City of Benicia This Week
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In this edition: Summer Pavement Project Schedule, First Monday Author's Talk, Eastern Gateway Study Session, Movie Nights Under the Stars, Emergency Financial Assistance for Senior, City Employee Spotlight, Recall Election Information, COVID Assistance
Message from the City Manager
July 26, 2021

Hello Everyone,
This Tuesday evening the City Council will be holding a study session on water and wastewater utility rates. I know there is a lot of past frustration over rate increases. So I wanted to take a moment to try and clarify a few issues.
 
First, we are very fortunate to have a leadership team that is committed to providing the very best water and wastewater service possible; running a professional organization that is willing to do the hard work to ensure our utilities will continue to function well into our future. This brings with it some real challenges, such as maintaining facilities and staff to provide both services, while only having a population of 28,000 (often referred to as economies of scale). Perhaps it is this challenge that has left our water and wastewater utilities undercapitialized for decades. Doing the right things such as conducting routine maintenance properly, replacing capital and other equipment on a fixed and responsible schedule, hiring and maintaining qualified staff, etc., is not inexpensive and can be a real challenge politically.
 
Fortunately, we had a team come in, supported by Council, who were determined to get our utilities back on track; lifted to a professional level with a plan to spread the cost of the much needed immediate actions and long-term capital improvements over several decades. But to have an actual plan that would get us where we need to go. The City decided it would stop kicking this can down the road. Unfortunately, because the utilities had fallen so far behind, the last round of rate increase where alarming to many in the community. And while the increases were significant, our rates still put us near the middle of the pack regionally. This round we find ourselves in a better position, but still with a great deal of work to do.
 
We are working hard to be transparent in this process (please see the information and links on our Water and Sewer Rates page at https://www.ci.benicia.ca.us/watersewerrates). Please know that staff is committed to providing you the most professional, effective and efficient utilities possible. We encourage your thoughtful participation in this process.

In closing, see the letter below from City of Fairfield Mayor Harry T. Price commending our firefighters for their work during a critical incident. We’re very proud of our staff, doing great work all the time, most often quietly and without notice.

Thank you for your interest in the City of Benicia This Week!

Erik Upson
City Manager
City News
Summer Pavement Project Schedule
The FY20-21 Citywide Street Resurfacing Project began on June 1 rehabilitating portions of 45 Benicia streets. Contractors started by repairing pot-holes, trimming vegetation, lowering manholes and other utility boxes, and installing curb ramps.

A daily updated list on the project is available by clicking here. It contains information on the streets being repaired along with progress being made, dates of each phase and completion.

Click here for additional information on the Pavement Management Program. To report a non-emergency street issue, submit a Request for City Services.
First Monday Author's Talk
Authors Eric Garcia and Steve Silberman will be in conversation on their books about autism at the August 2 “First Mondays” online literary event hosted by the Benicia Public Library.
 
Silberman is the author of the landmark book Neurotribes: The Legacy of Autism and the Future of Neurodiversity (2015), and Garcia’s book will be published on August 3, entitled We’re Not Broken: Changing the Autism Conversation.
 
“This is such a vital topic, and the work of these two authors represents a new and more useful approach to the entire question of diversity,” says David Dodd, Director of Library and Cultural Services for the City of Benicia.
 
With a reporter’s eye and an insider’s perspective, Garcia shows what it’s like to be autistic across America. Garcia began writing about autism because he was frustrated by the media’s coverage of it; the myths that the disorder is caused by vaccines, the narrow portrayals of autistic people as white men working in Silicon Valley. His own life as an autistic person didn’t look anything like that. He is Latino, a graduate of the University of North Carolina, and works as a journalist covering politics in Washington D.C. Garcia realized he needed to put into writing what so many autistic people have been saying for years; autism is a part of their identity, they don’t need to be fixed.

In “We’re Not Broken,” Garcia uses his own life as a springboard to discuss the social and policy gaps that exist in supporting those on the spectrum. From education to healthcare, he explores how autistic people wrestle with systems that were not built with them in mind. At the same time, he shares the experiences of all types of autistic people, from those with higher support needs, to autistic people of color, to those in the LGBTQ community. In doing so, Garcia gives his community a platform to articulate their own needs, rather than having others speak for them, which has been the standard for far too long.
 
Silberman’s “Neurotribes” has received many accolades, including the prestigious Samuel Johnson Prize (now the Baillle Gifford Prize), given to the best English-language nonfiction writing each year.

