Costa Mesa City Council Meeting - May 20, 2025 - CDBG Grant Recommendations Talking Points Good evening, Council. My name is Andrea Schmidt, and I serve on the Housing and Public Service Grants Committee.
Our
committee
convened
in
March
to
evaluate
applications
from
seven
organizations
seeking
CDBG
funding
for
this
fiscal
year.
Before presenting our recommendations, I want to acknowledge the incredible work happening throughout Costa Mesa.
We
are
fortunate
to
have
so
many
dedicated
individuals
and
organizations
working
to
better
our
community
and
care
for
one
another.
I'm
here
to
present
our
committee's
funding
recommendations,
with
detailed
information
provided
in
Attachment
4 of
your
council
packet.
Let me begin by addressing the two organizations that receive automatic funding outside our recommendation process.
The
City
of
Costa
Mesa
Senior
Social
Services
program
is
automatically
granted
$30,000,
which
is
deducted
from
the
allowed
grant
funds,
and
the
Fair
Housing
Foundation
is
automatically
granted
$20,000
per
HUD
requirements,
which
is
paid
out
of
administrative
grant
funds.
Our committee's evaluation process was thorough and deliberate. Each committee member scored applications based
on
written
submissions
and
presentations,
with
opportunities
for
clarifying
questions.
To
maximize
our
limited
funding
of
approximately
$136k,
we
considered
several
key
factors:
the
overall
community
impact
each
organization
makes,
how
they
track
and
measure
success,
their
organizational
capacity,
and
alignment
with
the
Council's
strategic
goals
and
priorities.
We
asked
the
tough
questions
to
ensure
our
recommendations
would
stretch
these
limited
funds
as
far
as
possible.
During
our
deliberations
in
March,
we
were
unsure
what
the
total
Grant
amount
would
be,
so
we
based
our
recommendations
off
of
$100,000
and
agreed
that
if
the
allocation
was
more
than
that,
each
awarded
agency's
grant
would
be
increased
by
an
equal
percentage,
which
is
how
we
produced
the
numbers
I’ll
be
going
over
today.
Costa Mesa City Council Meeting - May 20, 2025 - CDBG Grant Recommendations Talking Points The two organizations that scored the highest are also the organizations we're recommending receive the largest funding
amounts.
First
is
Families
Forward,
an
affordable
housing
support
organization
serving
unhoused
Costa
Mesa
families
with
children.
We're
recommending
$26,522,
just
short
of
their
requested
$30,000.
This
funding
will
support
staff
salaries
and
services
for
50 residents,
with
33 of
those
being
Costa
Mesa
residents.
Over
recent
fiscal
years,
they
have
consistently
met
all
grant
requirements
and
exceeded
their
estimated
support
goals,
and
receive
our
highest
recommendation.
Next is Human Options, which provides second step transitional housing and support programs for survivors of domestic
violence.
We're
also
recommending
$26,522,
just
short
of
their
$30,000
request.
This
will
support
salaries
for
a
case
manager
and
supervisor
to
serve
seventy
residents
total,
with
fifty-eight
of
those
being
Costa
Mesa
residents.
This
incredibly
important
and
impactful
organization
also
comes
with
high
regards
and
recommendations
from
our
committee.
Moving to our other recommendations, we're suggesting $15,913 for Trellis International and their Labors of Love program,
which
organizes
manual
labor
projects
to
help
our
low-income
senior
neighbors.
This
is
just
over
half
of
their
thirty
thousand
dollar
request.
They
had
requested
funding
to
help
thirty
households,
and
while
it
was
a
difficult
decision
to
recommend
a
lower
grant
amount,
the
committee
felt
this
funding
could
still
have
significant
impact
in
helping
at
least
fifteen
homes.
We
recognize
that
the
City
of
Costa
Mesa
Senior
Social
Services
automatically
receives
thirty
thousand
dollars
to
support
an
estimated
two
hundred
sixty
residents,
and
in
trying
to
stretch
our
limited
funds
as
far
as
possible,
this
was
a
challenging
but
necessary
decision.
Next, I'll speak to Project Hope Alliance, an organization that supports case management for homeless Costa Mesa students.
Their
funds
provide
one-on-one
case
management
and
other
school-related
support,
as
well
as
assistance
with
basic
needs
like
food.
We're
recommending
twenty-one
thousand
two
hundred
nineteen
dollars,
Costa Mesa City Council Meeting - May 20, 2025 - CDBG Grant Recommendations Talking Points which would support program staff salaries for them to provide these services to roughly one hundred twenty-five Costa
Mesa
residents,
with
eighty-three
confirmed
Costa
Mesa
residents
to
be
directly
assisted.
