Santa Monica Council OKs $1 Million in Expenses

Santa Monica Lookout

B e s t l o c a l s o u r c e f o r n e w s a n d i n f o r m a t i o n

Columns

The City

Send PR here.

Santa Monica Council OKs $1 Million in Expenses

Santa Monica Lookout

B e s t l o c a l s o u r c e f o r n e w s a n d i n f o r m a t i o n

Santa Monica Council OKs $1 Million in Expenses

By Lookout Staff

August 29, 2012 - - Santa Monica's City Council approved more than $1 million in expenses Tuesday night as part of the consent calendar.

The Big Blue Bus was the largest beneficiary of Tuesday's vote, receiving $470,000 for furniture and upkeep of the operations building, service and repair for the on board surveillance system and maintenance of their transit facilities.

The Council also approved a three-year $265,000 contract with Rimini Street Inc. -- a Nevada-based company -- to “provide maintenance and support for the City's payroll and financial systems,” according to City staff.

Rimini Street Inc. also works with City of Overland Park in Kansas, according to staff.

Santa Monica's Public Work's Department will get two new backhoe loaders at a total cost of $255,088 from the California-based Coastline Equipment.

“These loaders are replacing existing loaders that have reached the end of their useful life,” staff wrote.

In an attempt to be as environmentally friendly as possible, the City will buy backhoes that “can operate on B20 biodiesel,” staff said, since “off-road equipment of this type is not available in alternate fuels.”

The Council also approved a $97,000 contract with Enterprise Rent-A-Car to work with the Santa Monica Police Department.

“The Police Department utilizes rental vehicles for specialized anti-crime operations throughout the department,” staff said.

The lowest price-tag of the evening was a $28,500 modification to a contract with AON Consulting & Insurance Services, a California-based consulting firm that has been working with the City since 2008.

The original contract was for $70,000, but “in order to complete the valuation for the final year of the five-year term, staff is requesting an increase in the contract amount of $28,500 for a new not-to-exceed amount of $98,500,” according to staff.

The consent calendar wasn't all expenses.

The council also voted to accept a $100,000 grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety.

“The funds, which are only available for overtime operations, would be used to operate a one-year Selective Traffic Enforcement Program (STEP) with best practice strategies which include DUI saturation patrols, distracted driving and motorcycle safety operations,” according to staff.

In addition, the council accepted a $43,200 grant from UC Berkeley's Safe Transportation Research and Education Center.

“The funds, which are only available for overtime operations, would be used to operate a one-year Sobriety Checkpoint Grant with best practice strategies which include DUI checkpoints only,” staff said.