City of Benicia This Week
read it - watch it - like it - share it
In this edition: Benicia Vaccine Clinic a Source of Pride, Expanded COVID Vaccine Access, Public Camera Community Meeting Monday, Spring Forward and Check Your Detectors, Free Compost Giveaway, Wireless Printing for Curbside Pickup, COVID Assistance
Message from the City Manager
March 8, 2021

Hello Everyone,
Last week I discussed the Council Priority Setting Workshop (morning session, afternoon session) and the confirmation of the strategic goals of the City:

  1. PROTECT COMMUNITY HEALTH AND SAFETY
  2. MAINTAIN AND ENHANCE A HIGH QUALITY OF LIFE
  3. PRESERVE AND ENHANCE INFRASTRUCTURE
  4. STRENGTHEN ECONOMIC AND FISCAL CONDITIONS
  5. PROTECT AND ENHANCE THE ENVIRONMENT
  6. HIGH PERFORMING GOVERNMENT

(To view, click Morning Session and Afternoon Session.) For each strategic goal, Council determined a number of priority projects for the City to focus on in the coming year and beyond. The idea behind establishing the priority projects is to ensure that staff and funding remain focused on projects that are aligned with the City’s goals and determined to be the top priorities of the community. One of the most significant projects that was validated by Council was to fix our roads.
 
Many of you are likely aware our roads are in very rough shape. The Pavement Condition Index (or PCI) is the generally accepted measure of the condition of a given roadway. It is a numerical index between 0-100, with 0 being the worst and 100 the best. Our roads are currently being reexamined, however it is likely that our PCI number will be somewhere between 45-55, which is in the ‘poor’ category. One of the real problems with that is quite simply that the lower your number the exponentially more expensive the repairs and maintenance become. Instead of simply getting some sealing, you begin to talk about major road repairs or even rebuilding…very costly. And unfortunately our PCI trend has been going the wrong direction. We must take action now to reverse that, and Council has made this a priority.
 
Council wisely put a substantial amount of the budget surplus from previous budgets towards our roads, as well as setting aside other funds. This will allow us this summer to have one of the largest pavement projects in the history of Benicia (since initial developments went in) with over 5 million dollars-worth of roadwork to be completed.
 
We have also been directed to return to Council with a 5-year plan to return our PCI to at least 70…and keep it there. To say this will be challenging would be an understatement. But it can and must be done. Not just for the sake of our community, but for the sake of good fiscal responsibility for our future. If we can get our PCI to 70, we can also come up with fiscally sound plan to maintain it there rather than investing good money after bad in repairing broken roads. It will take the support of the community to make this happen, but staff’s commitment is to make it happen in alignment with our vision of providing the most excellent service in government service.

Thank you for your interest in the City of Benicia This Week!

Erik Upson
City Manager
City News
Benicia Vaccine Clinic a Source of Pride
Last Tuesday was a very positive and reaffirming day in our community. The City of Benicia hosted Solano County Public Health's second dose COVID-19 vaccine clinic for seniors who received their first dose on February 2. In a message from City Manager Erik Upson to staff he said, “I just wanted to take a moment this evening to thank all of you. Today was another wonderful success, thanks to your hard work and uplifting spirit. I received so many compliments and saw so many of our seniors truly touched by what we accomplished.”

A couple of stories from the day:
  1. Two staff members were asked to help unfreeze vials when it got backed up inside the senior center. Said one, “30+ years ago when I got into public service I would have never imagined being told to hold and unfreeze a vaccine vial and hold it gently like a baby bird…but SOOO honored to be a part of the event today.”
  2. “I just wanted to thank you for allowing me the privilege of helping at the clinic today. Several times I was almost moved to tears at the gratefulness and joy the Seniors expressed to me. My favorite moment was when I was shuttling a Senior to the start of the check in process. She was very proud and really didn’t want a ride. I convinced her and when we pulled up I said “do you need help getting out?” She said NO. Right then she looked up and a very handsome police officer offered her his hand. She almost jumped into his arms. She was 97. That’s how I want to be when I ‘grow up’.”

Thanks go to City staff and elected officials for all the planning and execution but special thanks go to all the community partners that came together to help nearly 1,500 Solano County seniors get vaccinated in the two clinics. If we missed thanking anyone, we are truly sorry, but know that your efforts made a difference:
  • Solano County Public Health for permission, review of plans, inspection of facilities and vaccines to make the clinics possible.
  • Kaiser Permanente for providing the staff to administer the vaccines.
  • Carquinez Village for providing assistance in notifying Benicia seniors and volunteered at the vaccine clinics and phone bank.
  • SolTrans for providing shuttle service from area parking lots to the Benicia Senior Center to ease parking congestion.
  • Medic Ambulance for providing staff to assist in administering vaccines and observing seniors for adverse reactions to injections.
  • Six Flags Discovery Kingdom for providing wheelchairs so that seniors with mobility issues could remain in a wheelchair throughout the entire process.
  • Valero Benicia Refinery for purchasing meals for all volunteers and staff from a local restaurant for both vaccination clinics.
  • Benicia Unified School District for lending golf carts to help shuttle seniors from nearby parking.
  • Rotary Club of Benicia and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter -day Saints, Benicia Ward for assisting at neighborhood crosswalks to ensure the safety of seniors walking to the clinics or parking nearby.

