The Goat Hill Rodeo Podcast

The 2026 Costa Mesa Candidate Conversations, Episode 8: Steve Smith (District 5)

Jenn Tanaka — Tue, 06 Oct 2026 05:43:55 GMT

On this episode, I chat with Steve Smith, a cloud computing specialist and member of the Costa Mesa Animal Services Committee, who is running to represent District 5 on the Costa Mesa City Council. Steve and I discuss the city's public outreach efforts for Neighborhoods Where We All Belong, what he's learned about Costa Mesa's parks from the Fairview Park update process, whether Costa Mesa has a real "downtown", what the city learned from its experience with retail cannabis, how the City Council can improve public trust, and much more.

Our conversation took place on September 15, 2026, so we spoke just before the City Council's somewhat consequential meeting regarding the draft Fairview Developmental Center Specific Plan.

Places and organizations mentioned in Steve's interview:

"Triangle Square" refers to the Triangle Square, Costa Mesa development that sits between Harbor Boulevard and Newport Boulevard.
"Newport Plaza" refers to the Newport Plaza Surgical Center, a large Spanish-revival-style building located off of Newport Boulevard.
"Caltrans" refers to the California Department of Transportation, the state agency that exerts some control over Newport Boulevard and other state highways.
"Measure C" is a 2026 city-sponsored ballot initiative to raise certain business license fees.
The "Fish Fry" Mr. Smith mentions was previously held in Fairview Park refers to the Costa Mesa-Newport Harbor Lions Club Fish Fry, which was previously held in Fairview Park and is now held in Lions Park in Costa Mesa.
The sushi spot Mr. Smith discusses at the end of the interview is Sushi Teri, a small Japanese sushi restaurant located on Baker Street in Costa Mesa.

The 2026 Costa Mesa Candidate Conversations, Episode 7: Kelly Brown (Candidate, District 5)

Jenn Tanaka — Tue, 06 Oct 2026 05:45:00 GMT

This time I sit down with Dr. Kelly Brown, director of communications at the University of California, Irvine, and the current Chair of the Costa Parks and Community Services Commission, who is running to represent District 5 on the Costa Mesa City Council. Kelly and I chat about good (and not so good) public outreach in the city's major rezoning efforts, what she's learned about Costa Mesa's parks from the Fairview Park update process, whether Costa Mesa has a real "downtown", what the city learned from its experience with retail cannabis, how the City Council can improve public trust, and much more.

Our conversation took place on September 18, 2026, so we spoke three days after the City Council's somewhat consequential meeting regarding the draft Fairview Developmental Center Specific Plan.

Places and organizations mentioned in Kelly's interview:

The project at Brentwood Park refers to the renovation of Brentwood Park in Costa Mesa, which was completed earlier this year.
"Triangle Square" refers to the Triangle Square, Costa Mesa development that sits between Harbor Boulevard and Newport Boulevard.
"Caltrans" refers to the California Department of Transportation, the state agency that exerts some control over Newport Boulevard and other state highways.
The "Library" Dr. Brown refers to is the Costa Mesa-Donald Dungan Library, an Orange County library located next to Lions Park in Costa Mesa.
"Flock" refers to Flock Safety, a company who provides automated license plate readers to cities such as Costa Mesa. Costa Mesa's use of Flock cameras has been the subject of many public comments this year.
"Travel Costa Mesa" refers to the City of Costa Mesa's official marketing agency.

The 2026 Costa Mesa Candidate Conversations, Episode 6: Fisher Derderian (Candidate, District 4)

Jenn Tanaka — Sun, 04 Oct 2026 18:33:31 GMT

In this episode I talk with Fisher Derderian, a business owner and current Costa Mesa Arts Commissioner who is running to represent District 4 on the Costa Mesa City Council. Our discussion touches on his thought process regarding major road projects like the W. 19th Street rehabilitation project and citywide rezoning efforts like Neighborhoods Where We All Belong, what Fisher would do if the city won a major arts grant, how the City Council can improve public trust, and much more.

