Consent agenda items run the gamut
(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 The City Council is expected tonight to spend more than $8.6 million, the majority of which will pay for streetscape improvements along Fourth and Second streets.
A little more than $340,000 will be spent on a new cash management system that is expected to help staff better handle cash, check and credit card payments received daily, according to a city staff report.
The software needed to run the system is valued at $235,000 and will be provided by The Active Network, which was selected unanimously by a committee comprised of staff from the Finance and Information Systems divisions, Housing and Economic Development and Community and Cultural Services.
City Hall will pay Active $22,300 a year for five years to maintain the system.
Payments to be processed in 2007-08 are estimated to be $480 million and are currently being collected by more than 26 locations throughout the city.
The new system will improve controls by providing a reconciling function for daily payment collection and processing activity reports. Reports will be prepared daily with more accuracy, according to the staff report. Data that is currently entered manually in the general ledger system will be done elec-tronically with the new system. repair police and fire radio communications under a one-year contract that is expected to be approved by the council.
Motorola, a manufacturer of communication devices such as radio equipment, base stations, mobile data computers and data network controllers used within the fire and police departments, has provided maintenance and repair for the city since the 1980s.
The contract is valued at $123,915. The contract includes three additional one-year renewals.
City Hall will receive $440,538 dollars from the U.S.
Department of Homeland Security as part of a no-match grant program to enhance the capability of local agencies to prevent and respond to threats or incidents of terrorism.
The Urban Area Security Initiative provides funds for costs associated with updating and implementing each state’s Homeland Security Strategy.
Since 2001, Santa Monica has received $3.2 million in grant funding, which has been used to purchase new equipment and pay for additional training and supplies. With the money, the fire department purchased impact, shatter-resistant glass for areas of the Public Safety Facility, traffic barricades and hand washing stations for the Environmental and Public Works Management Division, a hazardous materials vehicle, urban search and rescue tools and a satellite phone for the Emergency Operations Center.
The funds to be received Tuesday will be used to purchase chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear or explosive self containing breathing devices. The money will also pay for training to sustain Hazardous Materials Response and Urban Search and Rescue teams and to provide weapons of mass destruction response training, according to a city staff report.
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on August 14, 2007. Read the original PDF.