City of Benicia This Week
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In this edition: Message from the City Manager, Introducing SeeClickFix, November 8 Election, Measure R, Water Conservation, Field Renovation, and much more!
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Message from the City Manager |
October 17, 2022
Dear Community Members,
There were a couple of really heartening stories in regard to our Be Kind initiative this week. As you recall, our initiative was ‘Pay it Forward’. First, someone walked into Sandoval’s Restaurant and bought every single person’s lunch who was eating at the time. Secondly, someone went into Wheels in Motion on First Street and paid for everyone’s bike repair who had a bike in the shop. I’m sure there were more stories of paying it forward, but these are two amazing ones. I was so touched to hear this. Thank you to those very special people who did this with no expectation of any recognition…just because they wanted to create a moment of kindness in our community. If you have more stories to share, please share them at bekind.city.
This coming week is ‘Serve a Servant’. Think about a community or public servant you would like to recognize. Bring some donuts or flowers to them. Leave a note, or simply thank them for what they do. I’m going to reach out to some very special teachers who have made my kids’ lives better by always going over and above their duties to make their lives better, despite the very difficult times they’ve had to face. Maybe you reach out to a Police Officer or Firefighter or their departments. Maybe your Postal Carrier. I suspect you’ll find, when you look inside yourself, that, in lifting up others, you yourself are lifted up.
I’m very proud to announce that this week, after a great deal of work behind the scenes, we have launched the SeeClickFix App in Benicia! The initiative for the creation of this game changing tool belongs to the Mayor and Council, who have been pushing for improved customer service since naming me City Manager. We feel this will be one of our biggest steps in this regard. Below, you will find instructions on how to download this app onto your mobile device or, if you don’t want or have the ability to load the app, how you can go online to use this powerful tool. With this tool, when you see an issue in the community, say a pothole, graffiti, a code enforcement problem, or any problem that the City needs to resolve, you can go to the app and with a few clicks, get that complaint to the correct department. You can even take a picture. Your location is geotagged so we’ll know right where to go to find the problem, or you can use the mapping tool to point it out to us on your computer. There is a feedback loop to ensure the issue is assigned and handled, with escalation if not resolved in a certain time frame. We feel this will not only improve immediate reporting, but will also serve to improve the feedback loop and quick resolution of most complaints. Of course, be patient with us in the initial rollout, as I’m sure there will be some bugs to work out as well as a large inundation of issues in the beginning. I’d like to thank the Mayor and Council as well as all of the staff who worked on this (with very special thanks to our IT Manager Sandy Ayala) for their support in getting this important project over the finish line.
Erik Upson
City Manager
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Join the Be Kind Community!
October 17-23. Serve a Servant.
Follow the City of Benicia at @cityofbenicia_government on Instagram or Facebook for weekly updates on the Be Kind Initiative from the City Manager! |
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Introducing Benicia See Click Fix |
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Connect with the City of Benicia through our SeeClickFix app to submit non-emergency requests. Getting involved is just a click away!
The Benicia SeeClickFix app is your resource to report issues in your neighborhood, such as potholes, damaged trees, graffiti, and other issues that need attention. The simple-to-use app uses GPS to recognize your location, gives you a menu of common conditions to select from, and allows you to upload pictures of the concern that will assist staff in your request. You may comment on your submission, and we'll notify you when the issue's status is updated.
To find the Benicia SeeClickFix portal and a demonstration of how to use the application on our website, click here.
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November 8, 2022 General Municipal Election |
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Ballot Drop Off Locations available October 11-November 8, 2022.
Ballot Drop Off Locations:
- City Hall, 250 East L Street, Mon-Fri 9am-4pm (closed every other Friday)
- Pedrotti Ace Hardware, 830 Southampton Rd Mon-Sat 8am-7pm, Sunday 9am to 6pm
Resources:
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Benicia Measure R Educational Information |
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Measure R, the Benicia Local Road Repair and Infrastructure Measure, will be on the November 8, 2022 Regular Election ballot. This less-than-a-penny sales tax (0.75%) may generate approximately $5 million annually to support general City services, including repairing, paving and maintaining streets, fixing potholes, improving safe routes to schools and fixing aging storm drains.
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In an earthquake, you may only have seconds to protect yourself before strong shaking knocks you down or something falls on you. Are you prepared? What we do to prepare now, before the next big earthquake, will determine how well we can survive and recover. On October 20, 2022, millions of people will practice Drop, Cover, and Hold On through the largest earthquake drill ever: ShakeOut. Why? Earthquakes can happen anywhere you work, live, or travel, which is why everyone, everywhere, should know how to protect themselves should an earthquake occur. Register at ShakeOut.org/register to practice earthquake safety with your community. Invite friends and family to practice too!
