Minutes - City/Districts Liaison - 2026-01-23COSTA MESA
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COSTA MESA SANITARY DISTRICT
MINUTES OF THE CITY/DISTRICTS LIASION COMMITTEE MEETING
January 23, 2026
Members present:
City of Costa Mesa (City)
John Stephens, Mayor
Mike Buley, Council Member
Cecilia Gallardo-Daly, City Manager
Brian Gruner, Parks & Community Services Director
Patrick Bauer, Deputy Public Works Director
Broc Coward, Community Relations Manager
Costa Mesa Sanitary District (CMSD)
Mike Scheafer, Board President
Bob Ooten, Board Vice President
Art Perry, Board Secretary
Shayanne Wright, Board Member
Scott Carroll, General Manager
Mark Esquer, District Engineer
Mesa Water District (Mesa Water)
Fred Bockmiller, Board Director
Jim Atkinson, Board Director
Paul Sh oen berger, General Manager
Dawn Jordan -Romero, Public Affairs Specialist
Newport -Mesa Unified School District (NMUSD)
Michelle Murphy, Board Vice President
Krista Weigand, Board Member
Dr. Wesley Smith, Superintendent
Dr. Kerrie Torres, Superintendent
Jeff Dixon, Chief Business Official
Lance Bidnick, Director of Maintenance & Operations
Shelley Humphrey, Director of Transportation
Lisa Snowden, Coordinator, Work -based Learning
Others present:
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Noelani Middenway, CMSD District Clerk & Public Information Officer
Gina Terraneo, CMSD Senior Management Analyst
Michael Tou, CMSD resident & Citizens Advisory Committee Vice Chair
Kevin Gaxiola, City Senior Management Analyst
Melinda Dacey, City Principal Planner
Paul Martin, City Transportation Services Manager
Stephanie Hiser, CMSD resident
Jen n Tanaka, Costa Mesa Alliance for Better Streets
David Martinez, Costa Mesa Alliance for Better Streets
Mark Vukcevich, Costa Mesa Alliance for Better Streets
A. Committee Members
See list of members above.
B. Opening Items
1. Call to Order (President Scheafer - CMSD)
CMSD Board President Scheafer called the meeting to order at 8:10 a.m.
2. Roundtable Introductions
CMSD Board President Scheafer invited each attendee to introduce themselves.
3. Public Comments
CMSD Board President Scheafer opened public comments.
Mayor John Stephens invited everyone to a retirement event for Fire Chief Dan
Stefano.
Hearing no one else wishing to speak, CMSD Board President Scheafer closed public
comments.
C. Discussion Items
1. Fairview Road (Newport Boulevard to Fair Drive) Construction Status
Update (City)
City Transportation Services Manager, Paul Martin, provided a presentation about
Fairview Road improvements, including paving, new landscaping, and a new
pedestrian crossing. He noted that construction is anticipated to finish in May.
Discussion followed regarding whether trees will be included in the new landscaping
and additional improvements in nearby areas.
2. Fair Drive (Harbor Boulevard to Newport Boulevard) Secured Grant for
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Design (City)
Mr. Martin continued with a presentation about Fair Drive mobility improvements. He
noted that the City received a federal grant for this project, which will include
enhancement of bikeways, evaluation of pedestrian crossings, improvements to transit
stops, and evaluation of new landscaped medians. He noted that construction will
likely start in one year.
Discussion followed regarding the impact on the Fairview Developmental Center
property.
Mayor Stephens provided an update regarding the Fairview Developmental Center
project.
Additional discussion followed regarding crosswalk improvements.
CMSD Board President Scheafer opened public comments.
Jenn Tanaka of the Costa Mesa Alliance for Better Streets thanked the City for their
Fair Drive improvements and commented regarding the historical discussion about the
need for determining where students living in the Fairview Development Center
property will go to school.
3. Ready Together Emergency Preparedness for Community Safety (NMUSD)
NMUSD Coordinator, Lisa Snowden, provided a presentation about the Ready
Together program for community and student emergency preparedness.
4. Potential Bike Ban and Implications for the city (NMUSD)
NMUSD Board Trustee, Krista Weigand, provided an update regarding a -bike safety
on school campuses. She noted that the Board will discuss creating a policy and
requested supportfrom the Cityto ensurethe policy iscompliantwith municipal codes.
Mr. Martin offered to support policy development and assist with coordination.
Discussion followed regarding the nature of the policy discussion, the timeline, and the
dangers associated with e-bikes.
CMSD Board President Scheafer opened public comments.
David Martinez of the Costa Mesa Alliance for Better Streets commented in opposition
of the proposed policyand its potential impact on restricting student transportation. He
indicated supportforthe issue being handled atthe State level and noted proposed
bills that would better define a -bikes and regulate their use.
Mark Vukcevich of the Costa Mesa Alliance for Better Streets commented in
opposition of the proposed policy and expressed concern about the lack of attention to
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the differences between a -bikes and other vehicles. He cited a report that offers
evidence -based recommen dation s about h ow to regulate a -bikes and commented that
itwould be inappropriate to issue a ban on all e-bikes. Lastly, he offered his
organization as a resource to help guide discussion on this topic.
Ms. Tanaka commented about a -bike safety from a parent's perspective and
expressed concern that no evidence was discussed about why parents adopt a -bikes
as a mode of transportation for their kids. She recommended studying the trade-offs
that the policy would result in and taking more time to look at how other cities have
addressed the issue.
NMUSD Board Trustee Weigand responded by sharing that NMUSD has been
studying the issue since 2021 and is considering evidence and inputfrom community
groups. She noted thatthere was a death on one of their campuses, which has fueled
the urge for policy action, and she commented that it is sometimes appropriate to
move forward without delay.
CMSD Board Director Shayanne Write recommended that the City and NMUSD
schedule a joint meeting and formally assign the issue to the City's Transportation
Committee.
5. Draft EIR for Fairview Development Center Specific Plan (CMSD)
City Manager Cecilia Gallardo-Daly provided an update about the draft Environmental
Impact Report (EIR) for the Fairview Developmental Center and the planning that goes
into it.
City Principal Planner Melinda Dacey noted that staff is in the process of drafting the
EIR currently and it will be released to the public in March.
Discussion followed regarding affordable housing requirements, which agency will be
responsible for public right-of-way on the development, and the value of agency
coordination when dealing with the State.
6. Orange County Waste & Recycling (OCWR) Waste Disposal Agreement
(CMSD)
CMSD General Manager Scott Carroll presented about increases in waste disposal
fees due to an updated OCWR Waste Disposal Agreement called the Waste
Infrastructure System Enhancement (WISE) agreement. He noted that increases were
originally proposed to go up by 92% in the next five years, but the jurisdictions are
currently negotiating the fees to lessen the impact. Lastly, he shared the proposed
rates and the timeline for upcoming public meetings when they will be discussed.
Discussion followed regarding affordability issues.
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7. Mesa Water Education Center (Mesa Water)
Mesa Water General Manager Paul Shoenberger discussed the new Mesa Water
Education Center.
Mesa Water Public Affairs Specialist Dawn Jordan -Romero introduced herself and
presented about the Center and highlights of its launch and tours. She noted that field
trips are free and she discussed the curriculum used for its development.
D. Adjournment - The next Liaison Committee Meeting will be held on April 24,
2026, to be hosted by NMUSD
CMSD Board Vice President Ooten shared that Orange County Sanitation District has a
free citizens academy.
CMSD Board President Scheafer adjourned the meeting at 9:42 a.m.
Arth u r Perry, Secretary
r
Michael Scheafer, 4esident
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