Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Parks Ketchum Leibold topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
City awards $2.5 million Ketchum‑Leibold Park expansion contract; work to start this winter
Summary
The council approved a public‑works agreement to expand and upgrade Ketchum‑Leibold Park on Maple Street, awarding the project to Elegant Construction and authorizing staff to proceed with contracting after confirming available matching funds and a Prop 68 grant.
The Costa Mesa City Council voted Tuesday to award a construction contract for improvements at Ketchum‑Leibold Park, the small neighborhood park at 2150 Maple Street named for fallen Costa Mesa police officers James “Dave” Ketchum and John Leibold.
City staff presented a community‑driven concept that adds playground upgrades, improved lighting and seating, turf and circulation improvements and other amenities. City Engineer Sun Yang reviewed the outreach and design process and the draft budget. "Ketchum Leibold Park was constructed back in 2005 and is located at 2150 Maple Street," Yang told the council during the presentation, summarizing the site and the consultant process.
Funding and contract
The council authorized a public‑works agreement with Elegant Construction in a contract amount of approximately $2.5 million. The project will be paid with $1.2 million in state funding secured through an assemblymember allocation, $1.0 million from the city’s capital improvement fund, roughly $250,000 from a Prop 68 per‑capita grant, and a small contribution from the park development fee fund; staff said remaining budget needs will be filled by savings from recent completed projects and a minor city budget appropriation.
The contract award passed by vote after a seconding motion. Public Works Director Sethuraman told the council that the city has already secured the bulk of the funding and that the schedule anticipates a construction start this winter and completion in summer 2026.
Why it matters
The Ketchum‑Leibold upgrades are part of the city’s ongoing effort to improve neighborhood parks and recreational opportunities close to where residents live. Council members praised the outreach process and noted the park’s role in a broader effort to reimagine parts of Victoria Street.
Speakers
- Sun Yang, City Engineer (staff) - Sethuraman (Public Works Director) - Mayor Pro Tem Manuel Chavez
Authorities cited
- California Environmental Quality Act categorical exemption (staff recommended) — referenced by staff
Action
- Kind: contract_award - identifiers: {"project_slug":"ketchum-leibold-park-expansion","contract_number":"not specified"} - motion: "Authorize city manager to execute a public works agreement with Elegant Construction to construct the Ketchum‑Leibold Park expansion and improvements project, and find the project categorically exempt under CEQA." - mover: Manuel Chavez - second: Andrea Marr - vote_record: [{"member":"Manuel Chavez","vote":"yes"},{"member":"Andrea Marr","vote":"yes"},{"member":"Arliss Reynolds","vote":"yes"},{"member":"Mike Beaulieu","vote":"yes"},{"member":"Mayor Stevens","vote":"yes"}] - tally: {"yes":5,"no":0,"abstain":0} - outcome: "approved" - notes: "Construction anticipated to begin winter 2025 with completion in summer 2026; funding assembled from state allocation, CIP, Prop 68 per‑capita grant, park fees and project savings."
Clarifying details
- Contract award amount: approximately $2,500,000 (elegant construction bid) - Funding: $1.2M state allocation, $1.0M CIP, ~$250k Prop 68 per‑capita grant, ~$50k Park Development Fees, remaining to be funded by project savings/budget appropriation - Schedule: construction start winter 2025; completion anticipated summer 2026
Proper names
[{"name":"Ketchum‑Leibold Park","type":"facility"},{"name":"Elegant Construction","type":"business"},{"name":"Prop 68 per‑capita grant","type":"grant"}]
Topics
[{"name":"parks_and_recreation","justification":"Park upgrades and neighborhood amenities were the central subject","scoring":{"topic_relevance":0.96,"depth_score":0.65,"opinionatedness":0.05,"controversy":0.10,"civic_salience":0.60,"impactfulness":0.40,"geo_relevance":1.00}}]
Provenance
{"transcript_segments":[{"block_id":"18494.459","local_start":0,"local_end":120,"evidence_excerpt":"Good evening, Mr. Mayor and Mayor Pro Tem and honorable members of the city council. My name is Sun Yang, and I'm your city engineer... Ketchum Leibold Park was constructed back in 2005 and is located at 2150 Maple Street.","global_start":18494,"global_end":18500,"reason_code":"topicintro"},{"block_id":"18896.234","local_start":0,"local_end":40,"evidence_excerpt":"Motion carries five-zero.","global_start":18896,"global_end":18897,"reason_code":"topicfinish"}]},