Our final funding recommendation is fifteen thousand nine hundred thirteen dollars for the Assistance League of Newport
Mesa.
This
is
their
first
time
applying
for
CDBG
funds,
and
they
requested
thirty
thousand
dollars
to
purchase
approximately
six
hundred
pairs
of
shoes
for
low-income
students.
The
committee
felt
that
as
a
first-time
applicant,
we
want
to
encourage
new
organizations
to
apply
for
Costa
Mesa
public
service
grant
funds
while
also
recognizing
the
administrative
burden
that
reporting
on
grant
funds
requires.
With
this
in
mind,
we
felt
this
funding
amount
would
be
a
good
start
for
the
Assistance
League
to
become
acquainted
with
the
CDBG
process
while
making
an
impact
for
over
three
hundred
students.
The organization not receiving funding recommendation is StandUP for Kids OC. Their Road Map to Success youth mentoring
program
is
aimed
at
guiding
students
to
become
independent
post
high
school
graduation,
and
their
thirty
thousand
dollar
request
would
assist
twenty-five
Costa
Mesa
students.
While
this
was
a
difficult
decision
and
they
scored
well
in
our
evaluation,
the
committee
felt
that
the
funding
recommended
for
other
youth
service
organizations
would
stretch
our
dollars
further
and
have
a
larger
impact
in
the
community.
I want to thank you for your time and consideration today. I also want to express appreciation to all the organizations
who
invested
time
in
the
application
process
and
for
the
ongoing
work
they're
doing
in
our
communities.
These
recommendations
reflect
our
commitment
to
maximizing
impact
with
limited
resources
while
supporting
organizations
that
align
with
our
community's
strategic
priorities.
I'm
happy
to
answer
any
questions
about
our
committee's
recommendations.
Costa Mesa City Council Meeting - May 20, 2025 - CDBG Grant Recommendations Talking Points TOTAL: $136,089.00
Org Score Support Type Funding Rec Notes
Families Forward 88.8 Affordable Housing Support
$26,522.00
Human Options 84.83 Second Step Transitional Housing Program $26,522.00
City of Costa Mesa N/A Senior Social Services $30,000.00 Not Rated, City Program Trellis International 74.8 Senior Social Services $15,913.00 Project Hope Alliance
80.2 Youth Services $21,219.00
Assistance League Newport Mesa
79.4 Youth Services $15,913.00
StandUp for Kids OC 84.2 Youth Services $0 Duplicate services Fair Housing Foundation
N/A Low- and Moderate- Income Services
$20,000 - does not count towards the $136k
HUD Required, paid out of admin
From: Chance Wroe
To: CITY CLERK
Subject: Shalimar Drive No Parking Zone
Date: Monday, May 19, 2025 10:17:45 PM
Hello,
As a resident of Costa Mesa who lives on Shalimar Drive, I am emailing you today to see how we can get the street updated to allow for parking. It has been a no-parking zone the entire time I've lived here and has caused myself and my neighbors a lot of trouble over the years.
Because the entire street is marked as a no parking zone, the surrounding streets all fill up quickly and are often full the entire day, leaving nowhere to park within blocks of our homes.
Because of this many people often risk a ticket and still park on the street and often receive tickets as well.
There is no good reason for this street be marked as a no parking zone and it needs to be updated for the residents of this neighborhood.
Please take time to review this and see if there is anyway that we can update this.
Thank you,
William Wroe
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From: ROBERT ROSSO
To: CITY CLERK
Subject: Problems Resulting from Reduced Speed Limits in the City of Costa Mesa, California Date: Saturday, May 17, 2025 2:32:26 PM
Dear Council Members:
The newly set speed limits throughout the city of Costa Mesa, California (referred to as “the city” throughout the rest of this document) are unnaturally low. The consequences of this are the creation of hazardous driving conditions for those of us attempting to abide by the new speed limits, and turning much of the city into a speed trap for those who continue to drive the natural speeds for the city roads.
When the new speed limits were introduced, I was perplexed as I found them to be unnaturally low for the roads that I’ve been navigating since 2008, when I purchase my home in Costa Mesa. However, I attempted to abide by the new speed limits, as my employment requires that I maintain my driving privileges. It was immediately obvious that the other drivers on the roads in the city were either unaware of, or indifferent to the speed limit changes, as I became on obstacle, with other drivers maneuvering around my vehicle and speeding past me. The is particularly problematic on Mesa Verde Dr / Placentia Ave, the route I take when driving my teenage children to and from Estancia High School.
