1 Xavier Mota
From: Ann Hoover <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, May 8, 2023 8:53 PM
To: councilmtgitems; Gleam Davis; Phil Brock; Christine Parra; Oscar de la Torre; Lana Negrete; Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick
Cc: David White; Susan Cline; Anuj Gupta
Subject: 05-09-23 Council Meeting - Item 5.J. - PLEASE PULL AND DISAPPROVE
EXTERNAL
Dear Councilmembers -
Please pull this item from the Consent Calendar and disapprove.
First - how can you approve this item as part of the Consent Calendar when the Staff Report does not even tell you what amount you'd be approving? At minimum, you need to know what dollar amount we're talking about here.
From the Staff Report:
"Financial Impacts and Budget Actions: Staff seeks authority to modify the contract agreement with Stantec Consulting Services, Inc. to extend the term through December 31, 2024. The not-to-exceed amount of the contract remains unchanged." What is that amount?? Second, based on the recent "improvements" on Broadway and 17th Street, which have DECREASED rather than increased safety (ask any local cyclist), Santa Monica has had enough of both "Vision Zero" and "Safe Routes to School".
Third, there are bike routes already in existence that enable Santa Monicans to access all elementary schools.
Fourth and most important, this item will be re-tapping LOCAL FUNDING again. At a time when Santa Monicans are being told the City is practically bankrupt due to the Uller settlements and to Staff's massive unfunded pension obligation (very few private sector employees get pensions, btw) such that the City is taking steps to sell off many of our community's public land assets, this is exactly the kind of non-essential, overkill sort of item that Council should not agree to fund at this time.
Again, please, please pull this item and disapprove.
Thank you -
Ann Bowman
Santa Monica resident 26+ years
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ITEM.5.J.
May 9, 2023
From: Ann Maggio
To: councilmtgitems
Subject: May 9 Agenda -Consent Item 5J -Agreement for the Safe Routes to School Pedestrian Improvements at Six Schools Project to extend the term
Date: Wednesday, May 3, 2023 7:13:33 PM
EXTERNAL
We all want safe routes to school, however, this agreement leaves MANY COMMUNITY QUESTIONS UNANSWERED. We all deserve accountability for how our money is spent.
Why would we extend a contract through December of 2024 when two of the six schools for the "Approval of Modification of the Professional Services Agreement for the Safe Routes to School Pedestrian Improvements at Six Schools Project to extend the term" may never reopen in their current form or at all? Should the Council continue a path or spend money to design more curb extensions when those you've already approved and built violate State and County Fire Code? The Agreement in question, No. 10968 (CCS), was entered into between the City of Santa Monica and Design Consultant on 5/19/2020. The staff requests an extension through Dec of 2024.
Since then:
1. Two of the Six schools noted in the agreement have closed/relocated - SMASH & John Muir. Given the whimsical buying frenzy by the SMMUSD Board of Education, one never knows if these schools will return to their old school site.
The latest news is that costs to repair Muir & SMASH are escalating and that "an earliest possible completion date of December 2024." First set of questions
Would extending this contract mean the consultant will be planning Safe Routes to School for SMASH kids at the Obama Campus and not at their currently shuttered site?
If so, shouldn't that be noted in the agreement?
And What about John Muir? Other schools absorbed those students and many believe that school won't be returned to the community. So what would you be approving there?
Don't you need to clarify - restate - which school sites AND the locations of those school sites in this agreement extension?
If you don't know which schools/locations you'd be approving, why would it be okay for the City Council spend our money on designs, especially if they include illegal curb extensions?
2. We've learned that the City's current curb extensions are ILLEGAL because they are out of compliance with State & County LAW, having never been approved by the Fire Dept.
Section 503.4.1 Fire Code says "Traffic Calming Measures are PROHIBITED Unless approved by the Fire Department."
The attachment for this item includes a call for curb extensions which ITEM.5.J.
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are traffic calming measures.
