City of Benicia This Week
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In this edition: Benicia Art Walk Saturday, Summer Music Stroll, New Code Compliance Online Portal, Water & Wastewater Education Programs Recognized by State, City Employee Spotlight, COVID Assistance
Message from the City Manager
July 6, 2021

Hello Everyone,
I hope everyone had a safe and enjoyable holiday weekend celebrating our American Independence. I know many in our community were disappointed with the cancellation of our traditional 3rd of July Torchlight Parade and 4th of July Fireworks show. It was indeed a most difficult decision but paramount for City staff is the safety and well being of our residents. Know that staff is already planning with Benicia Main Street to have an amazing Independence Day Celebration in 2022 and staff has already begun preparations for our Christmas Tree Lighting and Holiday Open House on Friday, December 3.

In the meantime, I encourage our community to visit our local shops and eateries. Take advantage of our Shop Benicia Summer Bonus eGift Card Campaign where the purchase of a $100 Shop Benicia card will earn you a $50 bonus card. Details and cards are available at VisitBenicia.org/ShopBenicia.

Lets continue the celebratory mood throughout the rest of summer.

Thank you for your interest in the City of Benicia This Week! If you enjoy reading this weekly message, please share and encourage your friends, family, and coworkers to subscribe or text jointhisweek to 22828 (messaging and data rates may apply).

Erik Upson
City Manager
City News
Benicia Art Walk Saturday
Benicia Art Walk returns Saturday, July 10, 1 - 5 p.m., on First Street in downtown Benicia. The 10th season of the annual art event occurs on the second Saturday of June, July, September and October. Benicia Art Walk is sponsored by the City of Benicia through Visit Benicia, the City’s tourism program.
 
In addition to great art, live music, demonstrations, drawings and a scavenger hunt, The Galleries of First Street, an organization of the eight First Street galleries, is hosting Benicia Art Passport competition during Art Walk. Stop by any of the galleries, pick up an Art Passport, then get it stamped at each of the participating galleries for a chance to be drawn to win the prize of $200 to be spent at any of the eight galleries.
 
Benicia Art Walk is always free and so is the parking. Look for the blue banners hanging in front of each gallery or pick up the 2021 Benicia Art Walk brochure and map to find the fun.
 
Here’s a list of participating galleries:
 

Click here for info on what's in store at each gallery.
Summer Music Stroll
The City of Benicia/Visit Benicia is pleased to announce an enhancement for shopping and dining downtown this summer. At the suggestion of members of the City’s Economic Development Board, the City of Benicia and Benicia Main Street are sponsoring live music each Saturday, July 3 - September 4 (except August 14 during Peddler’s Fair) at two locations on First Street.

Two different acts each Saturday:
12 – 2 p.m. in St. Paul’s Square, and
1:30 – 3:30 p.m. on the lawn at the State Capitol

This is an effort to lend vibrancy to First Street this summer, encouraging shoppers and diners stop for a song or two as they stroll to their next stop.

The City thanks State Parks for allowing the use of the lawn at the capitol.

As a reminder, the Shop Benicia Bonus eGift Card promotion is still going on through Labor Day. Details at www.VisitBenicia.org/ShopBenicia. It's great for shopping, dining and supporting Benicia businesses.
New Code Compliance Online Portal
The City of Benicia is excited to announce a new website that will make reporting a code compliance violations quick and easy. The new website will streamline the Community Preservation Officer’s efforts to achieve voluntary compliance with the Benicia Municipal Code, the California Building Code, and the California Health and Safety Code.

Code compliance concerns may be reported via the new portal at https://beniciaca.viewpointcloud.com. The website can also be reached by visiting the Benicia Fire Department page on the City's website at https://www.ci.benicia.ca.us/fire, then clicking the yellow “REPORT A CODE COMPLIANCE VIOLATION” button on the Code Enforcement page. The website can be accessed via a smart phone, tablet, or computer.
 
The website will make it easier than ever for community members to report a possible code compliance violation related to neighborhood preservation, hazard mitigation, weed abatement, building, fire, zoning, planning, and other related codes, ordinances and regulations that affect the condition or development of property.
 
Persons reporting a concern will create a profile, then select the location of the possible violation. The reporter’s name and contact information will remain fully confidential throughout the enforcement process. The reporter will give a description of the possible violation and can even insert photos of the violation directly into the online form. The reporter then clicks “Confirm and Submit” and the information is sent directly to the Community Preservation Officer for inspection. The Community Preservation Officer will work to educate property owners to achieve voluntary compliance.
 
For more information, contact Fire Chief Josh Chadwick at jchadwick@ci.benicia.ca.us or 707-746-4275.
Water & Wastewater Education Programs Recognized by State
The Public Works Department provides ongoing education and outreach about the City’s water and wastewater utilities. Many years, this education comes in the form of newsletters, fliers, reports, meetings, in-school lessons, and presentations. Last year, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the department’s in-person outreach needed to pivot.
 
Public Works leveraged its relationship with Solano Resource Conservation District to produce YouTube videos in-lieu of elementary school in-class instruction. When reviewing the City’s efforts, Debbie Phan, Water Resource Control Engineer, from the San Francisco Regional Water Quality Control Board stated in a letter to the City: “We are proud of the City’s excellence in preventing pollutants right at the source despite the uncertainty that the past year has brought. We were especially impressed by the City’s work to make virtual youth outreach a reality.”
 
If you want to check out our videos and get a glimpse of lessons provided to 4th and 5th graders at Benicia Unified School District, check out the links below!
 
Tour of the Wastewater Treatment Plant: https://youtu.be/c30_0lGwsMg
Tour of the Water Treatment Plant: https://youtu.be/ikvn91pwvyw
Lessons about Watersheds at Lake Herman: https://youtu.be/6RVEN60LWz0
City Employee Spotlight
Jenni Bergstrom, Deputy City Clerk in the City Manager's Office, has served in local government for over 10 years. She is known to consistently spreads a little joy into the lives of everyone she comes into contact with. Her kind demeanor and consistent smile make staff, and the public, feel heard and appreciated.

In her roll as Deputy City Clerk, she provides support to staff for a variety of internal-facing functions. She oversees the process for publishing the agenda packets for every City Council meeting, oversees the internal process for establishing contracts with third parties for services, maintains the City’s insurance, and coordinates responses to all of the public records requests we receive. Lastly, she supports all City staff with their research projects.

Jenni is amazing because she is so incredibly kind that you don’t even notice if she gives you bad news. She’s hard working, pleasant, and always goes the extra mile to help residents with questions and staff with research projects. She’s not only a hard worker, but a quick learner, and her keen attention to detail helps get the job done right every time!

In 2018, Jenni along with her husband and four children moved from South Dakoda to sunny California. Before working for the City of Benicia, Jenni worked as a Planner for Meade County in South Dakota for 10 years. She graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration from Black Hills State University in 2006. Fun fact: Right out of college Jenni worked as Office Manager for a software company and kangaroo ranch!
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:

Press Releases


Recent City of Benicia Press Releases are available on the City of Benicia website under Main/Announcements.
Save the Date
  • Jul 8 - Arts & Culture Commission meeting, 6:30 p.m. via livestream. See the Full Agenda for more information.
  • Jul 9 - City Offices closed for Alternate Friday.
  • Jul 10 - Benicia Art Walk.
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!