SR-904-001-02 (9)
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OCT 9 1979
Santa Monica~ Callfornia October 2, 1979
TO:
Mayor and City Council
FROt1 :
City Staff
SUBJECT:
City Attorney's Staff Office Addition
Introduction
This report recommends that the City Council appropriate S650~OOO for the
construction of a City Hall addition to the Attorney's staff offices.
Background
Recent increases ln the number of staff of the City Attorney's offlce have
resulted in a sltuation where 24 people includlnq attorneys~ legal assistants,
secretarles, and clerks are cramped into 2,200 square feet of offices. Also,
the addltion of books~ files~ and business machlnes have further aggravated
the crowded conditions. Noise and congestion have decreased productivity in
the Clty Attorney's office.
On August 15, 1979~ the staff of the City Attorney1s office made a presentatlon
to Council regarding this matter. It is proposed to construct an additlon to
the eXlsting third floor offlces of the City Attorney, lncluding relocation of
the employee lounge. The remodeled offices will include a separate conference
room, library, flle room, and word processing area, and will include a private
offlce for each attorney. The square footage of the staff area will be approx-
imately 5,600 square feet, allowlng approximately 1,100 square feet for future
expansion.
The employee lounge relocation wll1 amount to an addltional l~lOO
square feet.
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OCT 9 1979
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TO: Mayor and City Council
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October 2, 1979
The staff considered other alternatives to provide the needed space, includin9:
1) purchase or long term lease of space in a downtown off1ce building;
2) leasing a portion of the Court building; and 3) adding to City Hall in
other ways. The addition shown is the most economical and has the advantage
of retaining proxlmity to the Court, the Police Center, and the City Hall.
The preliminary estimate of funds required for the addition, furnishings, remodel-
ing of the eXlsting offices, architectural fees, and contlngencies is $650,000.
The proposed construction can be built in such a way so that the new addition
is finished and occupied before the remodeling of the existing off1ces begins,
thus minimizlng interference wlth eX1sting operations of the Attorney's offlce.
If it is desired to temporarily relocate the Attorney's office, it will cost
an additional amount of approximately $30,000 for office rental for nine months
(4,000 square feet at 80~/sq. ft. x 9 months). It is possible that a portion
of this amount may be recovered because the contractor may bid a lesser amount
if he 1S not required to work around the office occupants.
Recommendation
It 1S recommended that $650,000 be appropriated from General Fund Reserves for
constructlon of the City Attorney's Office Addition including new employee
lounge and sun deck and that the staff be directed to begin worklng drawings for
the addition and remodeling.
Prepared by:
Stan Scholl
Richard Kn1ckerbocker and Staff
Preliminary Plans are available for inspection In City Clerk's Office.