City Council Fiscal and Social Notes

The Beverly Hills City Council conducted a variety of business Tuesday at City Hall. In addition to a spate of funding appropriations, Councilwoman Nancy Krasne presented Mayor Jimmy Delshad with a sheet of dollar bills signed by U.S. Treasurer Rosie Rios.

"I was accused in this council of not having a real budget surplus," Krasne said. "So I want to leave this city—and I may leave, there's an election very shortly—I'm going to leave this city with money that cannot be rolled over."

The one-term councilwoman is up for re-election on Tuesday. According to Krasne's campaign literature, she left her 2009-10 mayoral rotation with a surplus. 

Delshad opened the last formal meeting before the new council's installation on March 22 with a proclamation for Lisa Vanderpump of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills.

"Ms. Vanderpump has been writing about Beverly Hills, has been promoting Beverly Hills and has done a lot for Beverly Hills," Delshad said. "She's not only a successful actress, philanthropist and business owner, she's also the owner of the very stylish Villa Blanca restaurant. Through Lisa's many ventures she has promoted the Beverly Hills name and its brand in a very positive manner."

Accompanied by a television camera crew, Vanderpump was quite taken by the civic recognition.

"This city is absolutely incredible," said Vanderpump, a Beverly Hills resident of six years originally from England. "Whatever business we're involved in we will continue to support and give back to the community and to reach out to people who need it."

After a briefing from Alan Schneider, director of project administration, the council OK'd an agreement with Southern California Edison for $1.4 million to retrofit parking facilities with energy-efficient equipment.

Schneider estimated that replacing equipment at or near the end of its life cycle will yield an annual savings of $300,000 on energy costs. He said the $1.4 million is covered by $150,000 in rebates and a $1.25 million loan from Edison that will be repaid "from energy savings on each monthly utility bill not to exceed 78 months," according to Schneider's accompanying PowerPoint presentation.

The council went on to approve the following list of city funds:

•  $87,486 for TruGreen Landcare's landscaping services until June 30.
• $460,534 for DMS Facility Services to provide maintenance and repair mechanical systems in city facilities.
• $65,000 plus a $4,996 contingency to "provide upfitting of various public-safety vehicles that are replacing job-worn vehicles currently assigned to the police and the fire departments," according to the meeting's agenda.
• $363,552 of federal grant money to purchase a "Mobile Advanced Technology Control Center" vehicle to support emergency first-responders.

Several finished projects were authorized for final payment outlays.

Spinitar will receive the balance of its $463,576 contract for audiovisual systems, Advanced Construction gets the remainder of $1.6 million for Greystone Park improvements and SBS Corp. will get a total $1.8 million "for the police facility and emergency operations center remodel and expansion."

The council also entered into agreements for computer and legal services.

XO Communications inked a 42-month, $251,300 deal "for network transport to the West Coast Metropolitan Area Exchange, Internet services and rack space within the One Wilshire Data Center complex in downtown Los Angeles," according to the agenda.

Lastly, Century City law firm Liebert Cassidy Whitmore was authorized to receive an additional $70,000, not to exceed $122,100 total, for negotiation and specialized services pertaining to labor law.

For an update on the council's decision to raze a 1935 apartment building on Durant Drive, click .