Honorable Mayor and Members of the Hermosa Beach City Council Regular Meeting of October 13, 2016
Title
DOWNTOWN BEAUTIFICATION/CLEANLINESS UPDATE
(Assistant to the City Manager Nico De Anda-Scaia)
Body
Background:
Following concerns related to the general appearance and cleanliness of our downtown (specifically the following areas: Lower Pier Ave., Hermosa Ave., Parking lots A-C, Pier Plaza, The Pier and Strand), staff have compiled the following summary of the City’s current and ongoing beautification and cleaning efforts. Moving forward, City Council is being asked to consider at what level and where specifically they would like the City to concentrate current and/or additional resources to enhance overall downtown beautification/cleanliness.
As part of the FY 2016-17 budget, City Council approved $45,484 toward additional trash pickups downtown. This amount resulted from savings incurred by combining a newly proposed Code Enforcement Officer position and an existing part-time Fire Inspector position into a full-time permanent Code Enforcement/Fire Inspector position. In June of 2013, staff presented to a prior City Council a plan for enhanced steam cleaning services. $83,115 was approved for steam cleaning enhancements at that time. Staff plans to return in December for a formal review of steam cleaning enhancements.
Current Efforts:
The City currently contracts with Athens Services and Los Angeles County Beaches and Harbors for the cleaning of our downtown. The services listed below depict those service levels last-approved by City Council.
Downtown Streetscape
• Power washing of sidewalks: once-per-week;
• Street sweeping:
o Citywide streets: once-per-week
o Narrower streets/walk streets/drives: 5 days-per-week
o Pier Avenue: 5 days-per-week
Parking Lots A, B and C
Per the City’s contract with Athens, the scope of work states that parking lots A & B are to be swept 5 days-per-week. However, this schedule was decreased to 2 days-per-week for Lot A and 1 day-per-week for Lot B per management’s direction several years ago following complaints from residents regarding restricted overnight parking. Council may choose to reconsider this arrangement moving forward.
Power sweeping, stairwell cleaning and trash pick-up is done twice-per-week in the City’s downtown Parking Structure (Lot C). Elevator cleaning in this structure is done on a daily basis.
The Plaza, Pier and Strand
Sweeping/Steam cleaning
• Sweeping of the Strand: 7 days-per-week
• Power washing of the Strand: once-per-month;
• Public Works has recently selected a ride-on-scrubber after demoing several versions. The scrubber is expected to significantly enhance cleanliness along the Strand and can be used in other areas. A cost estimate for operating the scrubber is currently pending from Athens.
Restrooms
• Beach restrooms cleaning: twice-per-day (currently contracted with LA County);
• Park restrooms cleaning: once-per-day.
• Pier restroom improvements planned for completion by end-of-year. Upgrades will include improvements to flooring, fixtures, walls and other moderate rehab totaling less than $15,000.
Trash Pick-up and Solar Trash Compactors
• Trash can services: once-per-day (downtown and the Strand);
• As a separate consent item this evening, Staff are requesting funding to purchase eight solar wifi-enabled trash compactors. These units would replace all cement trash receptacles on Pier Plaza. The compactors allow for public messaging, wifi access in the direct vicinity of pier plaza, and will be wrapped with the City’s ‘Healthy Air Hermosa’ branded messaging.
Plaza Light Posts
• Staff are currently looking at samples for custom weather-resistant light posts to replace the existing lights along Pier Plaza. Initial design selections match our downtown branding color scheme with bronze posts, and include a dolphin design.
Plaza Tree Grates
• Staff have met with grate manufacturers to explore opportunities for expanding the bronze kelp design of our Pier Avenue tree grates throughout Pier Plaza for continuity. Per the City Attorney’s recommendation, staff expect to issue the RFP for this project by end of October of this year and hope to return to Council in late November for final contract approval. CIP#15-670 has funds in the amount of $166,905 available for this project.
Benches
• Staff have ordered new benches customized with the City’s logo to replace existing wooden benches throughout the plaza. These are scheduled to arrive by October 17th.
Signage
• Over the past few months, the City has begun replacing existing faded signage in our downtown/Plaza areas. Tattered/faded banners and signs have been removed and upgrades are ongoing.
Increased Enforcement (Pollution abatement)
• Per Council’s direction, City code enforcement officials have begun aggressively enforcing the City’s health/environment-related ordinances throughout the City, with added attention being given to our public spaces and downtown areas. Code Enforcement updates on contacts-made and actual citations are available upon request.
Next Steps:
City staff plan to return in December for Council direction and funding related to enhanced cleaning services. In the meantime, the Public Works Department is increasing downtown sweeping of Hermosa Avenue from 10th to 15th Street to 5 days a week, as currently done on upper Pier Avenue (this service increase is being added at no extra cost).
Attachments:
1. Current Athens Cleaning Schedule
2. Miscellaneous Downtown Beautification Enhancements
Respectfully Submitted by: Nico De Anda-Scaia, Assistant to the City Manager
Concur: Andrew Brozyna, Public Works Director
Approved: Tom Bakaly, City Manager