College fairs to get a big boost from city officials
(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. Many of the items have been part of public discussion in the past.) Biker cops may soon be riding the streets of Santa Monica in style as the City Council looks to purchase 14 BMW motorcycles from a Long Beach dealership at a cost of just over $340,000.
The purchase is just one of a half dozen moves expected by the council Tuesday that will have impacts on the budget, both positive and negative.
The transactions include accepting grant money to purchase alternative fuel vehicles and helping to build a small natural gas station. The council will also consider spending more than $480,000 on operations at the Santa Monica Pier.
LIFE’S A GAS Of the new bikes being considered, six will be 2007 models and the remaining eight will be 2008. The bikes will replace older models as part of City Hall’s vehicle replacement program.
After testing, BMW bikes were determined to be the best suited for the police department’s needs, according to a city staff report.
Since the gasoline-powered bikes are considered emergency vehicles, they are exempt from City Hall’s Sustainable City Plan calling for reduced emissions.
Twelve companies competed for the contract, but Long Beach BMW came out on top.
A SENSE OF SPACE In a move that could cost City Hall $8,900 a year, the council is expected to waive all rental and parking fees at the Civic Auditorium for future college fairs produced by the Santa Monica High School PTA.
Since moving from the cramped Samohi gym to the Civic in 2005, the college fair has seen a dramatic increase in participation by colleges and universities. Last year, the number of colleges attending increased by 5 percent, with more variety and types of colleges and regions represented, according to a city staff report.
With attendance growing, so has the number of workshops on how to fill out college applications or write compelling essays for admission. Mentors were recruited and trained to help families navigate the fair and translators were also made available.
In the interest of creating a life-long learning community, the council is being asked to waive the rental fee of $4,100 a year and parking fees of $4,800 a year. Annual labor costs of $6,000 a year are already covered by the City Manager’s office. Samohi covers the security costs and supplies educational materials and volunteers, while the PTA provides $2,500 to promote the event.
The biggest expenditure of the night will be the $489,300 for the Santa Monica Pier Restoration Corp., a nonprofit, public benefit corporation founded in 1983 to oversee the reconstruction and revitalization of the pier in the wake of severe storms that damaged the landmark a year prior.
The money has already been set aside in the approved budget, but the council will be asked to approved the PRC’s work-plan, a necessary step taken before funds are released.
City funds will be used, in part, to support the Twilight Dance Series of free summer concerts and provide additional help in planning the 100th anniversary celebration, which will include the installation of plaques commemorating the pier’s century, as well as a historic exhibit.
In the long and drawn out process of restoring the city’s wells, the council is expected to take an important step by hiring an engineer to serve as a consultant on the project.
The $279,000 contract to Worley Parsons Komex will include duties such as ground-water monitoring and modeling, field oversight and assistance in applying for permits.
Komex has been working with City Hall on the Charnock Well Field Restoration Project in the years since the wells were closed in 1996 because of contamination from fuel additive and other industrial uses around Olympic Boulevard and 26th Street, according to a city staff report.
Services will be paid for by those responsible for the contamination, including Gillette, which has pledged to pay for a $12 million remediation program at its former manufacturing facility. PLANNING AHEAD Looking to build on the momentum generated around the update of the Land Use and Circulation Element — a plan that will guide development and zoning for the next 20 years — the council is being asked to spend $197,000 on a consultant to provide guidance and content for public workshops.
The Odermatt Group has been working with the Planning Department and helped come up with the new “building blocks” approach endorsed by city planners. The consultant will also help city staff with long-range planning skills and also how to become more proactive with respect to urban design when reviewing future developments.
In efforts to make the Santa Monica Place parking structures more attractive, the council has hired local architects Pugh + Scarpa to come up with three concepts for facade improvements. The firm is asking for $50,000 more to complete its work.
Architects have already developed a concept for the other downtown structures.
A consultant who manages the Green Building Resource Center is seeking more money to expand the operation and ensure that it stays open longer to accommodate an increased public interest in solar power and other green technologies.
The proposed increase is $22,920. The center is operated by Global Green USA, a nonprofit environmental organization headquartered in Santa Monica.
Since opening, visits to the center have increased from 514 to more than 2,000 per week. During that time, the center has operated on a part-time, 20 hours per week basis.
With the additional funds, Global Green is offering to not only extend the hours., but also provide additional workshops for homeowners.
Not all of tonight’s actions will cost the city money. Staff is asking the council to accept funds from the South Coast Air Quality Management District in the amount of $149,925.
The money will pay for three heavy-duty, alternative fuel vehicles for the Water Resources and Solid Waste divisions. The money will also help pay for a small, natural gas dispenser.
The grant requires a 100 percent match from City Hall.
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on June 26, 2007. Read the original PDF.