Four Costa Mesa Council Members Prepare to Step Down in December

Four of the seven members of the Costa Mesa City Council will leave their seats in December, ending a shared tenure that began in 2018 for several of the outgoing officials. The turnover marks a major shift in the city's local governance structure as new candidates prepare to fill the vacancies.

The outgoing leaders gathered at the Hilton Orange County/Costa Mesa on Tuesday for the annual State of the City address. More than 200 residents attended the event, which Mayor John Stephens dedicated to the theme of reflecting on progress and shaping the future. Stephens chose to abandon his usual prepared remarks in favor of a live panel discussion with his colleagues. He told the crowd that the format was completely unplanned and unpredictable, noting that he had no idea what his peers would say.

The panel included Mayor Pro Tem Manuel Chavez, Councilmembers Andrea Marr and Arlis Reynolds, and Police Chief Joyce LaPointe. Interim Fire Chief Jason Pyle, public works director Raja Sethuraman, and Nate Robbins, who leads the city's homelessness response, also took the stage. Tom Johnson, publisher of the Stu News, moderated the conversation.

The group reviewed the challenges they faced since 2018, beginning with the early days of the pandemic. They discussed the city's efforts to house infected cruise ship passengers at Fairview Development Center. Marr described the period as a trial by fire that forced the city to collaborate with community partners and businesses in new ways.

The conversation then turned to the homelessness crisis that prompted a countywide lawsuit in 2019. Reynolds recalled knocking on doors in his 5th District alongside then-Mayor Katrina Foley to gather feedback on a temporary bridge shelter plan. The city opened a permanent shelter in 2021. Robbins reported that the shelter has since housed approximately 530 residents. He also noted that the city launched a street medicine program with CalOptima and hosts two of the five Project Homekey permanent supportive housing developments in Orange County.

Chavez spoke about his experience as a person of color growing up in the city and his initial reluctance to interact with law enforcement. He credited Chief LaPointe with improving connections between youth and previously disenfranchised residents. Chavez said the police department genuinely believes in community policing and views a lack of safety in calling for help as an issue for the entire community.

The discussion also covered street and park improvements, housing developments following Measure K, and general public safety. Stephens concluded the event by emphasizing collaboration as a core value of Costa Mesa. He thanked the audience for their partnership, stating that the work done by city employees and elected officials is only one part of the city's identity.