The Beverly Hills City Council reconvened for its first meeting of the year on Jan. 3, hearing updates from various department heads, and details from Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) representatives on a project to replace two aging water valves on Sunset Boulevard this January and February. Meant to improve water service reliability, the project involves the replacement of two 36-inch water valves which were installed the 1950s and are currently inoperable. “These valve replacements are critical infrastructure projects for LADWP, as these valves are the first lines of defense during emergencies and catastrophic events, such as a water main break,” said Deborah Hong, LADWP Senior Public Relations Specialist. “We close these valves in order to isolate the large water mains, so then our crews are then able to perform necessary repairs to restore streets and water service to customers.”
The work involves daily lane closure during construction hours, and small stretches of sidewalk will be fenced off from pedestrian traffic. On weekdays, construction work hours will be from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., and on Saturdays from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Emergency vehicle and pedestrian access will be maintained during construction, as well as residential access. According to LADWP reps, construction for the first valve on Sunset Boulevard and Sierra Drive is expected to begin mid-January, “basically in two weeks from now.” For the first valve replacement, most of the work will take place on the sidewalk on the south side of Sunset at Sierra, with occasional eastbound curb lane closures to accommodate some construction equipment. Construction on the second valve, on Sunset Boulevard at Alpine Drive, is slated to start mid-February. Since the valve is in the middle of the roadway, eastbound and westbound traffic will be reduced to one lane in each direction on Sunset between Foothill Road and Alpine Drive. During this time, two traffic officers will help guide and control traffic in both directions. The trench will be plated daily after work hours, and both replacement projects are expected to be completed by March.
One of several items that was unanimously approved by the Council included an amendment of the Rent Stabilization Ordinance that removes provisions that allow a landlord to evict a tenant for the purposes of remodeling. The Council also approved an ordinance that permanently codifies the regulations of Urgency Ordinance No. 21-O-2833 related to the adjustment of lot lines that can create or expand lots across the jurisdictional boundaries of Beverly Hills, and a change order that increased the total not to exceed purchase order amount with Nastec International, Inc. from $2,315,570.00 to $2,576,310.49 for fiscal year 2022-2023. The increase of $260,740.49 will be allocated specifically for security patrol services.
The Council also approved the establishment of a Beverly Hills City Council/Holocaust Memorial Ad Hoc Committee, tasked with exploring the possibility of a Holocaust Memorial in the city. Mayor Lili Bosse appointed Councilmember John Mirisch and herself to serve on the committee. To ensure the continuation of government operations in the event of an emergency, the Council also adopted a resolution approving individuals as standby officers for Councilmembers.
Beverly Hills City Manager Nancy Hunt-Coffey also announced the appointment of Keith Sterling, who has served as Chief Communications Officer since 2021, to the position of Deputy City Manager.
