SR 05-14-2019 3B
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
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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 City-
owned 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 4,0 00 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
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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
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City Council Meeting: May 14, 2019 Santa Monica, California
RESOLUTION NUMBER _________ (CCS)
(City Council Series)
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL
OF THE CITY OF SANTA MONICA AUTHORIZING THE CITY OF SANTA MONICA
TO OFFER PARKING AT NO COST AT ITS CITY OWNED BEACH PARKING LOTS
TO STUDENT GROUPS AND VOLUNTEERS OF COASTAL CLEANUP DAYS 2019-
2028 SPECIFIC TO HOURS OF PROGRAMMING
WHEREAS, Heal the Bay is coordinating “Coastal Cleanup Education Day” and
"Coastal Cleanup Day;" and
WHEREAS, the City of Santa Monica is providing funding to Heal the Bay for these
events; and
WHEREAS, approximately 425 students and 4,000 volunteers to clean up Santa
Monica beaches each year; and
WHEREAS, the City of Santa Monica operates beach parking lots located at the
Santa Monica Beach, as well as other parking facilities and parking lots in the Downtown
area (Parking Structures 1 through 9), at the Main Library, the Civic Center, the Main
Street area, and the Santa Monica Pier; and
WHEREAS, the City Council is authorized to set parking rates and permit fees, by
resolution, for the City’s parking lots and parking facilities; and
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WHEREAS, students and volunteers of Coastal Cleanup Education Day and
Coastal Cleanup Day need access to park in Santa Monica Beach Parking Lots 1N, 4S
and 5S.
NOW, THEREFORE, THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SANTA MONICA
DOES RESOLVE AS FOLLOWS:
SECTION 1. The City Council of the City of Santa Monica hereby waives the
parking fees in Santa Monica Beach Parking Lots 1N, 4S, and 5S to student groups and
volunteers of Coastal Cleanup Education Day and Coastal Cleanup Day for the years
2019-2024, subject to the supervision of the City Parking Administrator.
SECTION 2. The City Clerk shall certify to the adoption of this Resolution, and
thenceforth and thereafter the same shall be in full force and effect.
APPROVED AS TO FORM:
_________________________
LANE DILG
City Attorney
REFERENCE:
AGREEMENT NO. 10839 (CCS)
&
RESOLUTION NO. 11169 (CCS)