City of Benicia This Week
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In this edition: Message from the City Manager, Thanksgiving Safety, Small Business Saturday, Holiday Events, Vegetative Fuels Management, Blood Drive, Toys for Tots and much more!
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Message from the City Manager |
November 21, 2022
Dear Community Members,
I want to wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving! I hope everyone finds time to visit family and friends and connect and remember to focus on what truly matters. It’s also a great opportunity to dip back into the Be Kind bucket and look for opportunities to lift up others around you who may not be as fortunate as you or are in a difficult place. Perhaps you could reach out to a neighbor who doesn’t have anyone. Or call a friend going through a particularly difficult spot and invite them to dinner. Reach out and show kindness this Thanksgiving!
For the City, we remain very busy for the next few months. The next Council meeting is December 6th. This meeting is largely devoted to the peaceful and efficient transfer of power to the new lawfully elected Councilmembers. Democracy in action. There are actually two separate meetings on December 6th as the former Councilmembers are recognized for their dedication to the community and, subsequently, the newly elected Councilmembers are sworn into office.
Because the December 6th meeting is light, the December 20th meeting is fully loaded and will likely be a very late meeting. January we will have three meetings, including a joint Council/Planning Commission workshop on January 31st. The January 24th and 31st meetings are largely devoted to the Housing Element (so we can stay on track to remain in compliance with the State). The January 17th meeting we will be bringing back the Downtown Parking report with a request for direction from Council. This item will be broad enough so that we will also have an opportunity to discuss other parking issues that have been in discussion for several years, including street sweeping enforcement, meters, etc. The December 27th and January 3rd meetings are cancelled.
As an early heads-up, we are looking at doing the Priority Goal Setting Workshop in March. As soon as we have that date locked in we will put that information out for everyone.
Lastly, in light of the holidays, we will not be publishing City of Benicia This Week on November 28th, but look forward to providing you more information on December 5th!
Erik Upson
City Manager
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What's Happening for the Holidays? |
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Happy Thanksgiving from the City of Benicia to you! |
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This Thanksgiving, take care of those you love by following these 10 safety tips:
- Stay in the kitchen when you are cooking on the stove top so you can keep an eye on the food.
- Stay in the home when cooking your turkey, and check on it frequently.
- Keep children away from the stove. The stove will be hot and kids should stay three feet away.
- Make sure kids stay away from hot food and liquids. The steam or splash from vegetables, gravy or coffee could cause serious burns.
- Keep knives out of the reach of children.
- Be sure electric cords from an electric knife, coffee maker, plate warmer or mixer are not dangling off the counter within easy reach of a child.
- Keep matches and utility lighters out of the reach of children — up high in a locked cabinet.
- Never leave children alone in room with a lit candle.
- Keep the floor clear so you don’t trip over kids, toys, pocketbooks or bags.
- Make sure your smoke alarms are working. Test them by pushing the test button.
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Small Business Saturday - November 26 |
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What better way to shop for holiday gifts than at a small business?
This Saturday, November 26th, is Small Business Saturday! Stop by your favorite local small business and support them during your holiday shopping.
Share your favorite local small business by tagging @VisitBenicia on Instagram or Facebook!
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Upcoming Benicia Holiday Events
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Holiday Open House and Tree Lighting | December 2
Kick off the Christmas Season and get into the spirit with Benicia’s Holiday Open House and Tree Lighting on First Street from 6pm-9pm.
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Pictures with Santa | December 10
Benicia Fire Department and Benicia Parks & Community Services are excited to welcome Santa Claus! Join us as Santa takes time out of his busy December schedule to stop by Fire Station 11 on Saturday, December 10th from 3-6pm. Fire Station 11 is located at 150 Military West. This event is free and open to the public. There is a suggested donation of a toy for our Toys for Tots drive. All toys must be new and unwrapped.
There is also a private session for sensory sensitive children from 1-2 p.m. No need to RSVP. If you have questions, please call 707-746-4275 or email Della Olm at dolm@ci.benicia.ca.us.
