Voice of OC (https://voiceofoc.org/category/regions/central-county/costa-mesa/)
City Council members on Tuesday night directed staff to move funding away from capital projects, postpone improvements to the city’s technology and software systems as well as dip into reserves to address the loss in revenue they will face the next fiscal year.
The City Council voted 6-1 Tuesday night to start a $250,000 emergency loan program to help keep small businesses devastated economically in the city alive.
The coronavirus is making most performing arts organizations rethink how they connect with their audience. The Pacific Symphony has taken a deep dive into streaming videos, recently launching an online initiative called Pacific Symphony @ Home which provides free digital content: at-home performances by the symphony’s musicians, watch parties, concert highlights, educational materials. It’s by necessity, not by choice, but the general consensus among the symphony’s leadership is that the organization will emerge stronger for it.
City council members voted unanimously to pass a resolution to partially reopen some parks and golf courses for limited use with mandatory safety requirements.
The Costa Mesa city council will meet in closed session tonight to discuss an expected lawsuit from property owners and landlords over the ban with city attorney Kimberly Hall Barlow. The city was one of several in the county to implement such a ban to protect renters as the economic effects of the virus worsened.
The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has forced fair officials to grapple with their uncertain future, under public health orders to limit public interactions and restrictions on mass gatherings, with no guaranteed timeline of when those restrictions will ease.
Both the use of travel trailers on the fairgrounds and this year’s possible cancellation would be in line with other county fairs’ recent actions across the state.
The Costa Mesa City Council voted to unanimously adopt an emergency ordinance to waive permits to repurpose parking lots left empty by stay at home orders to operate drive through food pantries and farmer markets as well as waive permits to allow restaurants to use parking lots for curbside or takeout service to help businesses suffering from state mandated closures.
Tonight, Fullerton could join other cities in OC requiring face coverings to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Cities like Costa Mesa and Buena Park required everyone to cover up when out in public, while others like Santa Ana, Irvine, and Westminster only apply the mandate to employers and workers in essential businesses while residents in those cities are merely encouraged to cover up.
The possible cancellation falls in line with other fairs across the state wary of public health guidelines discouraging mass gatherings for months, at least, as people are already staying at home to help stop the spread of the coronavirus.