Costa Mesa contracts Huntington helicopter for three more years

Costa Mesa has signed on to use Huntington Beach’s police helicopter for three years, netting Huntington Beach at least $900,000 over the term of the contract.

In a unanimous vote at Tuesday’s City Council meeting, Costa Mesa leaders said the $300,000-per-year agreement with Huntington offered equal service to their own now-defunct helicopter program but at a fraction of the cost.

The contract has an option to extend it annually for the fourth and fifth years.

The two cities would reopen the contract for negotiating if the cost of fuel increased more than 10% during the preceding contractual year. Huntington police will serve Costa Mesa for $700 an hour, but that fee will adjust annually with the local Consumer Price Index rate, according to the contract.

—Joseph Serna

Twitter: @JosephSerna