City Council to Tackle Civic Auditorium Improvements, Controversial Development

At Tuesday night's meeting, members are slated to revive some of the more heated exchanges from , on Mar. 8. The agenda also includes discussion about Bergamot Transit Village project and capital improvements at the .
 
Regarding the latter, the council is expected to approve an additional $65,000 for ongoing work by the Strategic Advisory Group, which has been paid $70,000 to date for providing financial analysis and professional assistance in negotiating a final agreement with the Nederlander Producing Co. of America. The city is hoping to revive the Civic Auditorium's onetime status as a go-to concert venue for .
 
The council will also be revisiting the Downtown Parking Plan and the Bayside Specific Plan in consideration of an ordinance that would amend the city’s municipal code, implementing the plans and thus substantially restructuring the cost and availability of parking in various city lots.

The parking topic at the Mar. 8 meeting. The council’s discussion of the proposed plans included a large number of comments from members of the public, many of whom insisted that the plans not be approved. The community response during Tuesday night's second reading and adoption is likely to be heated as well.
 
The Tuesday night agenda also includes a number of lease modifications, including two pertaining to the city-owned property at 1437 Fourth St.  The council will deliberate and hear public comment on the issue, but staff recommendations urge the council members to allow City Manager Rod Gould to make the appropriate adjustments as the five-year extension deadlines approach on two leases for that site.
 
The city is expected to save upward of $1.7 million if item 3-B is passed, modifying an existing contract for  that measure 30 feet each, because the new models would be equipped with compressed natural gas engines, rather than with hybrid designs.
 
The budget for the bus replacements dates to July 2008, when the council authorized the purchase of five gasoline hybrid buses from the firm Creative Bus Sales and included an option for the purchase of 25 additional buses at quoted prices through 2012.
 
The proposed change, involving the use of the compressed natural gas engine design, is expected to cost the city a little more than $6.25 million, including almost $400,000 in spare parts and training and a $535,000 contingency budget.
 
The council will also evaluate a proposal to complete seismic retrofit renovations for City Hall. If approved, the proposal would modify contract No. 9143 with West Valley Investment Group Inc., increasing funding to the tune of nearly $680,000, setting the final figure on the renovation costs at just over $4.5 million.
 
A discussion of election-related costs and candidate funding is planned as well. Talks surrounding have previously been quite heated.
 
The council’s staff has recommended that members consider instituting a flat election fee of $200 for candidates running for City Council, increasing the city’s campaign contribution limit to $400, and updating related provisions in the municipal code governing campaign contributions and expenditure disclosures.
 
Finally, the council will discuss a proposal that March 2011 be declared Women’s History Month in Santa Monica.