By Lookout Staff

June 10, 2015 -- Just as they have for the past 20 years, residents will continue being able to tune into live broadcasts of Santa Monica City Council meetings, after members Tuesday night extended the City’s contract with a local public radio station.

Part of a longish list of consent calendar items on Tuesday’s agenda, the three-year deal with the Santa Monica Community College District (SMCCD) for live meeting broadcasts twice a month on district-owned 88.9 FM KCRW includes a 3 percent per year increase over the previous contract, staff said in a report

Extending an agreement due to expire June 30, the new contract provides SMCCD $86,403 in the first year, $88,995 in the second and $91,665 in the third year of the deal, for a total not to exceed $267,063 through 2017-18.

Santa Monica has contracted with the college district for the service for more than 20 years, staff said. SMCCD owns “the only public radio station of general interest currently located in the City limits,” said staff.

Council meetings go out live to KCRW’s potential 552,000 listeners in Los Angeles and Orange counties, as well as its satellite stations in Greater Palm Springs, Oxnard and Ventura, the Mojave and Antelope valleys, and other stations across Southern California, said staff.

In other consent calendar business, Council members awarded a contract not to exceed $300,000 to private contractor STL Landscape Inc. for a drainage project to shore up eroding bluffs at Pacific Palisades Park, and members also contracted RSB Group for a project to upgrade the Santa Monica Pier South Stairs.

Slated to be completed by January, the project will widen the wooden stairs from 5 to 10 feet, in response to Santa Monica Police Department concerns that the narrower stairways can’t handle big crowds evacuating in an emergency.

City officials said a public outreach campaign will keep residents and visitors up to date on the progress of construction and when the work requires people to use detours.

Council members also approved a contract not to exceed $400,000 through June 2018 with Vector-US Inc. to operate Santa Monica Airport’s landing fee program, which involves keeping records of aircraft operations and other consulting services.

Also approved by the Council Tuesday were contracts for maintenance work and office supplies, employee equipment and other services, including a three-year contract with S&J Supply Co. for water infrastructure repairs and preventative maintenance.