Costa Mesa to form task force on airport issues

Costa Mesa will form a task force assigned with keeping the City Council posted on issues pertaining to area airports, particularly John Wayne and Long Beach.

The three-member panel — which the council unanimously approved Tuesday — will consist of two council members and a resident appointed by the mayor.

Mayor Pro Tem Allan Mansoor, who brought the idea forward, said the goal is to have a group staying on top of airport-related happenings and meetings so the council can be informed of any relevant developments.

The council also voted Tuesday to explore new ways for residents to provide feedback about airport issues on the city’s website, and to send a letter to JetBlue Airways urging the airline to retrofit some of its planes to reduce noise.

According to a staff report, the city has received complaints about increased noise from planes flying overhead since the Federal Aviation Administration implemented new flight patterns for area airports, including John Wayne and Long Beach.

The altered paths went into effect last spring as part of the FAA’s Southern California Metroplex project, which is aimed at addressing inefficiencies, saving fuel and reducing carbon emissions and flight delays, according to officials.

Discussion on recording forums is delayed

For the second time this month, the City Council delayed a scheduled discussion on whether the city should resume recording and broadcasting council candidate forums.

As has been their practice at every meeting so far this year, council members opted to adjourn shortly after midnight and postpone the rest of their agenda — in this case the one item — to a future meeting.

For years, Costa Mesa staff recorded candidate forums to be shown on the local public-access channel, CMTV 3, or to be posted on the city website.

However, the council ended the practice in 2016, citing concerns with using public resources for events that might not be politically neutral.

luke.money@latimes.com

Twitter @LukeMMoney