From agenda item 5J attachment:
• Utility relocation plans (Design Consultant have assumed minimum amount of relocations with the bulb-outs which will be coordinated with the appropriate utility company or agency)
• Storm Drain Relocation - This includes the catch basins affected by the proposed curb extensions which will require permitting by the County of LA • Pavement plans
• Landscape and irrigation plans - No Landscape and Irrigation Plans are anticipated.
Stantec will add landscape construction notes to the street plans directing the contractor to match adjacent existing conditions (i.e., concrete, grass, or DG but no irrigation) at the curb extensions.
Second set of questions
It looks like this contract places the contractor in the position of having to seek compliance with all laws including the Fire Dept approval for curb extensions. Should the City create this labor for the contractor after failing to comply with the law?
Will the City allow the contractor to overlook the law, as the City has done?
Will council direct staff to ask the SM Fire Department's approval on the curb extensions before we pay a contractor to plan for them? Will Council continue to ignore input and approval from the SM Fire Department or will you instead direct staff to ask the Fire Department to access every curb extension for each of the six schools? What about altering the contract to reflect the schools that are actively utilized?
Will Council ask staff if their plan is to circumvent the SMFD and instead seek approval from the County?
Please ask the questions and provide the community with the answers.
J.
Approval of Modification of the Professional Services Agreement for the Safe Routes to School Pedestrian Improvements at Six Schools Project to extend the term Recommended Action
Staff recommends that the City Council:
1. Adopt a finding of statutory exemption pursuant to Section 21080.25 of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and categorical exemptions pursuant to Sections 15301 and 15304 of the CEQA Guidelines.
2. Authorize the City Manager to negotiate and execute a first modification to Contract Agreement #10968 (Attachment
A) with Stantec Consulting Services, Inc. for the Safe Routes to School (SRTS) Pedestrian Improvements at Six Schools Project, to extend the term of the agreement through December 31, 2024.
Staff Report Printout
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a. Attachment A: 6 Schools Contract 10968
b. Attachment B: November 12, 2019 Staff Report (Web Link) Thank you,
Ann Maggio Thanawalla
"Unthinking respect for authority is the greatest enemy of truth." - Albert Einstein ITEM.5.J.
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A community group dedicated
to biking in Santa Monica.
Working to make the
City of Santa Monica a
more sustainable,
bikeable place to live, work and play.
May 09, 2023
Agenda Item 5J
Dear Mayor Davis, City Council and Management:
Santa Monica Spoke and the Santa Monica Safe Street Alliance support the staff recommendation to adopt a finding of statutory exemption (pursuant to Section 21080.25 of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA)) and the categorical exemptions pursuant to Sections 15301 and 15304 of the CEQA Guidelines.
We support Council to authorize the City Manager to negotiate and execute the modification to the Contract Agreement #10968 with Stantec Consulting Services, Inc. for the Safe Routes to School (SRTS) Pedestrian Improvements at Six Schools Project, to extend the term of the agreement through December 31, 2024 so these important safety enhancements can be completed as previously approved.
It is imperative that Santa Monica’s Mobility Division continues advancing its crucial safety improvements with Safe Routes to Schools (SRTS) Pedestrian Improvement with the Six Project Schools. These safety enhancements help achieve the City’s priorities of a Safe, Sustainable and Connected Community; and move us closer to the City Council’s Vision Zero commitment to eliminate serious traffic related injuries and fatalities by 2026. This project builds on the previous work with SRTS to encourage healthy active mobility with walking and bicycling by enhancing safety conditions and access surrounding the six schools: McKinley Elementary, Edison Language Academy, Santa Monica Alternative Schoolhouse (SMASH), John Muir Elementary, Franklin Elementary, and Grant Elementary.
After staffing capacity delays, due to the prioritization of other grant-funded capital projects with inflexible funding deadline requirements, this project design has resumed, however the work on this project will not be completed before the current approved contract expires.
Please approve the no-cost contract modification to extend the term to December 31, 2024, so staff has the appropriate time required to complete the important safety enhancement project.
Sincerely,
Cynthia Rose
Director, Santa Monica Spoke Cris Gutierrez
Co-Chair, Santa Monica Safe Street Alliance Co-Chair, Santa Monica Safe Streets Alliance SMSpoke.org
SaMoSafeStreets.org
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