Costa Mesa council approves Fairview Park Mesa restoration contract, labor MOUs and nitrous-oxide ban; adopts legislative platform after debate

The Costa Mesa City Council on Tuesday, Sept. 16, approved a package of actions including a professional services agreement to begin restoration work on the Fairview Park Mesa, adopted updated labor agreements for police and fire units, approved an ordinance prohibiting the sale and distribution of nitrous oxide, and adopted a revised legislative platform that city staff will use to pursue grants and state or federal advocacy.

The measures matter to residents because the Fairview Park project restores and protects sensitive habitat and archaeological resources and is tied to federal and county mitigation funding; the labor agreements affect staffing and compensation for public-safety personnel; and the legislative platform guides what issues the city will prioritize with state and federal partners.

Council approved the Fairview Park Mesa package after a lengthy staff presentation and public comment from tribal leaders, restoration advocates and neighborhood groups urging the city to move forward. The council action authorizes an addendum to a 1997 environmental clearance, awards a multi-year professional services agreement to Endemic Environmental Services Inc. to implement restoration and habitat work on the Mesa, and authorizes a standard contingency and execution authority for the city manager.

City staff said the Mesa restoration phase covers roughly a 15.3-acre project area on the park's plateau, focuses on restoring native plant communities (coastal sage scrub and native facelia fields), and will protect the Orra 58 archaeological site and nearby vernal-pool habitat. The project is funded in part by Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA) mitigation funds and a state allocation secured through a legislative office; staff cited an OCTA award and a later state funding allocation in the presentation.

Shannon Wingfield, tribal council member of the Wannano Band of Mission Indians (Hoshoma Nation), told council: "The tribe stands with the Coastal Corridor Alliance in urging you to uphold the city's commitments for Fairview Park Mesa's restoration project." Multiple other speakers, including local conservation groups and OCTA representatives, urged council to approve the contract to avoid losing grant funds and to complete mitigation commitments long overdue.

City staff…