Our conversation took place on September 15, 2026, so we spoke just before the City Council's somewhat consequential meeting regarding the draft Fairview Developmental Center Specific Plan.

Places and organizations mentioned in Fisher's interview:

“CMABS” refers to the Costa Mesa Alliance for Better Streets, a local nonprofit that advocates for safer street design, walkability and a better public realm (full disclosure: I sit on the board of CMABS and serve as its vice president). CMABS recently released a series of candidate questionnaires on streets-related issues, and these questionnaires are referenced in Mr. Derderian's interview.
“RHNA” refers to the regional housing needs allocation, which is a determination overseen by the California Department of Housing and Community Development regarding how many units of housing each jurisdiction must zone for in the current housing element cycle.
The discussion of the “painted goats” refers to an idea I floated last year to do an inexpensive art project in Costa Mesa inspired by the “Herd of Kingsport”, a goat-themed art installation put on by the city of Kingsport, Tennessee.
The discussion of Council Member Jeff Pettis’s efforts to do outreach in public places again refers to his “Eastside Exchange” effort.
“La Lomita” refers to La Lomita Mex Grill, a Mexican restaurant located on W. 19th Street.
“Shirley’s Bagels” refers to a bagel and coffee shop located on E. 17th Street, with a Westside location opening soon.

The 2026 Costa Mesa Candidate Conversations, Ep. 5: Angely Andrade Vallarta (Candidate, District 4)

Jenn Tanaka — Sun, 04 Oct 2026 18:29:32 GMT

On this episode I chat with Angely Andrade Vallarta, a nonprofit executive and current Costa Mesa Planning Commissioner who is running to represent District 4 on the Costa Mesa City Council. Our discussion touches on her approach to major road projects like the W. 19th Street rehabilitation project and citywide rezoning efforts like Neighborhoods Where We All Belong, what Angely would do if the city won a major arts grant, how the City Council can improve public trust, and much more.

Our conversation took place on September 17, 2026, so we spoke after the City Council's somewhat consequential meeting regarding the draft Fairview Developmental Center Specific Plan.

Places and organizations mentioned in Angely's interview:

"2-1-1 Orange County" is an Orange County hotline that connects residents to various services.
"Eller Bakery" and "Wilson Street Coffee" are a bakery and a coffee roaster, respectively, located on Placentia Avenue in Costa Mesa.
"Costa Mesa 311" is an app developed by the City of Costa Mesa to allow residents to report issues and access city services.
"Wilson Street Learning Center" is an afterschool program for children of working parents run in partnership with Iglesia Harbor.
"Costa Mesa Unidos" is an advocacy organization that is a part of Resilience OC and advocates for tenants’ rights and immigrant rights.
"Promatores de Salud Orange County" is a nonprofit organization that provides culturally tailored health education, outreach, and navigation support, primarily serving the Latino community. Its members also frequently attend City Council meetings and advocate on a variety of community topics.
"Bright Youth" is a nonprofit organization that focuses on bringing resources and services to the Shalimar neighborhood of Costa Mesa. It organizes an annual “Back 2 School Fresh” event that features free haircuts, school supplies and entertainment for neighborhood children.
"Save Our Youth (SOY)" is a local non-profitthat provides free after-school programming for teens.
"Brentwood Park Alliance" is an Eastside community advocacy group dedicated to lobbying for and guiding the renovation of Brentwood Park.
"Fairview Park Alliance" is a nonprofit organization dedicated to restoring, preserving and protecting Fairview Park.
"The Wayfarer" is a live music venue and cocktail lounge located on W. 19th Street in Costa Mesa.
"Costa Mesa Se Mueve" is a community run club that organizes runs through Costa Mesa.