To find out when and where to get your COVID-19 vaccine, visit www.solanocounty.com/covidvaccine. Click “Vaccine Interest Form” and sign up to get first notification of upcoming Solano County vaccine clinics for which you qualify.
Expanded COVID Vaccine Access
Solano County Public Health has expanding access to COVID-19 vaccination doses for individuals who work in Emergency Services, childcare, Solano schools looking to reopen, as well as food and agriculture (ex. farm, restaurant, and grocery store workers). To be notified about future vaccine clinics, please fill out the bit.ly/SolanoVaccineInterestForm.
Public Camera Community Meeting Monday
Last month, the Benicia Police Department held a virtual community meeting to meet the newest police chief, Mike Greene, and to discuss an upcoming project that may be of interest.

The Police Department is planning on implementing Public Safety Cameras/License Plate Readers in the community to help fight crime and keep this city safe and desirable. If you missed the previous meeting, the Police Department is hosting a second one on Monday, March 8, 5:30 – 6:30 p.m. During this meeting, representatives from the PD and the camera vendor will present information on the project, covering topics that include the reason for the project, the technical aspects, and how it would benefit this community. There will also be a time for Q&A.
 
Registration is required to receive the meeting link: https://zoom.us/meeting/register/tJcqduqvrzotG9TgJMpr54WYFGVjfvkubAxh
 
If you have any questions or concerns prior to the meeting, please contact Executive Assistant to the Police Chief Kelly Botello at kbotello@ci.benicia.ca.us. In the meantime, here are a few links that can help the Police Department work more closely with you to prevent crime and arrest those who victimize our community:
Spring Forward and Check Your Detectors
Daylight Saving Time starts on Sunday, March 14. The Benicia Fire Department encourages you to check your smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors while changing your clocks to “spring forward”. Test your alarms every month, replace batteries every year, and replace alarms every ten years.
 
According to the U.S. Fire Administration, three out of five home fire deaths result from fires in properties without working smoke alarms. US FEMA suggests installing interconnected smoke alarms so that when one sounds, they all sound. Put smoke alarms inside and outside each bedroom and sleeping area, along with every level of the home. When you hear a smoke alarm, get everyone outside and safe in under 2 minutes.
 
If you have questions about smoke and carbon monoxide detector safety, call the Benicia Fire Department at 707.746.4275.
Free Compost Giveaway
Spruce up your garden for planting this spring with compost from the Free Compost Giveaway on Saturday, March 20, 9 a.m. - 2 p.m. at the East E St Parking Lot. The Giveaway is by appointment only for crowd control and safety. For instructions and to sign up, visit calendly.com/recycle1/BeniciaCompost. Sponsored by Republic Services, this event is for Benicia residents only.

How can your garden help the community? Consider planting an extra row of food for Food is Free Solano or Food Bank of Contra Costa and Solano.
Wireless Printing for Curbside Pickup
Printer down at home or work?  Need to print from your phone or laptop? Send them via the web to Benicia Public Library and they'll be delivered to you curbside. Just visit www.benicialibrary.org/wireless-printing-curbside and follow the instructions.
  • Job stays on the server for 10 hours. 
  • Monday - Friday only.
  • 10 page limit per day and they are free.
  • You will need your job ID for us to print. It is assigned to you when you register and it is provided to you when you send your print job.
COVID Assistance
Find resources and information for seniors, local food access, basic needs and rental assistance, mental health, stress and coping, and more courtesy of Solano County Public Health. Benicia residents in need of help during these difficult times may find assistance through these local resources:
Save the Date
Modified service due to COVID-19
City Hall is open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. If you require entrance to City Hall offices outside of these hours, please make arrangements with staff from the department that you will be visiting.

All visitors shall be required to enter City Hall from East L street through the door located on the left (East) side of the building closest to the Post Office. Please check in with the staff person at the designated Welcome Window.

You will be required to wear a face covering over both your nose and mouth for the duration of your visit to City Hall. Please maintain 6 feet of social distancing between other visitors and staff. Do not visit City Hall if you are experiencing symptoms of COVID-19. Appointments can always be rescheduled.
City of Benicia This Week is published each Monday morning. Previous editions are available here. We also communicate on Nextdoor.com and AlertSolano.com. Sign up now!