By Brett Callwood
At the City Council meeting on the evening of Tuesday, March 26, the council approved Item 15A, which called for approval of an “agreement among South Bay cities for the joint use of a Surveillance Sky Tower and Tow Vehicle obtained using 2020 State Homeland Security Grant program fund.”
The five cities haring the Sky Tower, as well as Gardena, are Redondo Beach, Hermosa Beach, Manhattan Beach, and Palos Verdes Estates.
“The Sky Tower is a specialized piece of equipment which provides the capability to rapidly launch and capture live video during events and critical incidents,” reads the staff note. “The Sky Tower can help the Police Department respond faster to calls for service, gather intelligence, increase protection for large crowds, monitor events, and provide a strategic perspective for Police Department personnel. The Sky Tower provides a unique physical presence that is a highly visible deterrent for criminal activity.”
The grant funds provided $337,928 for the five cities to purchase specific equipment to “increase the security and surveillance capabilities of the participating agencies at large-scale events.”
In this instance, Redondo Beach took the lead and purchased the Surveillance Sky Tower from Atlantic Diving Supply, Inc. for $253,202.
After a request for confirmation from Council Member Paulette Francis that the police department won’t be requiring additional funding for the equipment, the item passed.
Later, the council approved the Engineer’s Report for the Gardena Artesia Boulevard Landscaping Assessment District for “fiscal year 2024-2025,” and the “Consolidated Street Lighting Assessment District for fiscal year 2024-2025.”
A Professional Engineering Design Services contract was awarded “for the Local Street Improvements Fiscal Years 2023-2024 Project, JN 525, to DMS Consultants, Inc. in the amount of $139,730.”
Finally, planning services were awarded for the “Vacant and Underutilized Lot Inventory in the City of Gardena to KTUA, Inc. in the amount of $165,425.”
