The Santa Clarita City Council on Tuesday approved steps for onsite construction of the new Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station, and passed a waste management services rate increase.
Council members voted unanimously to award and extend multiple construction contracts for Phase III-B of the 45,000-square-foot sheriff’s station, soon to rise vertically at its new location on Golden Valley Road, for a total project cost of $67.3 million.
Phase III-B of the multistep project includes the main station building, a detention facility, helipad, vehicle maintenance building, parking lot and landscaping. The total amount awarded for onsite construction is $47.3 million. Phase III-A, which consisted of work to prepare the site, like demolition and grading, is already complete, and Phase III-C, Golden Valley Road right-of-way improvements, is underway and expected to be completed by fall this year.
Investment for the station includes a total contribution of $49 million from the city, $24.3 million from funds on hand and $25 million in net proceeds from a proposed tax-exempt bond issuance, which the City Council also approved Tuesday.
The county of Los Angeles, which is working closely with the city to execute the project, has increased its contribution of $3 million to $18 million over the years.
Just last week, L.A. County 5th District Supervisor Kathryn Barger stepped up to contribute $3 million in county funds to reach the $18 million mark, according to City Manager Ken Striplin.
“Since its inception and the development of the station, Supervisor Barger has been very pleased to work with the city to make sure we have a state-of-the-art facility that really reflects our commitment to public safety as a top priority,” said Barger spokesman Tony Bell.
Said Councilwoman Laurene Weste: “I can’t think of anything that’s more important for our families and our community than have the men and women that serve to protect us every day be housed in an adequate facility that will take us into the future.”
Waste haulers annual rate adjustment
The city’s franchise agreement caps the single-family residential waste rates below those in unincorporated areas of L.A. County.
But a notice from the county last week indicated that a rate adjustment for unincorporated areas was approved. The county rate will rise from $22.72 to $23.79 come July 1, 2019. In Santa Clarita, single-family rates will be adjusted to $23.28, an increase of 2.5% as it was set at $22.72 previously.
