Beginning on Monday, April 19 and continuing through April 30, Parks and Community Services staff will be conducting maintenance on the First Street Green pathway adjacent to the B Street parking lot. The maintenance will occur from 7 a.m. – 5 p.m., Monday - Friday.

The Benicia Public Works Department announces that Park Road will be closed to all traffic between Industrial Way and Stone Road from Wednesday, April 21 to Thursday, April 22. The purpose of the road closure is to provide Union Pacific Railroad an opportunity to repair their tracks that cross over Park Road. A detour will be installed by Roadsafe Traffic Systems, Inc. that will be monitored by their foreman for the duration of the road closure to ensure the safety of the traveling public and construction staff.

Questions or comments should be directed to Daniel Sequeira, City Engineer, at 707.746.4240 or dsequeira@ci.benicia.ca.us.

Over the last two years, the City has received numerous complaints that the process to obtain a Construction Hydrant Meter took too long. The Public Works and Finance Departments heard those complaints and is pleased to announce that customers can now obtain a Construction Hydrant Meter in less than an hour!

If a Construction Hydrant Meter is needed, simply come to the Finance Department’s Customer Service Desk at City Hall (250 E L Street), fill out one form, pay a deposit, and you will be issued a Construction Hydrant Meter Kit. The kit (pictured) includes a Construction Hydrant Meter, a pipe wrench, a pipe stand, a durable rolling case, and installation instructions. Best of all, the new Construction Hydrant Meters are wirelessly linked to the City’s existing Advanced Metering Infrastructure, so billing is done in real time; no need to schedule service technicians!

The new meters and streamlined process will save the City over 1,000 hours of staff time per year. This is another example of how we continuously listen to our customers and residents and are constantly looking for better was to improve service.

Time to start spring cleaning in your yard for this FREE annual event for Benicia residents on May 8 and 9.

Tuesday, April 20 at 6 p.m. Click this link

SEL Parent Workshop: an UPDATED Event on Screen Time

Thursday, April 22 at 5 p.m. Click this link

Tuesday, April 20, 1 - 2 p.m. Click this link

Monday, April 26, 5 - 6 p.m.  Click this link

City of Benicia's Office of Economic Development is highlighting the recruitment effort of one of their tourism partners. Benicia Historical Museum is searching for a new Executive Director after long-time Director Elizabeth d'Huart recently married and moved to Arizona. Elizabeth leaves big shoes to fill. If you know of someone who would be a great fit to promote Benicia's rich and unique history, please share the Executive Directory Job Description.

Salary is commensurate with experience. Questions and applications may be emailed to director.search@beniciahistoricalmuseum.org.

Dustin Anderson has three associate's degrees in Liberal Arts, Fire Technology, and Paramedicine and a bachelor's degree in Managerial Economics from UC Davis. He started volunteering with Benicia Fire Department in 2011 while also working as a full-time paramedic with Medic Ambulance. He was hired as a Firefighter Paramedic in July 2017. Dustin has taken on numerous roles within the department including the Controlled Substance Manager, a member of the Solano County Emergency Medical Service Committee, and the Benicia Firefighters Association Secretary & Treasurer. Outside of work, Dustin recently finished remodeling his kitchen and enjoys going on hikes with his 2 Labradors and 1 Australian Cattle Dog. He's currently restoring a 1942 Jeepster.

Before joining Benicia Fire Department, Patrick Dickinson volunteered with Oakland Fire Department, Central County Fire Department, and Forest Hill Fire Protection District while also working as a Paramedic for American Medical Response. Patrick was hired as a Firefighter Paramedic in July 2017. He is currently finishing his bachelor's degree in Business Administration. Outside of work, Patrick is remodeling his house and enjoys hiking all over the Bay Area.

Ryan McDonald has a bachelor's degree in Communications from Fresno State. While in college, Ryan honed his golfing skills and is now a semi-professional golfer. He volunteered with various departments all over the state while also working as a Paramedic for American Medical Response before being hired at Benicia Fire Department as a Firefighter Paramedic in February 2016. Since being hired, Ryan has taken on the Department's Toys for Tots program during the holidays, is part of the CPR team, and runs the Benicia Firefighters Association booth at the Peddler's Fair. Outside of work, Ryan is a statewide cornhole champion and enjoys all water- and snow-related sports.  

Solano County Public Health shared the following information last week:

Solano County is expanding vaccine eligibility to individuals living or working in Solano County who are age 16 and older, in accordance with state guidance to expand eligibility to all Californians in this age group.

After the statement issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recommending the administration of Johnson & Johnson (J&J) vaccine be paused temporarily, Solano County is also pausing use of the J&J vaccine at this time. Until further notice, all vaccine clinics scheduled by the County will be administering the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine. The public is urged to keep their appointments if they have already been scheduled.

“We are pleased to expand eligibility to all community members age 16 and older in Solano County,” said Bela T. Matyas, M.D., M.P.H., Solano County Health Officer. “With the temporary pause in providing the J&J vaccine, appointments for first vaccine doses may continue to be limited. We ask that the public continue to be patient as the pace of administering vaccines depends on supply. In the meantime, please continue to help prevent the spread of COVID-19 by maintaining distance from those outside your household, by wearing a mask and by washing your hands often.”

Vaccines, including Johnson & Johnson, have been shown to be overwhelmingly safe and effective at preventing COVID-19. No adverse events have been reported in Solano County following administration of the J&J vaccine. The CDC and FDA’s recommendation to pause administration of the J&J vaccine is made out of an abundance of caution as the investigation is conducted into the six cases of blood clotting recently reported in the United States. It is important to note that these reactions have been extremely rare, as nearly 7 million people have received the J&J vaccine to date in the United States. The County will continue to monitor the situation and provide additional information to the public as soon as it becomes available.

Vaccinations are no cost and available to all current eligible groups regardless of health insurance or immigration status. Community members eligible to receive the vaccine are asked to sign up using the state’s vaccine notification and scheduling platform, https://myturn.ca.gov/, or through the Solano County COVID-19 Vaccine Interest Form, https://bit.ly/solanovax, to get priority notifications on upcoming COVID-19 vaccine clinics. For more information about the COVID-19 vaccine administration and rollout in Solano County, visit www.solanocounty.com/covidvaccine and on Facebook, @SolanoCountyPH.

Questions or comments may be addressed to: Matthew Davis, Sr. Management Analyst and Public Communications Officer (707) 784-6111 | MADavis@SolanoCounty.com (AND) Jayleen Richards, Public Health Administrator 707-784-8616 | JMRichards@SolanoCounty.com

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: