Costa Mesa City Council Study Session October 13, 2026

Costa Mesa City Council study session, October 13, 2026: City staff and Third Wave consultants presented Phase Two of the City’s five-year information technology strategic plan. Proposed work includes replacing aging network, server, storage, and other hardware; improving public-safety and disaster-recovery systems; and developing tools for permitting, records, resident requests, and AI. Staff said technology purchases use NASPO’s pre-negotiated contract pricing and that an RFP is planned for an updated disaster recovery and business continuity plan. The plan’s project schedule was developed around an estimated $1.7 million annual implementation cap, while the funding presentation showed projected annual sources of about $3.1 million to $3.5 million. The IT Replacement Fund had an unaudited balance of approximately $9.9 million as of June 30, 2026, with $6.5 million committed to remaining Phase One projects. Staff also cited sharp hardware cost increases, including laptops rising from about $1,700 to $3,800 and a server component rising from $25,000 to nearly $100,000.

Council members raised the need for more flexible funding and project sequencing, clearer prioritization of mission-critical work, ongoing operating costs and performance measures, and earlier attention to permitting-system improvements and cybersecurity. Staff described ongoing issues with Tyler Technologies’ support for TESSA and said Park Consulting had been engaged to help; they are also assessing AI options for permitting. No approval or spending vote was taken. Staff will incorporate council feedback into the Phase Two roadmap and return it for consideration at a future meeting; an annual status report to Council and FIPAC was also proposed.