City Council
Report
City Council Meeting: May 14, 2019
Agenda Item: 3.B
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To: Mayor and City Council
From: Susan Cline, Director, Public Works, Office of Sustainability & the Environment
Subject: Award Agreement with Heal the Bay for Santa Monica Pier Aquarium Educational Consulting Services and Administering the Coastal Cleanup Day Activities, and Adopt Parking Resolution for Coastal Cleanup Day Recommended Action
Staff recommends that the City Council:
1. Authorize the City Manager to negotiate and execute an agreement with Heal the Bay, a California-based non-profit organization, for Santa Monica Pier Aquarium educational consulting services and programming for students at public and private schools located in Santa Monica and to administer the annual Coastal Cleanup Education Day and Coastal Cleanup Day activities for the Public Works Department. This recommended award is made as an exception to the competitive bidding process pursuant to Section 2.24.080(d) and is for a total amount not to exceed $150,000, over a five-year period.
2. Adopt the attached resolution allowing school buses, staff, and volunteers to park at city-owned beach parking lots at no cost, corresponding to the day and time duration of the Coastal Cleanup Education Day and Coastal Cleanup Day.
Summary
The City Council has consistently recognized the importance of fostering a sustainable community, particularly since the Santa Monica Sustainable City Plan was adopted in 1994. As a coastal community, the health of the ocean and beach ecosystems are central to those concerns. Heal the Bay, through the Santa Monica Pier Aquarium, has been an essential partner in developing and delivering educational programming that aligns with and promotes Santa Monica’s long-term sustainability goals. Heal the Bay provides educational and outreach services for K-12 public and private schools and coordinates the Coastal Cleanup Education Day and Santa Monica’s participation in Coastal Cleanup Day. Staff recommends awarding a five-year agreement with Heal the Bay as an exception to competitive bidding per Municipal Code 2.24.080 (d) to continue ongoing Santa Monica Pier Aquarium educational programming and to coordinate the 2 of 4
Coastal Cleanup Education Day and Coastal Cleanup Day. Staff also recommends approving a resolution allowing student groups and volunteers associated with the annual Coastal Cleanup Education Day and Coastal Cleanup Day to park in select Cityowned beach parking lots at no cost, on the day and hours specified, for the term of the agreement.
Discussion
For many years, staff have worked closely with Heal the Bay to tailor educational programs and curriculum to correlate with Sustainable City Plan goals as well as the Engaged and Thriving Community and Climate Change outcomes in the City’s Framework for A Sustainable City of Wellbeing.
Heal the Bay, as operator of the Santa Monica Pier Aquarium, is in a unique position to provide K-12 environmental education trainings and programming designed to raise awareness of coastal geography and the ocean environment while teaching science, conservation, pollution prevention and personal responsibility through stewardship.
These trainings emphasize the importance of environmental and public health, civic participation, and environmental justice.
Heal the Bay has provided trainings, workshops and field trips for approximately 12,000 students from across Los Angeles County and 2,500 Santa Monica K-12 students each year.
Coastal Cleanup Day is an international day of action to protect our oceans, watershed, and wildlife from trash and debris. Statewide, the event is coordinated by the California Coastal Commission. The County of Los Angeles, the City of Los Angeles, and the City of Long Beach, among others, participate. In the past, Heal the Bay has coordinated the Santa Monica portion of the event, which draws approximately 4,000 volunteers each year. These volunteers remove plastic and other debris and receive education on how such materials affect the Santa Monica watershed and tidal wetlands, and how they can take steps to prevent future pollution. Heal the Bay has promoted the event, organized 3 of 4
volunteers and reported on the impacts of the program, including the number of volunteers on Santa Monica beaches and amount of debris removed.
Planning these events includes organizing volunteers, handling media and marketing, providing data on volunteer participation rates, and reporting on the amount of waste collected specific to the item type and units and/or weight of items collected. As part of this effort, school buses, staff, and volunteers associated with these two events need to park in select City-owned beach parking lots. Staff recommends allowing this parking at no cost, for the day and hours specified, for the term of this agreement.
To help encourage participation, and to be consistent with the County of Los Angeles and the City of Long Beach, which have historically waived parking fees for Coastal Cleanup Day participants, staff recommends that the Council approve the attached resolution, which would waive parking fees in beach parking lots for student buses and teaching staff on Coastal Cleanup Education Day, and for event volunteers on Coastal Cleanup Day. The parking passes would be valid specific to the hours of the programming. Staff requests that approximately 1,350 parking passes be issued over the course of the two single-day events each year. The maximum beach parking lot rate is $14.00. If approved, the City could incur a reduction in annual beach parking revenues of approximately $18,900.
Vendor Selection
Exception to Competitive Bidding
Staff recommends that Heal the Bay be retained to provide services for public education programming and event management as an exception to competitive bidding per Muni Code
2.24.080 (d). As Heal the Bay operates the Santa Monica Pier Aquarium and coordinates the Coastal Cleanup Day activities for the County of Los Angeles, they are uniquely situated and qualified to offer operational or economic efficiencies for the contracted beach-related activities.
Heal the Bay is a long-standing partner in meeting community sustainability goals and were the sole respondent in past bidding cycles.
d. Only one vendor possesses the unique ability or capability to meet the particular requirements of the solicitation, such as a good or service that is copyrighted, patented or otherwise only available from one license holder.
Financial Impacts and Budget Actions
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Staff seeks authority to award an agreement with Heal the Bay for Santa Monica Pier Aquarium educational consulting services and programming for students at public and private schools located in Santa Monica and to administer the annual Coastal Cleanup Education Day and Coastal Cleanup Day activities.
Agreement Request
Request Amount
FY 2018-19 Budget
Public Works Department Account #
Total Contract
Amount
$30,000 01500003.552010.55122 $150,000
Future year funding is contingent on Council budget approval.
If the attached resolution is approved, parking fees for Coastal Cleanup Education Day and Coastal Cleanup Day activities could decrease annual beach parking revenues by approximately $18,900.
Prepared By: Andrew Basmajian, Sustainable Outreach Coordinator Approved Forwarded to Council
Attachments:
A. Heal the Bay Oaks initiative Disclosure Form
B. Heal the Bay Parking Resolution