — identifying preferred language, determining housing needs and connecting people to transportation or legal-help resources — and spent roughly 20 minutes on that casework exercise.

Commissioners asked how the senior center trains front-line staff and volunteers to handle social-service requests. The speaker said the center uses regular staff meetings to update staff about recurring issues, provides a staff/volunteer guide that lists common issues and referral resources, and makes the licensed social worker available for one‑on‑one client assessments when cases become complex. Staff said the senior center’s social-service work is partly funded through the city’s Community Development Block Grant allocation and by city support; the center also partners with outside agencies such as Orange County Transportation Authority for transportation options and with a community legal-aid provider that offers monthly pro bono consultations.

Commissioners and staff noted recurring needs they see locally: transportation assistance for seniors who cannot drive or do not feel comfortable parking at hospitals, legal advice for estate or housing issues, and mental-health supports for seniors still experiencing loss and isolation following the pandemic. Commissioners also asked about scaling the “train‑the‑trainer” element of the CPRS session; staff said attendees told them they wanted longer, more in‑depth trainings and the ready-to-use materials the Costa Mesa team provided.

Commissioners praised the senior-center team and asked staff to brief the commission when the center’s intake tools or training guides are finalized so commissioners could help promote the approach to other neighborhoods and to potential funders.

Ending: Staff said they would bring more program updates in future meetings, including additional briefings from aquatic and teen program staff. For more information about the senior center’s social-service offering, staff provided the center’s phone number at the meeting.","Senior center staff described a four-part framework they presented at the 2025 California Parks and Recreation Society conference for providing social-service supports through senior centers, including intake forms, community partnerships and funding strategies; commissioners asked about staff training, funding and referrals.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Commission reviews $28.7M parks capital-improvement program, urges $250,000 for Westside park development

Parks commission approves memorial bench, plaque and Southern magnolia at TeWinkle Park; arborist condition added

Costa Mesa senior-center staff present model for delivering social services at statewide conference