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 — The Exposition Light Rail Line is coming to Santa Monica in 2016 and with its arrival is the challenge of integrating other modes of transit.
On the table before the City Council tonight is a $467,113 contract with Nelson/Nygaard Consulting Associates, a California-based company, for a study that will look at project management, planning, data analysis and public outreach of the integration of Big Blue Bus service with Expo.
The study would evaluate land use, key origins and destinations and market and corridor analysis to develop a plan between the Big Blue Bus lines and the eight stations on the Expo Line in the BBB service area. Throughout the planning process, BBB staff would involve residents, neighborhood associations, business improvement districts, local businesses and others in a series of workshops designed to elicit public input about the process, city officials said.
The contract is just part of a roughly $1.69 million spending package the council is being asked to approve tonight.
Bids for pool maintenance, tile work
City officials will recommend the council award a bid to Commercial Aquatic Services for $75,000 for pool maintenance and repair services for the Annenberg Community Beach House, Santa Monica Municipal Pool and Virginia Avenue Park.
City Hall requires weekly and annual services for the splash pad at Virginia Avenue Park and bi-weekly and annual service for pool equipment like water heaters and filters at the Annenberg Community Beach House and Santa Monica Municipal Pool to ensure a proper balance of water chemistry and safe environment.
There's also another bid for the City Council to consider from M.C. Tile Co. for $75,000 for tile contractor services, including purchase and installation of new tiles for remodeling and renovation projects in various city facilities.
Keep on shining
The City Council is expected to approve a $75,000 agreement with EcoMotion, a California-based company, for implementation of the Solar Santa Monica program, with two additional one-year renewal options, for a total of $225,000 over a three-year period with future year funding contingent on council approval.
EcoMotion has been contracted by the city of Santa Monica since 2006 to administer the Solar Santa Monica Program, an initiative by City Hall that provides support to residents and businesses planning on investing in solar panels.
Soil analysis for proposed park
City officials are recommending a change to a contract for $51,049 with ICF Consulting Services, LLC, to provide environmental screening services for the proposed Buffer Park located in the Olympic Well Field. The proposed park will be within property formerly used by Boeing as an aircraft manufacturing facility. The land will become a future Expo Line maintenance facility once the rail line is completed. The agreement would be to assess the soil.
Managing water
The City Council is expected to approve a change in an agreement to provide upgrades, installation, software maintenance and training on an automated system that allows remote operation and control of equipment for water and wastewater facilities for $331,785.
The company, Beavens Systems Inc., is proposed to make further upgrades to the Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) system, which could result in a five-year amended agreement for $1.13 million, with future year funding contingent on council budget approval. The two facilities with the automated computer system include Moss Avenue Pumping Station (MAPS) and the Santa Monica Urban Runoff and Recycling Facility.
Keeping bad guys in
Maintenance of the Public Safety Facility's access control system, which is used for security and to control who has access, is up for discussion. City officials are recommending a $300,000 agreement with Deterministic Systems, Inc. for five years. The facility uses the access control system for inmate movement within the jail. The system was installed in 2003 when the Public Safety Facility was constructed. The system is made up of various subsystems that handle different aspects of security, including door controls and intercoms.
Counting cash
The City Council will likely award purchase orders to two companies related to currency collected through Big Blue Bus fare boxes and on-street parking meters.
Money Systems Technology, Inc., a Texas-based company, has been recommended for the maintenance of two coin sorters/counters and conveyor belts in the amount of $7,500 per year, for a total amount of $15,000 over a two-year term, with future year funding contingent on council budget approval.
The second company proposed for a purchase order is Richard's Coin & Currency Counters, a California-based company, for maintenance of various equipment in the amount of $12,000 per year, for a total amount of $24,000 over a two-year term, with future year funding contingent on council budget approval.
City Hall operates a processing center for currency collected through the BBB fare boxes and on-street parking meters, according to a staff report. The center processes approximately $14 million in coin and paper currency annually, the report said. Both companies have been providing installation, preventative maintenance and repair services to City Hall for counting room equipment since 1999.
Development survey
Godbe Research is being recommended by city officials to conduct a resident opinion survey on future development related issues in an agreement for $32,135. Some of the topics addressed would include height, density, community benefits and potential concern regarding project impacts. Godbe Research has done public opinion research polling for City Hall before in a 1999 resident survey and a 2006 survey of Rent Control units.
Financial feasibility on proposed development
City officials are recommending a change in an agreement for $40,120 with HR&A Advisors, Inc. to complete the financial feasibility analysis related to proposed parks and commercial development/affordable housing linkage fees.
Last year, the company was selected to complete a financial feasibility analysis for the proposed Transportation Impact Fee (TIF). The analysis is related to pursuing the creation of an open space linkage fee on new development to achieve the open space and parks and recreation goals set forth in the Land Use and Circulation Element, or LUCE, a document that gives broad outlines to the development of Santa Monica through 2030; and establishing an affordable housing linkage fee for new commercial development.
City officials are recommending extending the agreement through Dec. 31, 2014 to complete the remaining work associated with the analysis.
Giving construction deposit back
City officials are recommending the City Council give back a $231,854.81 construction deposit that was collected from the developer, Lantana North Hines Development, LLC. City Hall and the developer had an agreement in 2004 for the properties located at 3030 Olympic Blvd. (Lantana East) and 3301 Exposition Blvd. (Lantana South) in Santa Monica.
The Lantana South agreement included a neighborhood traffic protection program that required the developer to construct traffic protection measures within the adjacent residential neighborhood. These measures were designed to reduce cut-through traffic and improve the safety and walkability of the neighborhood. City officials determined no additional changes to the traffic calming measures are required from Lantana North Hines Development. If the City Council determines the measures are adequate and no changes are required, the deposit would be refunded to the developer.
ameera@www.smdp.com
