Editor's note: This story is part of an ongoing series that tracks the city's expenditures appearing on upcoming Santa Monica City Council consent agendas. Consent agenda items are routinely passed by the City Council with little or no discussion from elected officials or the public. However, many of the items have been part of public discussion in the past.
CITY HALL — Just two weeks after the passage of an $11 million consent calendar, City Council will consider approving $5,848,407 in spending tonight.
The city's water mains are 70 to 90 years old and City Hall wants to replace them during a three-phase, $4,132,341 project.
Environmental Assessment and Remediation Management will likely get the bid. First, they will add 2,000 feet of new pipe along Olympic Boulevard between 26th Street and Stewart Avenue, improving water pressure along that segment and adding five hydrants to the incoming Expo Light Rail station in the area.
Next, they'll replace 8,300 feet of 1920s and 1940s-era cast iron water mains with PVC-type pipes. Many of these replacements will also occur in and around Olympic.
For area residents and businesses, the water may be shut off once to tie the new lines in with the old ones but all construction would occur after 8 p.m.
Finally, they'll install 1,200 feet of treated urban runoff water main to facilitate the tight construction schedule of the Colorado Esplanade, a planned pedestrian-friendly thoroughfare that will tie-in to the Downtown Expo station.
Homeless outreach services
The Santa Monica Police Department has been working with West Coast Care Foundations since 2008 to help homeless people find housing, find medical facilities, return to their families, and rehabilitate their lives.
Since March of 2011, they've made contact with nearly 43,000 homeless people in Santa Monica. They helped 952 homeless people find shelter.
Council will consider spending $239,786 to keep their services for at least the next year.
DNA specialist
SMPD uses DNA to solve crimes but its forensic lab is not equipped to do DNA analysis. The Los Angeles County Crime Lab analyzes DNA in the order in which it's received from municipalities. Currently there's a backlog at crime lab.
This can results in delays, up to six months, in identifying subjects and solving crimes according to city officials. The delays allow criminals to offend multiple times before they're arrested, city officials said.
City Hall wants to pay $156,000 to contract a senior criminologist at the lab to handle cases involving Santa Monica. The criminologist will coordinate directly with SMPD.
Towing
Fire trucks and buses break down too and when they do, they need a tow. This fiscal year, which ends this month, 148 buses needed tows. Tom John Towing will likely be paid $92,000 to tow City Hall's big vehicles.
Bus gas
You think you pay a lot for gas. Council will likely fork over $400,000 to Agility Fuel Systems for repair and refurbishment of the Big Blue Bus gas tanks.
Promenade map directories
Try getting lost on the Third Street Promenade now. City Hall wants to add five new map directories to replace deteriorating directories that were installed in 1989. Earlier this year, council gave approval for two new directories and a way-finding pylon. Five new directories will cost $132,750 and would be installed by AD/S Companies.
Trash bins
City Hall has nearly 34,000 trash collection containers of different sizes throughout the city. City officials are in the process of replacing some of them. They want to pay Otto Environmental Systems North America, Inc. $100,000 for replacements. It's not clear how many they are slated to supply but their bins range in cost from $247 to $359.
Animal Control trucks
Four new animal transportation trucks for the Santa Monica Police Department's Animal Control Unit will likely cost City Hall $196,993. The old trucks have reached the end of their useful lives, according to City Hall. South Bay Ford Lincoln will likely get the contract.
Aerial trucks
Two aerial trucks, the ones city workers use to replace and maintain traffic signals and the like, are worn out. Two new ones from Fritts Ford will cost $323,831.
Hondas
The Architecture Services Division and Street and Fleet Services Division each need a new Honda Civic to replace old vehicles. Council will likely opt to pay Scott Robinson Honda $27,433 for the cars.
dave@www.smdp.com
