ITEM 6-D

Council Meeting:  April 14, 1992                     Santa Monica, California

TO:       Mayor and City Council

FROM:     City Staff

SUBJECT:  Recommendation  to  Allocate  Additional  Funds  in  the  Amount  of
          $17,453.00  to  Provide  for  the  Plumbing,  Smoke  Detection,  and
          Sprinkler System at the Civic Auditorium

Introduction

This report requests that City Council approve  an  additional  allocation  of
$17,453.00  to provide for the plumbing, smoke detection, and sprinkler system
at the Civic Auditorium.

Background

The City Council appropriated funds in the FY 1989-90 Budget  to  replace  the
Civic Auditorium plumbing system as well as install a smoke detection and fire
sprinkler system.  The existing plumbing had deteriorated over  time  and  was
the  cause  of significant leaks and water damage.  Replacement of that system
was needed to avoid future damage to the building interiors and any disruption
of  scheduled activities in the Civic Auditorium.  There was no fire sprinkler
or smoke detection system serving the entire building, so a new fire sprinkler
system, a comprehensive smoke detection and a fire alarm system were installed
to protect all major areas of the building.

A contract was negotiated with West World, Inc.  on August 8, 1990.  A  design
build  contract  was executed for the Contractor to begin work in late August,
1990.

The approved contingency was spent on unanticipated work  during  construction
of  this  project  which  included replacing the existing underground domestic
water service line, replacing rusted and deteriorated metal partitions in  the
shower  stalls  with  longer  lasting  ceramic  tiles,  and  installing  a new
communications service line from the Fire Department.

In addition,  a combination of delays in  the  construction  process  and  the
incorporation  of the unanticipated work pushed the completion date beyond the
December 1990 deadline.  This made it necessary for the contractor  to  repair
open  walls  and  ceilings  and  remove  their  operations  from  the  site to
accommodate a scheduled major tradeshow in February 1991.

Finally, the Santa Monica Fire Department requested that the main  fire  alarm
panel  be  upgraded to meet additional public safety standards.  The new panel
is a zoned system that includes a delay factor in the fire alarm.  It  assures
that  the  Civic security personnel and the stand-by fire fighters have enough
time to verify whether the alarm is a false alarm or  an  actual  fire  before
evacuating  everyone.   Although  an alarm panel was requested in the original
specifications,  the  Contractor  had  included  a  less  expensive  and  less
efficient system in their bid.

The additional work as described above  caused  the  contract  to  exceed  the
contingency by $17,453.

Budget/Financial Analysis

Initial Contract ............................$526,000.00
Contingency .................................$ 60,000.00

                                Sub-Total ...$586,000.00

Additional Contingency Funds Requested ......$ 17,453.00

                                     Total. .$603,453.00

Funds in the amount of $17,453.00 for the  completion  of  this  project,  are
available  in  Account  No.  32-740-621-25890-8911-99184, "Auditorium Plumbing
Repairs." No additional appropriation is necessary.

Recommendations

It is recommended that City Council:

     1.  Allocate additional funds in the amount of $ 17,453.00 to provide for
         the  plumbing,  smoke  detection,  and sprinkler systems at the Civic
         Auditorium.

     2.  Authorize the City Engineer to issue a change  order  in  conformance
         with the Administrative Instruction on change orders.

Prepared By:  Stanley E. Scholl, Director of General Services
              Barbara  Franklin-Moran,  Director  of Cultural and Recreational
              Services
              Anthony Antich, City Engineer
              Carole Curtin, Civic Auditorium Manager
              Craig Collier, Battalion Chief/Fire Marshal
              Steve Locati, Fire Protection Engineer