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KATRINA'S ACCOMPLISHMENTS

Costa Mesa faced unprecedented challenges this year. We endured health and major economic crises. To overcome these challenges, our council, staff, and community stepped up. Together, we:​

  • Fed needy families

  • Assisted seniors

  • Froze evictions

  • Offered rent relief

  • Issued small business grants

  • Moved businesses outdoors

  • Educated the public through my weekly Mayor's Town Halls

  • Maintained public safety services

  • Provided rent relief for local tenants and landlords

  • Initiated program to distribute an additional 2.7 million in total business grants

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Before the COVID-19 pandemic, we protected and enhanced Costa Mesa by:

  • Restoring public safety services – 911, fire, and police;

  • Fighting the expansion of John Wayne Airport;

  • Improving neighborhoods and roads;

  • Hiring a highly-skilled management team with experience in finance, crisis response, and homelessness;

  • Defending and enforcing our rules on rehab homes;

  • Reducing homelessness through our shelter and housing services team;

  • Implementing non-toxic maintenance policies and other environmental reforms;

  • Opening a new library and fire station;

  • Promoting economic growth and tourism.

Homelessness & Affordable Housing

Protecting Our Environment

  • Only city in Orange County recognized by the U.S. Green Building Council as a LEED Gold city.

  • Partnered with Councilmembers to spearhead the creation of a Costa Mesa City Energy and Sustainability Services Manager position.

    • ​Responsibilities include developing and administering the city’s environmental conservation and sustainability programs, planning and directing recycling and waste management, identifying opportunities for reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and meeting with developers and city staff to bring a “green” perspective to project design.

  • Partnered with Councilmember Marr to lead the city to join Irvine in a JPA for community choice energy.

  • Led the charge to encourage builders in Costa Mesa to incorporate LEED standards through incentives. Costa Mesa now has 52 LEED certified buildings. 

  • Pushed the City to adopt public building policies that have the highest standards in the state by striving to have 40 to 50% less impact on the environment based on U.S. Green Building Council’s standards. 

  • Supported and voted to eliminate styrofoam in all city buildings and parks, including golf courses. 

  • Pushed to integrate solar panels and solar energy on all school campuses in the Newport-Mesa Unified School District.  

  • Proposed and secured votes for a resolution opposing offshore drilling in 2018.

  • Led the efforts and passed Costa Mesa’s Organics First Pest Management & Weed Abatement Plan to move toward a non-toxic Costa Mesa.

  • Urged the City to build 8 Electric Vehicle Charging Stations for public use at City Hall and voted on switching out fossil fuel for electric bus for Costa Mesa Senior Center.

Supporting Our Public Schools

  • Initiated and voted for city and school district partnership to improve sports fields on three campuses.

  • Initiated funding program to support infrastructure and equipment improvements for our elementary schools and additional funding for our middle & high school facilities. 

  • As a school board member, advocated and voted to build three athletic facilities, two new middle schools, and two high school performing arts centers.

  • As a school board member, advocated and voted for specialty signature academies including arts, dual-immersion language, technology, engineering, and science.

  • Supported our Community Colleges in building modern facilities, including the Orange Coast College Recycling Center. 

Public Safety

  • Advocated and voted to increase first responder staffing to better protect our community. 

  • Voted to keep Metro Fire Station 6, which the prior council had voted to close in 2013.

  • Prioritized negotiating a new labor contract with the Costa Mesa Fire Association, including providing better health benefits to our firefighters.   

  • Led efforts to build a new Fire Station 1 on Royal Palm to replace the uninhabitable building.

  • Voted for remodel and expansion of Costa Mesa Police Department station.

  • Led efforts to reevaluate the prior Council’s decision and led effort to move forward with an Ambulance transport model with reduced cost to residents, better care, and added bonus of revenue to the city instead of a private outsourced third party vendor.

  • Supported Police Chief efforts to increase staffing and reinitiate special units, including Bike Patrol, Gang, Drug, and K-9 units.

  • Advocated to retrain police officers for homeless task force.

  • Voted to purchase a mobile command unit & built security wall around police station.

  • Voted to reinstate the real time online activity log for crime reporting in Costa Mesa.

  • Consistent support to improve technology and equipment needs. 

Infrastructure Improvements

  • Supported, encouraged and led the process to build Lions Park Projects with a new modern state of the art library, community center, 1 acre park, and improved play areas.

  • Helped secure $1 million in state funding to build a new playground in a park-poor neighborhood. 

  • Initiated and supported street and median improvements on Bristol, including a new cross walk to connect The Lab & Camp.

  • Supported street and median improvements throughout the city, especially on major thoroughfares like Harbor and Placentia. 

  • Initiated Bike Committee & Active Transportation Plan. 

  • Supported new multi-purpose bike and walk trail systems on Arlington, Adams Avenue, Paularino Channel, Gisler, and Merrimac.

  • ​partnered with Councilmembers Marr & Reynolds to initiate public right of way transformations to sreeteries, parklets, and redesigning of public right of way to allow restaurants and other businesses outdoor space on 18th, 19th and Placentia. 
     

Fiscal Responsibility

  • Voted on 16 balanced budgets.

  • Led Costa Mesa through the pandemic and financial crisis ending the fiscal year with a surplus and one of two cities with more than $50 million in reserves. 

  • Recommended 10 point plan to the City Council with nearly $3 million in cuts of wasteful spending.

  • Voted to continue to increase the financial reserves the City maintain—more than $56 million now.

  • Supported financial review of the Self Insurance Fund and disclosure of transactions over $25,000.

  • Uncovered numerous mismanagements of budget & improper use of equity as cash, including finding more than $2 million in CIP funding for projects not moving forward.

  • Led negotiations of frugal but functional contracts with police and fire that increased health benefits to cover family of 4 and increased compensation, but did not increase unfunded pension liability. Our employees have a fair and competitive package, but pay more into their contribution than any employees in CA. 

AWARDS AND RECOGNITIONS

Mayor Foley has been recognized as the Daily Pilot's top 100 most influential people making a difference in Newport Mesa, and by the OC Register's top 100 in Orange County, as well as by LA Style Magazine as one of the Top 100 Women in Southern California who are shattering the glass ceiling.

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In 2020, Mayor Foley and the city of Costa Mesa were recognized by the Association of California Cities Orange County for the city's reStore Costa Mesa Recovery Team and the Costa Mesa Business Assistance Collaborative with a Golden Hub of Innovation Award for Excellence in Public Private Partnerships. She was also selected as one of the 40 Mayors for Bloomberg Philanthropies' Harvard City Leadership Mayor Program to help find solutions for economic recovery and healthy communities.

In 2019, Mayor Foley received the 'Above and Beyond' award from Angel Light Academy. 

In 2011, Katrina was recognized as a Woman that Matters for families for the Sage Women Awards, and as a Community Leader Advocate for Youth Sports by Costa Mesa United.

In 2010, she was awarded the Orange Coast College “2010 Outstanding Citizen of the Year” for her volunteer services and activities in the Costa Mesa and OCC community.  

In 2009, Katrina received recognition from the Sierra Club for her efforts to Go Green in Costa Mesa. 

In 2008, Katrina was awarded the Board member of the year award for the Orange County Trial Lawyers Association for her work on the Pediatric Cancer Research Gala Fundraiser.

In December 2007, she was awarded the Advocating Healthy Families Super Star Award from the Health Funders Partnership of Orange County, and in April 2007, she was awarded the ChildSpace John Upton Award for her work to enrich and lighten the load of families in Costa Mesa.

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