The 2026 Costa Mesa Candidate Conversations, Episode 4: Cara Stewart (Candidate, District 3)

Jenn Tanaka — Wed, 30 Sep 2026 22:15:00 GMT

This time I sit down with Cara Stewart, an entrepreneur, a communications strategist and a former journalist who is running for Costa Mesa City Council District 3. We talk about her thoughts on large planning projects like the Fairview Developmental Center Specific Plan, how she sees Fairview Road and other major street rehabilitation projects like it fitting into the Costa Mesa street grid, her thoughts on neighborhood traffic calming, what the City Council can do to improve public trust, and what she sees as the biggest challenges for the city in the next several years.

Our conversation took place on September 18, 2026, so we spoke after the City Council's somewhat consequential meeting regarding the draft Fairview Developmental Center Specific Plan. Given I asked her a specific question on the FDC Specific Plan, this timing is important to keep in mind when you listen.

And if you'd like to check out to Salty Bear Brewing Co., a brewery that gets a shoutout towards the end of our conversation, please use the link to find its website.

The 2026 Costa Mesa Candidate Conversations, Episode 3: Daniel Morgan (Candidate, District 3)

Jenn Tanaka — Wed, 30 Sep 2026 22:00:00 GMT

In this episode I sit down with Daniel Morgan, a small business owner and real estate professional who is running for Costa Mesa City Council District 3. We chat about his approach to big projects like the Fairview Developmental Center Specific Plan, major road projects like Fairview Road, his take on traffic pressures on District 3 neighborhoods, the city's need for more recreational green space, and much more.

Our conversation took place on September 10, 2026, so we spoke before the City Council's consequential meeting regarding the draft Fairview Developmental Center Specific Plan. Given that I asked specifically about Daniel's thoughts on the FDC Plan, this timing is extremely relevant to keep in mind when you listen.

And if you'd like to check out the places/organizations that Daniel references in our conversation, you can take a look at the links below:

"Bei Restaurant" refers to a modern Lebanese restaurant located on Harbor Boulevard.
"Feed Barn", "Salty Horse", and "Tacos Madre" refer to three local businesses in Costa Mesa: the Feed Barn, a garden and homestead supply store located on Newport Boulevard, Salty Horse, a coastal-western cafe also located on Newport Boulevard, and Tacos Madre Mexican Cocina, a home-style Mexican restaurant located on Harbor Boulevard, all in Costa Mesa.
"Let’s Be Kind" refers to a nonprofit organization that advocates for a culture of kindness on school campuses, founded by Rebekah Robeck while she was a student at Costa Mesa Middle School.
"Bike Bus" refers to the College Park Bike Bus, an informal club of parents and kids that bike together to College Park Elementary School on Tuesday mornings, founded by Kohl Crecelius.

The 2026 Costa Mesa Candidate Conversations, Episode 2: Loren Gameros (Candidate, Mayor)

Jenn Tanaka — Fri, 25 Sep 2026 00:45:00 GMT

In this episode I sit down with Loren Gameros, City Council Member for District 2, who is running for Mayor. We talk housing, the budget, his differences in policy from his opponent, Mike Buley (who also currently sits on the City Council), what he would do to improve public trust in government, and much more.

Our conversation took place on September 14, 2026, so we spoke before the City Council's somewhat consequential meeting regarding the draft Fairview Developmental Center Specific Plan.

And if you'd like to check out the restaurants Loren mentions you can check them out here:
2145 Eats, https://2145eats.com/#about
Trenta Pizza & Cucina, https://www.trentapizza.com/

The 2026 Costa Mesa Candidate Conversations, Episode 1: Mike Buley (Candidate, Mayor)

Jenn Tanaka — Thu, 24 Sep 2026 18:06:59 GMT

In this episode I sit down with Mike Buley, City Council Member for District 1, who is running for Mayor. We talk housing, the budget, his differences in policy from his opponent, Loren Gameros (who also currently sits on the City Council), what he would do to improve public trust in government, and much more.

Our conversation took place on September 17, 2026, so we spoke after the City Council's somewhat consequential meeting regarding the draft Fairview Developmental Center Specific Plan.

And if you'd like to check out Mike's restaurant recommendation, Yubuya, you can find them on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yubuya_costamesa/?hl=en