> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.smdp.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # Cleaner beaches on the way - URL: https://www.smdp.com/cleaner-beaches-on-the-way/ - Published: 2008-06-24T15:00:00.000Z - Updated: 2026-10-24T19:58:22.000Z - Author: Melody Hanatani - Tags: Environment, Santa Monica, #archive-import, Homeless *City Hall to develop strategies for sustainable economy* (Editor’s note: This story is part of an ongoing series that tracks the city’s expenditures appearing on upcoming City Council consent agendas. 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.) CITY HALL In the latest attempt to expedite clean water initiatives to shape up some of the dirtiest beaches in the state, the City Council is expected tonight to employ a consultant who will study a series of priority projects. The impending hiring of Black & Veatch Inc. follows a series of actions taken by the council in recent weeks to push clean water projects along, the decision tonight coming as Southern Californians flock to local beaches to escape soaring temperatures. The estimated $350,000 contract is part of a $6.4 million spending plan that the council is scheduled to approve. The Kansas City-based firm, which has an office in Los Angeles, will perform cost analysis for projects that will be funded under Measure V — The Clean Beaches and Ocean Parcel Tax passed in 2006 to raise money for initiatives listed under the Watershed Management Plan, a collection of projects that seek to reduce urban runoff pollution and increase water reuse and conservation. The beaches in the county have been identified as some of the dirtiest in the state, including the water under the Santa Monica Pier, which was ranked the second worst in Heal the Bay’s 18th Annual Beach Report Card. The council has taken several actions since the report was issued to expedite the Measure V projects, including forming a citizens oversight committee and hiring another consultant — Psomas — earlier this month to provide project management services. expected to receive a 10-year lease agreement to operate the concessions at the community beach house, which is currently undergoing renovation. The contract is expected to bring in at least $100,000 annually in rent or 10 percent of gross sales. The minimum annual rent will not apply during the first fiscal year of operation because the beach club will not be open until the spring. Based on the estimated gross sales, the rent is anticipated to be about $93,000. Three bidders submitted proposals. Deni and Christel were selected based on their “extensive experience, responsiveness to and compatibility with the city’s goals for the site, commitment to affordable pricing and the capital improvements proposed,” according to city staff. The operators will provide cafe and take-out service as well as beach equipment rentals. The beach house was once the home of Hollywood starlet Marion Davies who received the estate as a gift from newspaper tycoon William Randolph Hearst during the 1930s. The 100-room mansion was sold in 1945 and operated as a luxury hotel until the 1950s, after which the mansion was demolished and the rest of the property was used as a private beach club. As the 100th anniversary of the pier approaches next year, the Santa Monica Pier Restoration Corp. will be busy expending man power and finances to hold a series of events around the centennial, in which City Hall figures to play a significant role. City Hall is expected to allocate more than $605,000 for the PRC’s 2008-09 budget, which is estimated to be more than $1.4 million. A significant portion of the upcoming year will be dedicated to events for the centennial, the PRC organizing a committee to plan a calendar year’s worth of activities. Along with the spending plan for the PRC, the council is also expected to approve an $852,000 allocation toward the marketing plan and budget for the Bayside District Corp. The Bayside budget is estimated at $1.5 million, which is 24 percent higher than the spending plan approved in the preceding year. Some of the oldest transit coaches with the Big Blue Bus could soon get some new engines. The public transit agency is asking the council to give a $450,000 contract to Pedco to perform engine overhaul on the aging buses. The contract includes three, one-year renewal options for an expenditure that could ultimately exceed $1.8 million. Following through on the goals of the Sustainable City Plan, the council is expected to hire Earthvoice Strategies to develop an outline for a sustainable local economy. The study by Earthvoice Strategies will include ways to enhance the sustainable aspects of the local economy. “The purpose of the strategy for a Sustainable Local Economy is to ensure the long-term viability and sustainability of our local economy and to attract and retain businesses to Santa Monica that contribute to the overall environment, economic and social sustainability of our community,” the staff report states. The estimated $135,000 study will go hand-in-hand with an economic development study that is being conducted for the Land Use and Circulation Element update. The council is also scheduled to act on another section of the Sustainable City Plan, awarding a contract to purchase biodiesel fuel from General Petroleum. The contract is estimated for $3.4 million with three, one-year renewal options. The purchase of biodiesel fuel supports the Sustainable City Plan’s section on reducing emissions. “The city strives to continue and expand it policies and programs by switching to less harmful reduced-emission fuels,” according to the staff report. In an effort to continue the current level of homeless outreach services, the council will be asked to award a $250,000 contract the West Coast Care Foundation, a non-profit that has been working in the city since 2006. The organization, which works with the Santa Monica Police Department, has made contact with thousands of people living on the streets, convincing a number of them to accept homeless services and housing. Since its arrival, approximately 250 people identified as being chronically and newly-arrived homeless individuals have been reunited with their families. “West Coast Care worked with these people to convince them that there were better options than living on the street and to help them rebuild their lives,”the staff report states. With issues like the MTBE water contamination and transportation funding, The Ferguson Group LLC has had a busy time representing City Hall’s interest to federal officials. The relationship will likely continue as the council is expected to approve a $76,000 contract with the lobbyist. “The federal lobbyist works extensively for the city’s federal objectives in congress and before federal agencies,” according to the staff report. The council is expected to enter a memorandum of understanding with The Supervisory Associates, one of City Hall’s bargaining units. The total cost of the two-year agreement, which will commence on July 1, is for $440,000, which includes a 4 percent cost of living increase. The success of the “I’ve Got 7” emergency preparedness campaign in Santa Monica will become a model for other communities. Santa Monica is among a group of communities that were selected to promote the “Seven Days” emergency preparedness campaign, receiving $50,000 to develop a marketing plan modeled after “I’ve Got 7.” The campaign will include flyers distributed to residents living in the communities of Santa Monica, West Hollywood, Beverly Hills and Culver City. *Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on June 24, 2008.* [Read the original PDF.](https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/smdp%5Fbackissues/062408.pdf?ref=smdp.com)