Official: Employee leaves related to Costa Mesa’s 60th

A senior Costa Mesa official confirmed Thursday that the recent decision to put two employees on administrative leave is related to the city’s 60th anniversary celebration.

Assistant City CEO Rick Francis said in an email that Public Affairs Manager Dan Joyce and Christine Cordon, a special events coordinator, were placed on paid leave “pending the completion of an internal investigation the city is conducting relative to allegations that have surfaced concerning fiscal policies and procedures that may not have been followed” in connection with the 60th celebration.

The celebration — which featured music, food and games — took place June 28 to 30 at City Hall, on Fair Drive and a nearby portion of the Orange County Fairgrounds.

The announcement marks the city’s first official announcement to the Daily Pilot on the matter, which first surfaced Aug. 7. The Pilot used two unnamed sources to independently confirm the leaves last week.

City officials at the time declined to provide comment, calling it a personnel matter.

Francis clarified that Joyce and Cordon, who also is an assistant recreation supervisor, have not been officially suspended. They, in fact, are on paid leave.

“In general terms, suspensions are reserved for employees who have had allegations of wrongdoing sustained against them and are typically for a fixed duration of time,” Francis wrote. “This is not the case in this particular matter.”

He said he could not provide further specifics on the investigation and said its timeline is unknown.

Francis also did not comment on recent reports that Costa Mesa police on Aug. 9 were seen taking boxes and computers out of City Hall and to the Police Department headquarters next door.