Big Blue Bus asks council to approve fleet upgrades
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. 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CITY HALL The stylistically outdated public parking garages in Downtown Santa Monica, their sea-green exterior accentuated with rust, will soon receive a facelift.
Los Angeles-based construction company AWI Builders is expected to receive a $3.3 million contract to carry out the facade improvements to structures 1-6, which line Second and Fourth streets between Broadway and Wilshire Boulevard.
The agreement for the beautification project, which includes artist-designed entryways and a fresh splash of paint, is part of an estimated $13.1 million spending package the City Council is slated to approve tonight, its other purchases including new buses and recycling bins. The makeover is part of the Downtown Parking Program Task Force’s recommendations, which called for the seismic upgrade and renovation of structures 2, 4 and 5 and demolition and replacement of 1, 3 and 6, which are the three smallest in the neighborhood. The council conceptually approved these suggestions in 2002.
The project will include artistic entry signs and light tubes at the entrances to structures 2, 4 and 5 only. All of the garages will receive a ceiling paint job with a bright color gradient that will give each a unique identity.
“The concept is a simple and economical way to enhance the appearance and differentiate the garages from one another,” the staff report states.
Structures 1, 3 and 6 will be demolished starting in late 2009 to early 2010, its interim upgrades constituting of about $260,000 each.
The Civic Center Garage is also among the parking facilities expected to receive some monetary attention by the council, which will be asked to spend about $270,000 in tenant improvement costs. Located on Alexandra Bissonnette CHANGES IN STORE: Los Angeles-based construction company AWI Builders is expected to receive a $3.3 million contract to carry out facade improvements to parking structures 1 through 6, which line Second and Fourth streets between Broadway and Wilshire Boulevard.
Fourth Street at Olympic Drive, the multistory lot is a mixed-use development that includes retail spots along the ground floor, none of which have been filled since the opening last year.
The contract with TLD Construction will make the ground and second floor spaces ready for office use by City Hall departments. The 3,500 square foot second floor designed with a full-scale restaurant operator in mind will now be sliced into two spots — one for a city department and the other for a small lunch-time cafe.
“The proposed tenant improvements are consistent with the short-term city office space goal of centralizing city services in the Civic Center for added public convenience, and will save the monthly expense of leasing private office space,” the staff report states.
MONEY FOR RECYCLING In order to meet the escalating demand for recycling bins following City Hall’s takeover of solid waste commercial services, the council will be asked to purchase nearly 2,000 receptacles. U.S. Transportation is expected to receive a $1 million contract to deliver recycling containers to local business customers. Approximately 1,100 bins will be delivered through the end of the year.
“Approximately 1,900 new bins are required in fulfilling the refuse and recycling needs of existing and new commercial customers,” the staff reported stated.
Recycling consultant GBB, which provides analysis of the Solid Waste Division’s operations, is also anticipated to receive a $50,000 raise in its contract with City Hall. The agency’s services will be called upon to assist City Hall in reviewing service agreements. long complained about the risks present in its current configuration, which they claim invites drivers to operate at a high speed. The design concepts for the project will be presented to the Planning Commission in the fall.
The council is expected to approve a $100,000 contract with Cowan Communications Arts to design outreach materials that promote sustainability, energy efficiency and other City Hall environmental initiatives. The graphic design firm will be responsible for producing advertising, outdoor signs and Web site development.
Following the goals of the Sustainable City Plan, the council is anticipated to sign a $3.4 million contract with General Petroleum to supply biodiesel fuel.
“The city strives to continue and expand its policies and programs by switching to less harmful reduced-emission fuels,” the staff report states.
The council will do more than expend money, also approving the reception of two grants totaling $1,060,000, approximately $1 million of which will come from the county’s Children and Families First Proposition 10 Commission to pay for water fluoridation.
The commission, which also goes by the name First 5 L.A. Commission, promotes early childhood development.
City Hall begin delivering fluoridated water in November 2007, an action that has been hotly contested by many Santa Monica residents. The second grant, worth about $59,500, comes from the state’s Office of Traffic Safety, paying for local DUI enforcement and awareness programs.
“The program is necessary to enhance our efforts to address and reduce further incidences of injury and fatal collisions and improve our positioning in the statewide Office of Traffic Safety rankings,” the staff report states.
The council is expected to approve a roughly $360,000 purchase of a self-contained breathing apparatus for the fire department.
The current supply of breathing apparatuses are at the end of their 15-year life-span.
The insurance-related issues of City Hall could soon be handled by Gallagher Benefits Services, which is anticipated to receive a $191,000 contract. The consultant will provide a variety of services related to employee benefits, including reviewing contracts, claims and renewals with carriers. Gallagher is being recommended based on its pricing and experience, offering 30 percent less for its services than other firms that submitted proposals.
Several staffing changes in the Transportation Management Division could lead to alterations in the recently approved budget.
City Hall is expected to hire a transportation demand program manager and upgrade a vacant transportation management specialist position to a principal planner position, leading to an increase of $166,000 in the fiscal 2008-09 budget.
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on July 23, 2008. Read the original PDF.