By Daily Press staff
(Editor’s note: This is part of an ongoing series that tracks the city’s expenditures that appear on the upcoming Santa Monica City Council consent agenda. Consent agenda items are routinely passed by the 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.) Three garbage trucks at $66,481 apiece account for nearly $250,000 in spending by the Santa Monica City Council tonight.
The Council is expected to approve nearly $200,000 to pay for three new diesel-powered garbage trucks to replace two 1990 vehicles and one truck from 1991. Last year, the city spent $34,000 repairing the aging vehicles, which have more than 100,000 miles each.
Another $49,225 could be approved by the Council for the second phase of crosswalk improvements on Wilshire, Ocean Park and Santa Monica boulevards, as well as Broadway and 26th Street.
But because the contractor, CBM Consulting, underestimated the length of construction by 11 weeks, the original project’s cost of $376,770 must be increased to $425,995, according to city staff.
City staff noted in its report to Council that the increased contract amount would be funded by a combination of cost savings from other transportation projects and funds previously appropriated for pedestrian improvements.
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on April 8, 2003. Read the original PDF.