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North Study Area Virtual Community Meeting |
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The North Study Area is the last remaining large tract of privately-owned undeveloped land, about 527 acres located at East Second Street and Lake Herman Road. We want to hear from the community about the potential future of this site! If you weren’t able to attend the first community workshop on November 16, there’s a second opportunity to get involved!
Mark your calendars for a Zoom community meeting on November 29, 2022 at 7 pm!
or call 1(669) 444-9171
Passcode: 781797
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The Benicia Fire Department is now accepting toys for donation to local kids in need. Please bring new, unwrapped toys to any of our collection bins by December 10th, 2022. New stuffed animals are also accepted.
Collection bin locations:
- Fire Station 11 (150 Military West)
- Fire Station 12 (601 Hastings)
- City Hall (250 East L)
- Benicia Public Library (150 East L)
- Senior Center (187 East L)
- Community Center (370 East L)
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Parks and Rec Spring RecGuide |
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The Spring RecGuide for Benicia Parks and Community Services has launched online!
Flip through the digital guide, or download to your desktop for quick access...and for those that like to dog-ear pages, there is the option to print it as well.
Activities in this RecGuide are Jan-May 2023. Registration opens on Dec. 5 for residents, and Dec. 12 for non-residents.
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Blood Drive at the Benicia Clock Tower |
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Join us for the City of Benicia blood drive on Thursday, December 15, 2022 at the Benicia Clock Tower located at 1189 Washington Street and step up to support patients during their time of need.
Click on the link below to schedule your appointment:
Appointments are strongly encouraged to help maintain social distancing. In addition, sanitizing and disinfecting measures are taking place throughout the process.
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Vegetative Fuels Management Plan |
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The City of Benicia currently manages over 1,700 acres of open space, much of which borders homes. The proximity of Benicia homes to open space creates wildfire risk challenges. The VFMP demonstrates the City of Benicia's commitment to increasing resilience to natural hazards through mitigation and will serve as a tool to more effectively direct financial, technical and administrative resources. We want this plan to reflect the needs and wants of the community, so please submit your comments, questions and concerns by clicking the "Review the Draft Plan" on the project's website.
We want to hear your thoughts about vegetation management in Benicia's open spaces! The vegetation in the open spaces has been managed by goat grazing or disking tractor in recent years. Please visit MitigateHazards.com/Benicia-defensible-space/ to review the Vegetative Fuel Management Plan (VFMP) by November 30th.
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Benicia Middle School hosted their Second Annual Career Exploration Event where 20 City of Benicia Staff members (from Human Resources, Community Development, Library, Fire, Police, Parks & Community Services, and Public Works) participated in this great event along with over 40 other organizations! This event was geared towards the 8th grade students to allow them to learn more about the variety of careers that might interest them. The 8th grade students had been preparing for this event in their English classes by completing an applied digital skills and career research unit. Additionally, the goal was to help the students gain knowledge about what specific career pathways offer and what the requirements are for those careers. Benicia Middle School also wanted to expose students to what choices they have in high school for courses that align with careers they are interested in. Lastly, they wanted them to have a hands-on or interactive experience, when/if possible. The Career Exploration Day was a huge success! The students really took an interest in the careers presented and asked some really great questions. A special thanks to Benicia Middle School Vice Principal, Constance Huntington for coordinating this outstanding event! We look forward to attending future events like these. |
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Veteran's Day at the City Cemetery |
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A HUGE heartfelt thanks to the volunteers who helped adorn the City Cemetery with flags in honor of Veteran's Day. Many thanks to Constance Beutel (a Vietnam Vet that served in the USAF), Bill & Sarah Casey, Kathryn Gojack, Lori Grundman, and Lionel Largaespada for their time and energy. |
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Save the Date
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Nov 21 - Community Sustainbility Commission meeting, 6:00 pm, Benicia City Council Chambers. See the full agenda for more information.
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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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