Recommendation to authorize City Manager to execute the Second Amendment to Agreement No. 32027 with Psomas Corporation, to increase the contract amount by $206,400 for professional construction management and inspection services for the Belmont Pool Demolition and related temporary improvements, for a revised, not-to-exceed amount of $831,400, and make any amendments necessary to extend the term, and amend the scope of work within the contract amount.  (District 3)
Thank you. I just didn't want it to be recorded. Okay. Moving on to the next item, which I believe is going to go back to the regular agenda. 17. Item 17 is a report from Parks, Recreation, Marine Department and City Manager with recommendation executed agreement with the Somers Corporation for Construction Management Services related to the Belmont Pool. Fair amount not to exceed $831,000. Can I get a motion? Councilwoman Price, you won't make the motion. Can I get the motion in a second, councilman that you want to begin? Put some comments. Can you hear on? I apologize. I wanted to ask city staff if they're available to comment on what the plans are in terms of preserving the landscaping and the trees that are there during the demolition process. Certainly, I'm going to turn this over to Tom Modica and Eric Lopez to report on how we're going to accomplish that and protect the quality of life for our neighbors. Thank you, Mr. Mayor. Councilmember. Mr. City Manager. Members of the Council. These next two items refer to the demolition of the pool. As you know, we are moving forward because of the public safety impacts of having a substandard building there on that site to demolish the pool. We have done extensive designs and and plans for how to do that while mitigating the things that need to be mitigated. There is a concern about the trees that are on the parkway and the demolition process will not be affecting those trees. And we'll actually be taking some extra precautions and talking to the residents to try to protect the root systems of those trees as well. So there are, I think, three trees on the north side of the facility that are too close to the facility that that will be impacted and two small palm trees as well. But anything on the on the grass area, the old growth trees will be preserved through the demolition process. And and so with that, we're available to answer any other questions. I think there's been some some questions about birds and birds nesting. We do have a certified bird nesting survey that we've done to make sure that there are no birds nesting in those trees. And at this time there are not. Bird nesting season starts again in January. So that's why we're asking for authority to move forward with this, that we can not have impacts on on birds that would nest and trees. And that concludes my report. I just wanted to highlight that Mr. Modica has been working very closely with members of the community, including the stakeholder committee, to come up with options for what the pool is going to look like, ultimately options that will be presented to council and the public for input. But as we move through this process, I think it's very important for us to be mindful of the impacts of the demolition on the neighbors, the residents and obviously the environment that's surrounding that. So I want to thank staff for the work that they've done and make sure that we follow up with the process of the demolition with the same care that we're doing in terms of the process that will be involved in building the new facility. So thank you. Thank you. Vice Mayor Lowenthal. Thank you, Mr. Mayor. I wanted to know if the demolition would take up staging or the staging would take up public parking for the pier. I know we've heard some concerns there or maybe even the nearby retailers, shops or residents. Vice Mayor, I will address that question. The the staging area for the contractor has been identified. And so in the area similar to what was used for the temporary pool, it's adjacent to the beach maintenance yard. It is on the east side of the temporary pool. So that's been identified as a temporary staging area. It may impact up to 40 parking stalls. The total amount, however, will be will be determined as soon as the contractor is on board. But there will be no more than 40 stalls temporarily impacted. Okay. Thank you. Public comment on the item. Good evening, Mayor. Good evening, Council. My, my. My name is mumbled. My name is Susan Miller. I've been a 20 year resident across from the pool and I am very concerned about old growth trees, existing Green Parkway and the old growth trees around the Belmont Plaza pool must remain intact. The green area and the old growth trees are public recreation maintained in the natural areas are important for the environment, wildlife, the residents and our future generations proper. Prior steps to demo must be included. A certified arborist being consulted by the city of Long Beach to make suggestions on what protection measures need to be taken to save the old growth trees around Belmont Plaza Pool. Contacting the State Fish and Wildlife Department to ensure correct protection measures are taken prior during the demo, during the construction and the building phases. So the wildlife and trees are not damaged or destroyed from researching online. The old growth trees have an extensive root system and digging into the greenbelt area located by Belmont Pool will damage and kill their root system. A safety parameter needs to be set up around the greenbelt trees so the heavy equipment isn't driven over the ground, compacting the soil that will kill the trees. The trees need to be tracked from the asbestos, the concrete dust covering the leaves and without the water. Since the irrigation system has been shut off or what is caused that the trees and the grass have not been watered. The grass is dead, it's totally brown and the trees are going into shock and the leaves are curling. The trees are nesting grounds for endangered birds that are protected. About two and a half years ago there was an extreme tree trimming that happened along the greenbelt and then the construction started for the temporary pool and that very much disturbed the nesting and migration of the birds in that area. The demo impact on the environment, the residents and the preschool needs to be seriously considered. Extra cost and consideration needs to be taken to protect the preschool children from the noise like jackhammers, wet sign the generators and endless equipment operating, let alone the asbestos and concrete dust impacting the environment, the wildlife, the children and the residents. The Green Parkway. In the old green growth trees are natural sound barriers, absorbing noises, saving all the green built in all the old growth trees are major concerns for the residents, the dog walkers, public recreation and must not be destroyed or removed. Measures must be taken to protect the natural areas, the wildlife and the neighborhood from noise, air, light pollution. Prior to any demo and building process of the pool, any encroachment into the existing Green Parkway and old growth trees is not acceptable. Thank you. Thank you. Next speaker. Good evening, mayor and city council members. It is still evening. I am Terence Anderson. I'm president of the Belmont Shore Residents Association. I've been a resident of Belmont Shore for 20 years now. I am extremely encouraged by the comments made by our third district councilwoman and by Tom Modica. I agree with the comments made by the previous speaker, Susan and I. All my notes are exactly what Susan spoke of. So I encourage you to, during the demolition process, to be mindful of not only the human residents that are around the. Area, but also. The bird wildlife that do make those trees a nesting ground and. Also for the the other. Community interests there. It's very important to us that this is done in a safe manner, and we look forward to what's coming in the future and working with the city to make sure that we have a great facility. Thank you very much. Thank you. Next speaker, please. Hello again. I'm Jeff Miller. When I spoke to you earlier, the sun was still relatively high in the sky. And here it is past my bedtime now. In the future, when we have these long hearings, maybe you could bring pizzas in. I think that would that would help us. I wanted to just go one step further about this and not repeat the same comments, but to to say that what has been allowed to happen there is really shameful that green space is now a brown space and that should not have happened, but a since it has. You can correct to that. So I would like the city to restore that to what it should be there. I live a few blocks from there and I'm over there more than once a week and there are hundreds of people a day, without exaggeration, who use that space walking through the park, their bicycling, walking, their dogs, children playing, people going to the restaurants across the street and then wandering through the park area. And it should not have been allowed to to let go the way it is now. So please restore that area and see that it's preserved during the demolition. Thank you. Thank you. Concludes the public comment for the item. There is a motion on the floor. So Members, please go and cast your votes. I. Motion carries eight votes. Okay. Next item.