Story Created:
Aug 26, 2010 at 10:48 AM PST
Story Updated:
Aug 26, 2010 at 10:48 AM PST
NORWALK — The City Council has formally applied for a $4.89 million grant from the Federal Transit Administration to purchase new buses.
Transportation Director James Parker said the money will be used to purchase four 40-foot buses using alternate fuels such as gasoline hybrids to replace buses that have reached their 12-year useful life expectancy.
Estimated cost is $2.23 million from the federal government and a local match of $248,000 from the city for a total of $2.48 million.
Additional costs include bus parts and components, $150,000; maintenance service equipment, $108,000; on-board video security surveillance equipment for each bus, $75,000; preventative maintenance in the coming years, $1 million; and transportation office equipment, $224,036.
Parker said about $600,000 will be used for infrastructure improvements at the Transportation Center at Imperial Highway and Bloomfield Avenue and the adjoining Metrolink station.
In other action Aug. 17, the council:
• Contracted with California Marquee, lowest of four bidders at $31,818, to erect a new marquee on the north lawn of City Hall, 12700 Norwalk Blvd., for computerized community messages at the corner of Norwalk Boulevard and Imperial Highway. The current marquee has not been working for several weeks and because of its outdated technology and the inability to find replacement parts it could not be repaired, City Manager Ernie Garcia said.
There is a one-year guarantee on labor and parts are covered for five years, he said. Completion is expected in 12 weeks.
• Directed city staff to seek bids for the repair of the roof on the Arts and Sports Center Complex, 13200 Clarkdale Ave. Cost is estimated at $200,000, Garcia said. Bids are due Sept. 9. Work will start in September and be completed in November, Garcia said.
• Sitting as the Housing Authority, the council hired the firm of Program Compliance Solutions of Thousand Oaks to investigate fraudulent claims among Section 8 housing applicants for a fee of $25,000 a year. Garcia said in the past the city has been successful in recovering money paid out to fraudulent housing claimants and has recovered $108,310 in fraudulent rental payments the past three years.
But a private investigator is required this year by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, which funds the Section 8 program, Garcia said.
The Housing Authority consists of Vice Mayor Jesse Luera, who is chairman; Councilman Rick Ramirez, vice chair on the Authority; and Council members Cheri Kelley and Mike Mendez; and two Section 8 renters — Cynthia Clemente and Gustavo Lopez.
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