Council awards Lions Park Cafe contract to Neat Coffee, approves revenue share with library
Get AI-powered insights, summaries, and transcripts
Sign Up Free
Summary
Costa Mesa council unanimously awarded the operating agreement for the new Lions Park Cafe to Neat Coffee, authorizing staff to finalize terms and direct 50% of net city revenues to Orange County Public Library maintenance as set out in the MOU with the county.
Costa Mesa — The City Council unanimously approved an operating agreement Tuesday to place a locally owned vendor, Neat Coffee, in the new Lions Park cafe kiosk at 1845 Park Avenue.
Parks and Community Services Director presented the procurement: two proposals were received following outreach to more than 25 local vendors; scoring by a panel found Neat Coffee the highest ranked based on qualifications, approach and community orientation. The 1,100‑square‑foot kiosk was funded jointly by Supervisor Katrina Foley ($1.2 million) and the city’s capital improvement program ($1.1 million).
Under the draft operating agreement the vendor will operate daily and offer community‑oriented pricing and discounts for library patrons and seniors. The county’s funding is tied to a 50/50 revenue‑share arrangement — 50% of net city revenues will be allocated to maintenance of the Donald Dungan and Mesa Verde libraries per the existing Memorandum of Understanding with Orange County Public Libraries.
Councilmember Andrea Marr moved to approve the staff recommendation with two modifications: waive special event permit fees for the vendor when activating Lions Park and allow flexibility in event hours coordinated with city staff. Councilmember Jeff Pettis seconded. Council members praised the vendor’s community‑focused proposal and the county partnership; the motion carried 6‑0.
Staff said final agreement terms will be negotiated with the vendor, including capital improvement items the vendor requested; the city manager or her designee will execute the final contract within council‑authorized limits. Staff also committed to working with the vendor to activate the park with programming and to consider waiving fees for community events that the vendor helps host.
What’s next: Staff will finalize contract terms, negotiate capital improvements and execute the operating agreement. The vendor will coordinate with parks staff on event scheduling and activation plans.