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Benicia to Participate in REAL |
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The City of Benicia has been selected to participate in the inaugural National League of Cities Race, Equity And Leadership (REAL) Institute. The City of Benicia was one of only two California cities selected and only 10 cities were selected throughout the country. This represents the continuing effort by the City to foster inclusivity throughout our internal organization and our community. The City’s representatives will be Dr. Maliika Chambers, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Manager, Jennifer Baker, Library Director, and Bret Prebula, Finance Director. The team will travel to Kansas City to go through a weeklong program with their cohort members and will continue this work throughout the year, spreading what they learn into our city programs, services and community. |
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How to Keep Your Kitchen Pail Clean! |
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- Wash the pail regularly with soap and water
- Sprinkle baking soda into the pail to reduce odors
- Line the pail with newspaper, a paper bag, or a BPI certified compostable bag
- Empty the pail regularly. Ideally, the pail would be emptied every day or so.
- Food scraps decompose faster in hot temperatures. Finding a cool, dry place to store your pail will slow down this process and further reduce odors.
If you choose to line your kitchen pail with compostable bags, they must show the BPI symbol. There are many options available for purchase online or at local retailers.
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Benicia Parks and Community Services would like to thank the Benicia Cub Scouts Pack 108 for generous gift of their time and hard work. The Lions (Kindergarten), Tigers (1st Grade) and Wolves (2nd Grade) spent an hour cleaning around the Benicia Community on October 1st. Their scout leader shared with us that they had a lot of fun performing this service to their community, and even had a few tears when it was time stop. As you can see from the photos they picked up a lot of garbage from the area and left it looking much better than they found it. Thanks again Pack 108 for making a difference in the community. If you want more information on Cub Scout Troop 108 check out their Facebook page at
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The City of Benicia Parks and Community Services Department and the Benicia Tree Foundation co-sponsored the annual Arbor Day tree planting event on October 8th. Approximately 30 volunteers came from the surrounding neighborhood to plant trees and spread mulch. Ten trees were planted to replace trees that had previously been removed from the park, and in anticipation of having to remove several other trees in the future that are declining in health. Volunteers also spread mulch to help retain soil moisture, suppress weed growth, and provide nutrients for the trees. The trees allowed for turf reduction, which in turn helps save water. Thank you to the Benicia Tree Foundation and the many volunteers who helped. Your time and effort is appreciated and part of what makes Benicia a great place to live. |
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Completion of FY 21/22 Citywide Micro-Surfacing Project |
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The Citywide Micro-surfacing Project was completed on October 6th, 2022. The City programmed micro-surfacing projects for streets with pavements rated as good/fair condition in the Pavement Management Program. Micro-surfacing is one type of pavement treatment that consists of the application of asphalt emulsion and aggregate (very small, crushed rock) to an asphalt-paved road to help preserve and protect the underlying pavement structure and provide a new driving surface. The Citywide Micro-surfacing Project addressed 809,570 square-feet of roadway. This project included vehicle, bicycle and pedestrian improvements that are highlighted at East 5th Street, between I-780 and Military East. |
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Field renovation at Benicia Community Park |
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Parks and Community Services recently closed Field #2 at Benicia Community Park to renovate and re-seed the field. Field renovations are performed annually to allow the fields to rejuvenate from the heavy use during the sports season. The field was aerated and re-seeded. Don’t be surprised if you happen to see the water running during the day for the next several weeks, for the seed to properly germinate and become established, it is critical that it be kept moist. To do this, we have altered the irrigation cycles from one long continuous cycle to several shorter cycles, including at least one cycle during the daytime hours. We will be monitoring the irrigation closely and will make adjustments as the seed begins to take root. The remaining fields will be closed in November and allowed to rest over the winter months. |
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Saving water can be surprisingly easy. By making a few small changes to your lawn and plant care watering routine, you can have a big impact on your water use while still maintaining a beautiful yard. These water saving tricks may even help you save money! Give them a try!
Reduce Your Lawn Watering
As a Californian, we experience particularly long heat waves from time to time and weeks of no precipitation. Sometimes, you simply cannot forgo watering your yard entirely. When you do water your outdoor plants and lawn, here are some tips for watering:
- Water your yard in the evening, or early in the morning before sunrise, when it’s least likely to evaporate. If you have an irrigation timer system, set your system to turn on during these times.
- Make it a practice when daylight savings time ends each fall, to reduce your watering times since rainy season is on its way.
- Know your soil type and water accordingly.
- Hand-water or use soaker hoses to direct the water onto the roots of your plants or an automated irrigation system to precisely water your yard.
- Perform the “catch can test” to see how effective your sprinklers are doing and then make a determination whether to ditch your sprinkler system or just give it a tune up, so water distribution uniformity is taking place.
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Save the Date
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Oct 17 - Art Gallery Subcommittee Meeting, 6:30 p.m. at the Benicia Public Library. See the Full Agenda for more information.
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Oct 18 - City Council Meeting, 6:00 p.m. at Benicia City Hall Council Chamber. 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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