ITEM 6-S

Council Meeting:  May 14, 1991

TO:       Mayor and City Council

FROM:     City Staff

SUBJECT:  Recommendation  to  Authorize  the  City   Manager   to
          Negotiate  and  Execute  a  Contract  with Leighton and
          Associates, Inc. for  Preparation  of  a  General  Plan
          Safety Element and EIR for the City of Santa Monica

INTRODUCTION

This staff report recommends that Leighton and  Associates,  Inc.
be  awarded  a  contract  in  the  amount of $94,482 to prepare a
Safety Element for the Santa Monica General Plan and EIR.

BACKGROUND

The purpose  of the  City's  General  Plan  is  to  identify  the
community's  land  use,  circulation, environmental, economic and
social goals  and  policies  as  they  relate  to  land  use  and
development.   Maintaining  and  implementing  the  General  Plan
provides citizens opportunities to participate  in  the  planning
and  decision making processes of the City.  California state law
requires that the City include  the  following  elements  in  the
General Plan:  land use, circulation, housing, conservation, open
space, noise and safety.  The City of Santa Monica last completed
its Public Safety and Seismic Safety Elements to the General Plan
in the mid 1970's.  Much has changed in the city since that  time
and  an  update  of  these  plans  is  necessary.   State law now
requires that  the  hazard  issues,  seismic  safety  and  public
safety,  be  combined  into a single Safety Element document.  In
light of this new state law and with recent legislation requiring
the  evaluation  of  seismic  factors  as part of the development
approval process, the City Council instructed staff to update the
Safety Element as part of the FY 1990-91 work objectives.

This Safety  Element  should  provide  for  a  comprehensive  and
decisive   plan   to   reduce  risk  through  hazard  management.
Therefore, the City is contracting  for:  1)  an  innovative  and
effective   Safety   Element  with  policies  and  implementation
programs consistent with other elements of the General Plan;   2)
a  legally defensible Environmental Impact Report (EIR); and 3) a
multipurpose  technical   background   report   with   supporting
documentation  for  the  policies  and  implementation  programs.
These programs will be aimed at redevelopment  and  abatement  of
hazards  in  existing  development  as well as examining economic
incentives/disincentives  and  post-disaster  reconstruction  and
planning.

A Request for Proposals to prepare the Safety Element and EIR for
the  City  of  Santa  Monica was issued by the Program and Policy
Development Division. The  following  firms  responded  with  bid
proposals:   1) Leighton and Associates, Inc. (with Cotton/Beland
Associates, Inc. as sub-consultant)  in  the  amount  of  $94,482
($69,024  for  the  Safety  Element  and $25,458 for the EIR) and
2) EIP Associates in the amount  of  $136,133  ($78,396  for  the
Safety  Element  and  $57,737  for  the  EIR). Staff reviewed the
proposals  and  recommends  the   selection   of   Leighton   and
Associates,  Inc.  The  proposal by Leighton and Associates, Inc.
indicated a thorough understanding of the  project;  furthermore,
Leighton  and  Associates, Inc. has an impressive track record of
project experience including the Safety Element for the County of
Los  Angeles  and  the Safety Elements for the cities of Burbank,
Culver City and Rolling Hills.

BUDGET/FINANCIAL IMPACT

Currently, the amount of $94,482 is available in Account
#01-200-266-00000-5506-00000   for   preparation  of  the  Safety
Element.

RECOMMENDATION

It is recommended  that  the  City  Council  authorize  the  City
Manager  to execute a contract with Leighton and Associates, Inc.
in the amount of $94,482 to prepare the  Safety  Element  to  the
General Plan and Environmental Impact Report.

Prepared by:  Paul Berlant, Director of LUTM
              Suzanne Frick, Planning Manager
              Paul Foley, Associate Planner