Costa Mesa City Council recesses to closed session to discuss labor talks and litigation
May 19, 2026 | Costa Mesa, Orange County, California
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The Costa Mesa City Council on Tuesday recessed into a closed session to consider labor negotiations with multiple employee organizations and pending litigation, the council announced.
The council met May 19, 2026, in a session called to order by the presiding official and opened with a roll call in which the clerk reported that all members were present except Councilmember Mar and that Councilmember Bewley was participating by phone "pursuant to California Government Code 54953.8.3" because of a contagious illness.
Councilmember Bewley made the required remote-participation statement on the record, saying, "I am participating remotely in compliance with Brown Act due to a contagious illness. And nobody under 18 years of age is in the room with me. They're all over the age 18." The statement was read after staff confirmed a remote participant was on Zoom.
The clerk read the closed-session agenda. Items 1 through 4 were listed as "conference with labor negotiators pursuant to California Government Code section 54957.68," and the agency's designated representative was named as Cecilia Gallardo. The clerk also listed the employee organizations involved: Costa Mesa City Employees Association, Costa Mesa Confidential Unit, Costa Mesa Police Association and Costa Mesa Police Management Association.
Items 5 through 7 were announced as "conference with legal counsel — existing litigation" under California Government Code section 54956.9 and cited litigation identified in the public notice as City of Costa Mesa v. Ohio House (Orange County Superior Court) and Ohio House v. City of Costa Mesa (U.S. District Court, Central District of California). Item 8 was listed as "initiation of litigation for one case" pursuant to California Government Code section 54956.9D4.
After the clerk finished reading the agenda, the council recessed to the community room for the closed-session deliberations. No votes or final actions were announced in the public portion of the meeting.
The council met May 19, 2026, in a session called to order by the presiding official and opened with a roll call in which the clerk reported that all members were present except Councilmember Mar and that Councilmember Bewley was participating by phone "pursuant to California Government Code 54953.8.3" because of a contagious illness.
Councilmember Bewley made the required remote-participation statement on the record, saying, "I am participating remotely in compliance with Brown Act due to a contagious illness. And nobody under 18 years of age is in the room with me. They're all over the age 18." The statement was read after staff confirmed a remote participant was on Zoom.
The clerk read the closed-session agenda. Items 1 through 4 were listed as "conference with labor negotiators pursuant to California Government Code section 54957.68," and the agency's designated representative was named as Cecilia Gallardo. The clerk also listed the employee organizations involved: Costa Mesa City Employees Association, Costa Mesa Confidential Unit, Costa Mesa Police Association and Costa Mesa Police Management Association.
Items 5 through 7 were announced as "conference with legal counsel — existing litigation" under California Government Code section 54956.9 and cited litigation identified in the public notice as City of Costa Mesa v. Ohio House (Orange County Superior Court) and Ohio House v. City of Costa Mesa (U.S. District Court, Central District of California). Item 8 was listed as "initiation of litigation for one case" pursuant to California Government Code section 54956.9D4.
After the clerk finished reading the agenda, the council recessed to the community room for the closed-session deliberations. No votes or final actions were announced in the public portion of the meeting.
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