Message from the City Manager

January 30, 2023

Dear Benicia Community,
City Council and I continue to work towards determining who will be taking over as Interim City Manager on March 1^st. Meanwhile, we continue to work hard to continue to carry forward a great number of important initiatives, perhaps most critically the Housing Element. Now that the heavy lifting of the City is done, we will be working with the State’s Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) to get their final approval. Once that happens, we will turn our focus to implementing the many programs associated with that plan. So bottom line: A fantastic job done by staff and Council, but a great deal of work still to do.

For those of you following our vegetation management, we will be rolling out our very comprehensive Vegetation Management Plan at the February 7^th Council Meeting. Great job by the Fire Department in obtaining the grant to pay for this study! Also, another shout out to them for their work getting the grant to pay for the air filters (see the article below). Really some exceptional work. I appreciate the outstanding leadership of our Fire Chief, Josh Chadwick, as well as the hard work of our amazing Management Analyst in the Fire Department, Della Olm!
Finally, in our February 28^th City Council meeting we will be covering a topic many have been very interested in, our approach to electric vehicle charging and the future of our own City fleet.

Erik Upson
City Manager

City News

Grant Funded Air Purifiers Have Arrived in Benicia Schools & Public Places

355 HEPA air purifiers and enough replacement filters for 5 years have arrived at Benicia public schools and public facilities! Benicia Fire Department staff applied for and received $414,375 in grant funding from the Bay Area Air Quality Management District’s Clean Air Centers Program to purchase new, high-efficiency air filtration systems.

In the Benicia Unified School District, a new air filter system has been placed in every classroom and in most indoor areas where students are present. During a poor air quality event, BUSD students will be able to breathe clean air while they are at school.

The City of Benicia's air filtration systems are now placed in Community Center, Family Resource Center, Senior Center, City Hall, Police Department, Fire Department, Water & Wastewater Treatment Centers, Emergency Operations Center, and emergency shelters hosted by the City of Benicia. During a poor air quality event, residents can get respite from smoke-burdened air by visiting one of these public spaces during regular business hours. If an emergency shelter or cooling center is opened, residents can breathe easy knowing that the air in the shelter is clean.

The funds for the Clean Air Centers Program come from California Assembly Bill 836: Wildfire Smoke Clean Air Center Incentive Program for Vulnerable Populations. The purpose of the bill is to establish an expansive network of publicly accessible facilities with high-efficiency air filtration systems for people who may not otherwise have access to clean air during wildfire events.

Solano County Requesting Information to Support Federal Assistance

The Solano County Office of Emergency Services (OES) is requesting County residents and businesses that sustained property damage from the recent storms to fill out a short survey. The data received from the survey will assist OES in assessing and reporting the full extent of the storm damage in our community and in requesting relief funds.

This survey is not a report for insurance and does not guaruntee financial assistance. Residents and businesses should still report damages to their insurance provider. No personal data will be collected or stored as a result of this survey.

To stay informed, follow Solano OES on Facebook at www.facebook.com/SolanoOES and sign up for emergency alerts at www.AlertSolano.com.

Take the survey

Parks and Community Services Survey

The Benicia Parks and Community Services Department invites you to provide some input as staff begins to plan Summer Special Events for 2023!

Click the link below to provide your input on upcoming events by taking the survey.

Take the survey

All Benicia Can Save: Sustainability Challenge Kick-off Event

The Benicia Public Library is launching a six-month educational series on sustainability. The focus of the program is to provide Benicians the tools and information needed to “live sustainably.”

Upcoming events will include how-to workshops and presentations on health, gardening, waste reduction, and cooking among other topics and a Sustainability Festival scheduled to coincide with Earth Day 2023.

Learn more

Job Openings at the City of Benicia

The City of Benicia is hiring for the following positions:

- Account Clerk I - Part Time
- Community Services Officer I
- Lifeguard
- Maintenance Worker III (Parks & Community Services)
- Police Officer - Academy Enrolled/Academy Graduate/Non-Lateral/Lateral (currently working)
- Public Safety Dispatcher - Lateral/Academy Graduate/Academy Enrolled/Entry
- Recreation Leader - Pool Cashier
- Senior Planner
- Wastewater Operator I/II/III

Apply today!

Upcoming Events

See events

What's going on in Benicia? Visit our events calendar on VisitBenicia.org to see events by local businesses, community events, and more!

City of Benicia Meetings

City Council
January 31, 2023 - 6:00 PM

CANCELED - Special Economic Development Board
February 1, 2023 - 5:30PM

City Council
February 2, 2023 - 6:00 PM

Arts and Culture Commission
February 2, 2023 - 6:30 PM

Agendas for City Council, Boards, Commissions, and Committee Meetings are available at www.ci.benicia.ca.us/agendas.

See meetings

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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!