City of Benicia This Week
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In this edition: Holiday Closure, COVID Vaccine Update, Park Improvement, Eastern Gateway Workshop This Week, Take the Survey and Enter to Win, Thanks to Public Works Crew
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Message from the Interim City Manager |
January 18, 2021
Hello Everyone,
Continuing my focus on volunteerism, today I focus on a very special group looking out for our seniors, the Carquinez Village.
Benicia is an amazing community, and it has an especially vibrant senior population. In fact, while the median age in California is 36.5 and in Solano County it’s 36.9, in Benicia its 43.0…and rising. I first became aware of this unique phenomena in conversations with Terry Scott of our Arts & Culture Commission several years ago, and it helped me realize the importance of addressing the impact of this on our community in regards to providing public safety.
In my travels and in the great fortune I’ve had in being embraced by my wife’s culture through her amazing Filipino family, I’ve seen how families and cultures can embrace, nurture and thus extend the quality of life for their elders. What if we, as a community , could do the same? That is just what Carquinez Village is about. Carquinez Village is a nonprofit founded in 2017. It doesn’t have a physical space because it’s really more about helping seniors age in place with peace of mind as part of a ‘vibrant community of older adults’. The volunteers are mostly seniors themselves. They have 100 members and 50 direct service volunteers. In their first pre-Pandemic years their primary service was transportation. Now they have pivoted and their primary service has become ‘friendly contacts’. I can only imagine how wonderful and important that service is to seniors largely cut-off from any social contacts, even if via Zoom. They also do errands, grocery shopping, garden chores, and even provide technical assistance (you can imagine how important that is for seniors right now!).
During the Pandemic they have been working closely with other nonprofits to deliver food to seniors in need. They have expanded the number of programs they offer via Zoom, in an effort to support one of their key goals in keeping seniors mentally active and engaged.
They do still provide transportation for doctor visits and, critically, will be assisting seniors in getting to their vaccination appointments! Details on the vaccine rollout are shared in an article below.
Since being introduced to Susan Neuhaus and Judie Donaldson, I’ve been increasingly impressed with the work of Carquinez Village and the important role it can play in making our community a better place and addressing a critical link in the support network for our seniors. Let’s help grow this organization.
If you are interested in being a part of this amazing community, donating or becoming a volunteer, please reach out them at carquinezvillage.org, on Facebook, or by calling 707.297.2472.
Thank you for your interest in the City of Benicia This Week!
Erik Upson
Interim City Manager
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Benicia City Offices and Benicia Community Center will be closed on Monday, January 18, in observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
Requests for emergency water and sewer service may be made at the Benicia Police Department at 200 East L Street or by calling 707.745.3411.
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While the pandemic continues and many parts of our nation are severely impacted, our biggest hope is that the current surge will soon begin to subside and that, as more of the population receives their vaccines, we will see significant improvements.
The COVID-19 vaccination is one of the most important tools to end the pandemic. Distribution of the COVID-19 vaccine in California began on December 14, 2020 with the launch of the “Vaccinate ALL 58” vaccine distribution campaign. The State is prioritizing vaccines for equitable distribution. Specifically, Californians will be prioritized as shown in the chart below
Last week, the Governor announced that California is prioritizing individuals 65 and over to receive the vaccine to increase the pace of COVID-19 vaccine distribution to those at greatest risk. A new system is expected to launch this week to notify people who are eligible to receive a vaccine.
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Willow Glen Park at West 7th and K Street has received a recent improvement. The City contracted to remove and replace a 40-year-old asphalt walkway with a 220 feet concrete walkway. This will allow for better access to the playground and restroom and improve the aesthetics of the park. The new pathway should be completed and available for access beginning the week of January 25.
The project was funded by impact fees generated by nearby in-fill development.
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Eastern Gateway Workshop This Week |
The City of Benicia is hosting an interactive remote workshop for the Eastern Gateway Study. The workshop will be on Thursday, January 21, 6 - 8 p.m., via Zoom. At this workshop you will learn about recent progress made on the project and provide feedback on important aspects of the new zoning changes such as allowable uses, building and site design.
Through the Eastern Gateway Study, the City will update the zoning regulations to encourage mixed use development around the intersection of Military East and East Fifth Street. An overarching goal of the study is to facilitate the construction of new housing.
Meeting materials, including an agenda, the Draft Vision and Zoning District Approach document, and two videos explaining these materials can now be found on left side of the project webpage, www.ci.benicia.ca.us/easterngateway. To get the most out of the workshop, staff recommends reading the Vision and Zoning District Approach document or watching the two videos prior to the workshop.
Click here for a link to the virtual workshop and instructions on how to join the meeting. To ensure that we have sufficient staff and zoom capacity for everyone to participate in the workshop, we are asking that you RSVP before the event. You can RSVP by calling or emailing Danielle Crider at 707.746.4324 or dcrider@ci.benicia.ca.us. However, everyone is welcome to attend, regardless of whether you RSVP for the event.
We look forward to seeing you over Zoom on January 21! In the meantime, if you have questions, please contact Danielle Crider using the information above.
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Take the Survey and Enter to Win |
The Solano Hazard Mitigation Planning Committee needs your help in creating the County's Hazard Mitigation Plan. The purpose of a hazard mitigation plan is to reduce or eliminate long-term risk to people and their property from hazards.
Solano County is developing its first multi-jurisdictional hazard mitigation plan, pulling together and updating existing plans for the County and for the Cities of Vallejo, Fairfield, Vacaville, Suisun City, Benicia, Dixon, and Rio Vista. This update will strive to make the County, its residents, and visitors less vulnerable to future hazard events.
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Thanks to Public Works Crew |
On December 25, while many residents were enjoying a socially distanced Christmas Day, Public Works staff conducted an emergency shutdown of the Water Treatment Plant due to a leak in the City’s 36-inch Raw Water Treatment Line. This shutdown was undetectable by customers thanks to the rapid, professional actions of City operations and field crews. While the leak was being repaired, Benicia customers immediately began using treated water sourced from Lake Herman.
Last week, the Interim City Manager stopped by the Public Works Corporation Yard to thank staff who sacrificed holiday time with their families to ensure Benicia residents had safe, uninterrupted water service.
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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.
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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!
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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!
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See what's happening on our other social sites:
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