The Costa Mesa Parks and Community Services Commission voted 6‑0 on Oct. 9 to approve staff’s proposed park capital‑improvement values and a draft scoring rubric intended to help prioritize projects in the city’s capital improvement program (CIP).

The rubric defines five core values—community‑centered planning and engagement; equity and access; sustainability; safety and maintenance; and creativity and innovation—and suggests measurable indicators and weighting as a way to compare projects. The commission treated the matrix as a working document staff will refine with real projects.

Why this matters: the rubric is intended to give commissioners and staff a consistent, transparent way to prioritize competing capital projects for parks and recreation funding. Commissioners said they expect to apply and test the rubric on upcoming CIP proposals and to revise it based on experience.

Commission discussion and concerns: Vice Chair Wright said, “I think this is totally adequate for me,” while other commissioners urged that the rubric remain a living tool. One commissioner expressed concern that some core values—particularly community‑centered planning and equity—feel foundational and should not be reduced to a simple point weight. Director Gruner and staff said the rubric was designed to be revised after initial use and to allow the commission to adjust weighting by project type.

Decision and implementation: the commission’s motion to adopt the guideline and working rubric carried 6‑0. Staff said they plan to apply the tool when the CIP list for the coming year is brought forward (expected in the winter), and to present results and suggested edits to the commission after the rubric has been used on actual project proposals.