San Gabriel Valley

ROSE RENEWAL: Meanwhile, the Pasadena City Council has approved spending $1 million to hire consultants to oversee a multimillion-dollar face lift of the aging Rose Bowl--without the usual competitive bidding for the work.

Rose Bowl General Manager David Jacobs told the council the three firms need to begin preliminary work immediately, so that the $22.5-million renovation approved recently for the 73-year-old stadium can begin as soon as possible. He said the quick approval would also give city officials more leverage in talks to retain the venue’s main tenant, UCLA football. The Bruins’ lease expires at the end of 1996. By approving the contracts, work could begin by Jan. 2, Jacobs said.

The council approved the hirings by a 4-3 vote after debating for nearly an hour on whether to bypass the normal competitive-bidding process, which considers factors such as low bids, location and affirmative action.

“This is not an emergency situation,” said Councilman Paul Little, who joined Councilmen William Crowfoot and Chris Holden in dissenting. “UCLA isn’t going to sign up because of this deal.”

The council agreed to pay $351,000 to Wheeler & Gray for engineering services, $138,500 to California Access Consultants for a study on access to those with disabilities, $500,000 to William R. Dorman & Associates to manage the project and $120,000 to be put into a contingency fund.