Because of these problems, I made a phone call to the city inquiring about the reduced speed limits on December 5, 2024. I spoke with Sean (I didn’t get his last name) who directed me to Raja Setchuramon. On December 8, 2024 I emailed Mr Setchuramon inquiring about the rationale for lowering the speed limits throughout the city. On December 10, 2024, I received the following email response from Ramin Nikoui:
Good afternoon Mr. Rosso,
Thank you for reaching out. The state recently passed a new law (AB 43) giving municipalities more flexibility in the setting of speed limits based on new parameters such as designating safety corridors or at locations with high concentrations of pedestrians and bicyclists. By state law, all speed limits are required to be reevaluated after a certain number of years through an Engineering and Traffic Survey (E&TS). The E&TS is the document that legally establishes speed limits for cities. Transportation Services Staff recently conducted an update to the City’s E&TS incorporating these new state laws. Based on the results of the study, conducted by a certified and licensed consultant, numerous speed limits throughout the City were able to be lowered. These lower speed limits will help in the City’s overall goal of reducing traffic collisions and increasing the safety and accessibility for all roadway users and modes of travel.
Please feel free to let me know if you have any other questions.
Thank you
On December 10, 2024, I responded to Mr Nikoui’s email with the following:
Mr Nikoui:
Thank you for the response. I must ask, is there any data suggesting that the Mesa Verde neighborhood had an above-average number of automobile versus bicycle/pedestrian collisions, with speed specified as the proximate cause of the collision, while the automobiles were driving at the posted speed limit? Respectfully,
Robert M. Rosso, Jr
I never received a response to this serious and legitimate question, so on December 14th, I sent the following email to Mr Nikoui:
Mr Nikoui:
Please send me the information requested below. I am not trying to be facetious. I am literally trying to determine the justification for the newly reduced speed limits. You mentioned a study conducted by a consultant. Can you please forward that study to me?
Thank you.
Respectfully,
Robert M. Rosso, Jr
To his credit, Mr Nikoui then responded with the following:
Hi Mr. Rosso,
Using the new laws, the speed limit was able to be reduced by an additional 5 mph due to the presence of bicycle and pedestrian traffic on Mesa Verde. If you would like to view the study, please file a public records request with the City Clerks Office on the City’s website.
Thank you
Per Mr Nikoui’s advice, I submitted a public records request, and after completing the proper forms, I received a copy of the study from David Nguyen on December 24, 2024.
Upon reviewing the study, I determined that it was not intended to be read by a layperson such as myself, so
I consulted Mr Eric Spangler, PE, TE. The following
pages contain his review of the portions of the study effecting the arteries that I personally found troublesome.
Overall, the City is creating a lot speed trap segments by reducing their speed limits over 10mph below the 85% speed.
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Mesa Verde Drive: they decreased from 35mph to 30mph. Reasons sited below. Seems like a speed trap between Baker to Adams since the 85% speed is 40mph, but the posted speed limit is now 30mph. <!--[if !vml]-->
<!--[if !vml]-->
Gisler Ave from Harbor Blvd to Iowa St: they decreased from 35mph to 30mph. Reasons sited below.
Seems like a speed trap since the 85% speed is 40 and 41 mph, but the posted speed limit is now 30mph. <!--[if !vml]-->
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<!--[endif]-->
Baker St from Harbor Blvd to Fairview Dr (double check where Samar Dr is in the below list). Reasons sited below. Reduced from 40mph to 35mph. Speed trap since 85% speed is 46mph. <!--[if !vml]-->
<!--[if !vml]-->
<!--[endif]-->
Placentia Ave from Adams Ave to 16th St. They reduced most segments by an additional 5mph but not as bad as other locations, since the new speed limit is less than 10mph from the 85% percentile speed. <!--[if !vml]-->
<!--[if !vml]-->
<!--[endif]-->
My children, wife, and I routinely walk, jog, and ride bikes along the routes in the analysis, so I am not indifferent to maintaining safety on the roads in the city. Repeating the unanswered question I posed to Mr Nikoui: Is there any data suggesting that the Mesa Verde neighborhood had an above-average number of automobile versus bicycle/pedestrian collisions, with speed specified as the proximate cause of the collision, while the automobiles were driving at the posted speed limit? If there is not, then I am formally requesting that that Mr Spangler’s analysis be reviewed by the Costa Mesa city council and that they restore the city speed limits to their previous levels or the 85
th percentile listed in the study, whichever is higher.
Respectfully,
Robert M Rosso Jr
Costa Mesa Resident and Homeowner
3175 Barbados Place
Costa Mesa, CA 92626
(714) 745-6209
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