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# CONSENT AGENDA Depleted budget a bummer
- URL: https://www.smdp.com/consent-agenda-depleted-budget-a-bummer/
- Published: 2007-06-12T15:00:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-24T01:03:05.000Z
- Author: Guest Author
- Tags: Government & Politics, Santa Monica, #archive-import

*City Council given a wide variety or topics to take into consideration*

*By REAGAN WHEELER Special to the Daily Press*

(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.) CITY HALL Looking to keep millions of gallons of water from going down the drain, City Hall is expected tonight to renew a water-conservation program that is responsible for the installation of more than 50,000 water-efficient devices throughout Santa Monica since 1989.

The devices such as toilets, urinals and washing machines have resulted in a permanent reduction in water usage and wastewater generation of 1.4 million gallons per day.

KEMA, Inc. has been selected by the City Council to continue as the contractor. The program includes rebates for water-efficient fixtures, free water-efficient products and competitive landscape grants. Beginning in July, KEMA, Inc. will expand its duties to include programs such as the competitive land grant, rebates for rotary nozzles, rebates for cisterns and landscape irrigation audits.

After the council’s initial contract with KEMA, Inc. was set at $180,000, an anticipated additional $90,000 is expected to be tacked on to the Bay Saver Program. The two-year contract was established with the option of renewal for a third year on the same terms — $90,000 per year. This project will be paid for by the water and wastewater funds.

In addition to the water conservation project, which has a total cost of $310,000, the council is expected to spend $802,000 at tonight’s meeting. upgrades are all part of the plan for the site. The council’s contract with Ahbe Landscape Architects is in need of a modification, in the form of an additional $99,000.

Based on community concerns about improved street lighting, the services to be provided would include conversion of street lighting circuits from series to multiple, relocation of existing street lights, traffic signal upgrades and modifications, an upgrade of the existing traffic signals to fiber optic communications, and relocation of electric meter pedestals.

The new agreement amount is not expected to exceed $549,100.

A request for $6,000 of discretionary funds for the 1st Annual July 4th Main Street Parade will be heard at tonight’s meeting. The council will also consider becoming a co-sponsor of the event.

The 20-year-old heating and cooling system currently within City Hall is in need of replacement, due to its lack of energy efficiency and poor operating condition. An agreement with the company Black and Veatch for design and bid preparation for the system is being considered.

Black and Veatch is currently under contract to design the seismic retrofit of City Hall, which is due to start construction in the spring of 2008\. The seismic retrofit and the new project are extensively linked, making Black and Veatch the most likely candidate for the job.

An existing contract with Black and Veatch was not able to be amended due to FEMA regulations. This separate agreement, which is budgeted at $54,178 includes the design development for two heating and cooling system options for the replacement project. Work to be done under this contract includes the design of new rooftop equipment, new ducting through the building and incorporation of this system into the Building Management System established at the Public Safety Facility. The newly anticipated agreement calls for funds not to exceed $320,666, in addition to $1.3 million included in the 2007-08 Capital Improvement budget for construction of this project.

*Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on June 12, 2007.* [Read the original PDF.](https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/smdp%5Fbackissues/061207.pdf?ref=smdp.com)