The City Council unanimously approved $75,000 Tuesday for an engineering firm to do an independent analysis of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority's proposal to tunnel under Beverly Hills High School for the Westside Subway Extension.

Exponent Inc., based in the San Francisco Bay area, joins the firm Shannon & Wilson on the city's team of consultants hired to review the environmental impacts of tunneling under the school. Exponent will focus on "structural engineering, geotechnical review, earthquake engineering and seismic assessment," according to a presentation by Public Works and Transportation Director David Gustavson.

"The scope of this contract is loose by design because we don't know what documents are going to be provided," Gustavson said regarding Metro's final environmental impact report, which officials expect will be released sometime this fall. "More than likely depending upon the nature and volume of the materials, we'll [request] an amendment to this agreement because $75,000 at the hourly rates that these gentleman work for isn't going to go a long way."

The council also increased Shannon & Wilson's consulting contract from $35,000 to $100,000.

Funds for both consulting teams come from a $350,000 kitty that council members approved in July.

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