Resilience OC urges transparency in Costa Mesa city manager search as council recesses to closed session

At its June 3, 2025 meeting, the Costa Mesa City Council heard a public comment urging a transparent process for selecting a permanent city manager and then recessed to closed session to discuss two personnel appointments and potential litigation, the City Clerk said.

Roberto, a representative of Resilience Orange County, told the council he supported the previous city manager and asked for an open selection process. “I just wanted to call and, you know, just continue to share my support for the previous city manager. I think, you know, it's unfortunate that she was let go,” he said. Roberto said the group's work has focused on uplifting the needs of the Latino community and that the next city manager should be “approachable” and “responsive to the needs of the Latino community.” He praised the interim city manager, Cecilia, and asked the council to involve the community in choosing a permanent replacement.

After public comment, the City Clerk read three closed‑session agenda items: a public‑employee appointment under California Government Code section 54957(b)(1) for an interim city manager; a public‑employee appointment under the same code section for a city manager; and a conference with legal counsel regarding potential litigation, two cases, under California Government Code section 54956.9. The council then recessed to the community room for the closed session; no public vote or final action on those items is recorded in the public portion of the transcript.

The public comment and the listed closed‑session items underscore community interest in how the city fills its top administrative post and the use of closed sessions for personnel and litigation matters. The transcript shows one public speaker on the item and indicates Council Member Reynolds was absent at roll call. The clerk's reading of the agenda items is the only public record in the transcript of what the closed session would consider.