In The New York Times Book Review, Jennifer Senior wrote that the book was "beautifully told, humanizing, important"; The Boston Globe called it "as emotionally resonant as any [book] this year"; and in Science, the cognitive neuroscientist Francesca Happé wrote, "It is a beautifully written and thoughtfully crafted book, a historical tour of autism, richly populated with fascinating and engaging characters, and a rallying call to respect difference." It was named one of the best books of 2015 by The New York Times, The Economist, Financial Times, and The Guardian.
 
In 2017, Paramount Pictures acquired the rights to NeuroTribes and announced interest in making the book into a movie.
 
The Zoom link this Author's Talk is https://bit.ly/2PJ9IdS, or visit the Facebook event on the Library’s page for the livestream: https://www.facebook.com/BeniciaPublicLibrary. 
Eric Garcia
Steve Silberman
Eastern Gateway Study Session
The Community Development Department is excited to share that the draft zoning and general plan amendments for the Eastern Gateway Study are available for review. They are intended to implement the Vision Statement for the project. These documents may be found on the project webpage www.ci.benicia.ca.us/easterngateway.

The next opportunity to learn about and provide comment on these documents is at a Planning Commission Study Session via Zoom. This study session has been rescheduled for Thursday, July 29 at 7 p.m. Click here for the agenda and instructions on how to join the remote public hearing.

If you have any questions about the Eastern Gateway Study, please reach out to Danielle Crider at 707.746.4324 or dcrider@ci.benicia.ca.us. Comments on the draft text amendments may be submitted in writing, via email, or through the online forum Benicia Town Hall.
Movie Night Under the Stars
Movie Night Under the Stars is back! Details at https://www.ci.benicia.ca.us/recspecialevents.
Emergency Financial Assistance for Senior
The Napa/Solano Area Agency on Aging is providing one-time emergency assistance to seniors age 60+ and permanently disabled adults over the age of 18 with a verified disability. They must have an emergency situation that has caused an inability to pay rent, utilities or other financial needs. An application and documentation will be required. 

Click here to download the application. For additional information, contact Kendall Lara of the Benicia Family Resource Center at klara@ci.benicia.ca.us or 707.746.4352.
City Employee Spotlight
Alan Bates grew up in a military family. They moved around a lot, but settled in Vallejo in 1988. After high school, Alan went to Arizona State University. He was interested in either becoming a chiropractor or a physical therapist. During his PT internship in Phoenix, he found himself drawn to the emergency room where he became familiar with Phoenix firefighters. He made his decision to become a firefighter then and there. He graduated with a Bachelor's degree in kinesiology on a Friday and started EMT school the following Monday. 
 
Al worked as an EMT in Alameda County in 2000 and became a paramedic in Contra Costa County in 2002. He was hired as Firefighter/Paramedic by Benicia Fire Department in 2003 and was promoted to Captain in 2019. Within the Department, Al is in charge of the budget and procurement of personal protective equipment, is on the Health & Wellness Committee, and creates customized workouts for the crews.
 
Alan's passion for fitness is evident at work AND at home. Alan started doing CrossFit in 2013. Two short years later, in addition to his full-time firefighting duties, Al opened his own gym, Jute CrossFit in Benicia, to provide an atmosphere for people who hold fitness as a priority in their lives. The gym started small with only 40 members, but now has over 200. Al ensures the gym fosters a warm feeling of community and camaraderie.
 
Every year, CrossFit holds a worldwide competition to find and rate the world's top athletes, the CrossFit Games. In order to qualify for the games, an athlete must rank top 20 in the Worldwide Open. Out of the 13,000 men in his age bracket, Al qualified as number 3 globally in March. He will be competing in the CrossFit Games in Madison, Wisconsin from July 27 - July 29 against the top 20 other competitors in his age group, 45 - 49 year olds. The competition will be streamed on https://games.crossfit.com/. Tune in to cheer him on!
 
Alan runs Jute Crossfit with his lovely wife, Elizabeth. They have three children: Jeremy, Jaxson, and Janie along with two grandchildren: Joseph and Gracie.
Recall Election Information
The California Gubernatorial Recall Election will occur on Tuesday, September 14, 2021. Ballot boxes will be available to drop off your ballot in the City Hall lobby, 250 East L Street, from 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. beginning August 12. A second ballot box will be available at Raley's, 890 Southampton Road, from 6 a.m. - 11 p.m.

In addition, voter's may vote by mail, drop ballots off curbside at polling locations on election day or vote in-person at polling locations.

To find out more about the election and polling locations, visit the Solano County Registrar of Voters website.
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
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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