Travel Costa Mesa | 151 Kalmus Drive, Suite C110 | Costa Mesa, CA 92626 | Ph: 714.786.8585 | Fax: 714.668.9350 April 30, 2025
To: Honorable Members of the Costa Mesa City Council
From: Paulette Lombardi-Fries, President Travel Costa Mesa Subject: Allocation of BIA Funds – Update
Dear Mayor and Members of the Council:
On behalf of Travel Costa Mesa and our Board of Directors, I am writing to inform you that, beginning with the upcoming fiscal year, the organization will discontinue allocating Business Improvement Area (BIA) assessment funds toward residential and neighborhood event programming, including the $164,000 previously provided to support City-hosted events and initiatives.
This decision follows a comprehensive review by the Travel Costa Mesa Board of Directors and reflects our ongoing commitment to steward the BIA funds in a manner that is focused on delivering the highest possible return on investment for our assessed lodging businesses. As part of that review, the Board reaffirmed the foundational intent of the BIA: to invest in programs that promote tourism, generate overnight visitation, and support the economic vitality of Costa Mesa’s hotel industry.
The Board concluded that future allocations of BIA funds should be prioritized for tourism marketing and destination development initiatives that are directly tied to overnight hotel stays and generate measurable visitor impact to the benefit of the assessed lodging businesses. Travel Costa Mesa remains committed to directing BIA assessment funds toward initiatives that benefit the City of Costa Mesa’s hotel industry.
Sincerely,
Paulette Lombardi-Fries
President
Travel Costa Mesa
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