MAYOR, CHIEF CALL FOR START OF WORK ON 911 FACILITIES.

Byline: Rick Orlov Daily News Staff Writer

Defying Los Angeles Mayor Richard Riordan, the city's top bureaucrat sought another delay Wednesday in contracting for construction of new 911 emergency communication facilities that were supposed to have been built with a 1992 bond issue.

Riordan and Police Chief Bernard C. Parks plan to go public today with their anger over delays and to push for the Board of Public Works to overrule Acting City Administrative Officer Paul Cauley.

The facilities were promised to voters seven years ago under the $235 million bond issue, and contracts for two identically designed centers in West Hills and downtown were ready to be awarded when Cauley suddenly asked for a delay. He said he wants more time to study the possibility of buying the Department of Water and Power's Anthony Building in Sun Valley for one of the two centers.

``To the mayor, this is just outrageous,'' said Deputy Mayor Kelly Martin.

``In 1992, when we asked for and got voter support for this, there were more than 1 million emergency calls not answered. Now it's even worse. This project should have started two years ago.''

Given the long delays and public resentment over the 911 system's failings, Martin defied any members of the City Council to use their Proposition 5 charter powers to overturn the Board of Public Works, which is expected to go along with the mayor.

``If someone on the City Council wants to . . ., let them go ahead,'' she said.

Cauley said he believes a delay would be worth it if a 911 center in Sun Valley proved to be significantly less expensive than one in West Hills. He acknowledged that the whole process might have to start again, however, if the Anthony Building were chosen.

``We expect to have a report in a week or so, and we think it's worthwhile to have that period to look at how much of a savings there is,'' Cauley said.

``While this is certainly toward the end of the process, we would be remiss not to look at the Anthony Office Building. We are going to be criticized either way, and our position is to try to bring the best recommendation and most current to the mayor and council for a decision.''

Estimated savings by using the Sun Valley office building range from $1 million to $8 million, depending on the DWP's asking price for the property.

DWP officials believe the property is worth $60 million, while Chief Legislative Analyst Ron Deaton's staff values it at $34 million.

``Mr. Deaton is discussing it with our board,'' said DWP spokesman Frank Salas. ``There are a number of ways to value property, and we believe the midpoint is $55 million.''

Councilwoman Laura Chick, who heads the City Council's Public Safety Committee, said she is concerned about any further delays in the 911 centers but also is interested in saving the city money.

``I haven't decided what to do yet,'' Chick said. ``I want more information on this to see if there really is a savings.''

The delay would be only the latest of many in the project voters approved under a campaign slogan of Communications 2000 to upgrade the police and fire emergency communications system.

At first, officials planned to build only one center and then decided that two would be better.

The old Hughes Aircraft site at 23001 Roscoe Blvd., West Hills, was selected as one site, but a debate over the other took years to resolve. Originally, plans were to build it at the Westchester police training facility, but it was later decided to build it next to Parker Center, at an additional cost of $3.2 million.

To save money, city officials decided on the same design for the two buildings.

Complicating the matter, Cauley said delaying the decision on the Valley site would mean new bids might have to be sought for both centers.

``The bids we have in hand are for the West Hills and downtown sites, and some offer discounts if they win both,'' Cauley said.