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# Council feeling well, paying to clean up water
- URL: https://www.smdp.com/council-feeling-well-paying-to-clean-up-water/
- Published: 2005-06-14T15:00:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-23T07:15:04.000Z
- Author: Guest Author
- Tags: Government & Politics, Santa Monica, #archive-import

*Council spending to save ‘Early Man’*

*By WINTER JOHNSON Special to the Daily Press*

(Editor’s note: This is part of an ongoing series that tracks the city’s expenditures which appear on the upcoming Santa Monica City Council consent agenda. 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 Santa Monica City Council is set to spend more than $4 million this evening on citywide projects and improvements.

More than $4 million in contracts have been earmarked for approval at the City Council meeting, with an additional $500,000 available for unexpected expenses. Among the projects, the funding will be used to evaluate the city’s groundwater, maintain city landscapes and install art for the new Santa Monica Main Library.

The costliest project is a $1.9 million agreement to provide groundwater modeling consulting services to the city of Santa Monica and the Charnock Engineering Committee in efforts to restore the drinking water production from the Charnock Well Field.

This well field is a significant source of drinking water for Santa Monica, but its five drinking water wells were shut down in 1996 due to the presence of MtBE, a chemical used for gasoline emissions, according to officials.

The CEC and the Shell Oil Company, Chevron U.S.A. Inc., Texaco and Exxon Mobil Corporation, who joined together as a result of a court-approved settlement agreement, will oversee the planning, design, construction and operation of the new treatment facility.

Selected by the CEC for its competence and experience, according to officials, GeoTrans, Inc. will conduct an engineering study of the nature of pollutants in groundwater, as well as create design criteria for the treatment facility, set water clean-up goals and a feasible end to the project.

Council is also expected to finance a one-year contract with TruGreen Landcare to provide landscape maintenance at city parks, streetscapes and various public facilities, to the tune of $1.15 million.

These services include turf mowing, trimming, weeding, trash pick up, renovation of sports fields and irrigation.

Also, he Santa Monica Fire Department is likely to receive authorization to buy two new fire trucks from KME Fire Apparatus, replacing two cost-ineffective pumper vehicles, from the years 1975 and 1984, respectively, that are part of the Fire Department Emergency Vehicle Replacement Program, according to officials. These trucks will be used by the SMFD to carry hoses, ladders and water to fires.

In addition, the fire department is requesting an increase in dispatch capabilities to keep up with the increased number of emergency responses, as well as ensure firefighter safety. To solve the problem, the SMFD wishes to contract with the Los Angeles Fire Department because of its quality service delivery and safety standard, according to officials. The cost of this contract totals more than $250,000, but the SMFD said $500,000 goes toward current dispatch and a no-match federal grant worth more than $1 million is also being used for the new program.

In efforts to preserve the artistic face of Santa Monica, City Hall wishes to negotiate and execute a $267,708 contract with ConservArt Associates to conserve and install the Stanton MacDonald-Wright Mural Series, entitled, “Technical and Imaginative Pursuits of Early Man.”

This process includes a condition assessment of the 38 panels and an outline of conservation steps for each mural panel. This mural series’ former home was the Smithsonian Institution in Washington DC, but it is now returning to the new Main Public Library.

Continuing in its environmental concern for Santa Monica, City Hall recommends that $245,000 in grant funding be given to Los Angeles Community Partners in conjunction with the sustainable works residential and business sus-tainability programs, in order to increase participation and raise awareness amongst residents and businesses in the sustainable city program.

Established in 1998, the Sustainable Works program focuses on water conservation, energy use, gas emissions and waste generation amongst businesses and residents. With the grant money, Sustainable Works will be able to continue its existing programs and implement new ones. City Hall’s environmental programs’ division will continue to provide supervision of program development and implementation.

*Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on June 14, 2005.* [Read the original PDF.](https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/smdp%5Fbackissues/061405.pdf?ref=smdp.com)