Message from the City Manager

Dear Community, 

It’s been a challenging weather weekend with the powerful rains doing their best to squash the Christmas Parade on Saturday. Our Public Works crews have been working hard to keep the drains flowing and ensure they are not overwhelmed. As a reminder, it's critically important to keep leaves and other debris from building up and blocking our storm drains. Currently, we do not have any enforcement for our street sweeping program, so in many ways it is not effective as it could be. A robust enforcement program that ensures streets are clean and free of parked vehicles so that the street sweeper can make its passes is the only way to successfully clean the streets. Meanwhile, we’d love to enlist your help in keeping your leaves, other debris, and pollutants from ending up in our streets and in our drains. 

The rains, of course, are much needed, as is the snow that came down in the mountains over the weekend. Lake Herman water has increased approximately 2% over the last few weeks, which may seem like a small number, but actually represents quite a bit of water. We are very fortunate to have Public Works Director Kyle Ochenduszko at the helm - from managing our water, negotiating and managing our water purchases, and operating both our water treatment plant and our wastewater treatment plant. Kyle’s background as the former Chief of Water Rights Enforcement at the California State Water Resources Control Board as well as previously serving as an Engineer, Senior Engineer, and Engineering Advisor in the California Department of Water Resources gives us a great advantage in managing our water enterprise. 

We are having a special combined City Council and Planning Commission meeting this Tuesday night, December 13th, at 6 p.m. to advance our Housing Element and ensure it's certified in time. You can find out more about our Housing Element here:  https://www.ci.benicia.ca.us/housingelement.  

Some other big issues will be coming before Council in the coming months. In January, we will be tackling parking, with a special focus on downtown parking. In February - March, we will have a presentation on water reuse (recycling our wastewater), electrification of the fleet of City vehicles and electric vehicle charging citywide, as well as our annual Priority Goal Setting Workshop. As these dates get closer, I will call these meetings out in this newsletter.

Erik Upson

City Manager

[email protected]

City News

City of Benicia Blood Drive - December 15^th

Step up to support patients in need! Join us for the City of Benicia Blood Drive this Thursday, December 15, 2022 at the Benicia Clock Tower. The Clock Tower is located at 1189 Washington Street in Benicia. Click this link to schedule your appointment: Make an Appointment 

Appointments are encouraged and walk-ins are also welcome. Sanitation and disinfection measures take place throughout the event.

16 year olds need a signed parental consent form. Donors should arrive well-nourished and hydrated. Donors need photo identification with first and last name. The donation process takes approximately one hour (add an additional 20 minutes for a double red cell donation). To save time, donors can complete the health questionnaire online prior to arriving at the drive. The questionnaire must be completed the same day as the donation and barcode needs to be presented at the drive. This can also be completed at the drive. 

First Annual Hanukkah Celebration - December 18^th

The City of Benicia invites you to attend the First Annual Hanukkah Celebration at the City Park Gazebo. The celebration will begin at 1pm on Sunday, December 18th. The event will take place rain or shine and will last for around 30 minutes.

The event will include Hanukkah greetings from the Mayor, Vice Mayor, and City Manager along with Hanukkah blessings and a lighting of the menorah by Rabbi Zaklos. This is a family friendly event and perfect for all ages. Light refreshments and goody bags for children will be provided. We look forward to seeing you there!

Questions? Please email [email protected].

California Building Code Standards

Every three years, the State adopts new model codes (known collectively as the California Building Standards Code) to establish uniform standards for the construction and maintenance of buildings, electrical systems, plumbing systems, mechanical systems, fire, and life safety systems. This will affect all architects, engineers, designers, developers, owners, and contractors.

All projects submitted to the City of Benicia on or before December 22, 2022 by 2pm, are permitted to comply with the 2019 Edition of the California Building Standards Code.

Beginning on January 1, 2023, the City of Benicia is required by State law to enforce the 2022 Edition of California Building Standards Codes.

For more information on significant code changes affecting the City of Benicia starting January 1, 2023, visit the City of Benicia Building Safety Division's webpage: https://www.ci.benicia.ca.us/building.

Benicia Housing and Safety Element - Important Dates

The City of Benicia is updating the General Plan Housing and Safety Elements as required by State law and will also make related updates to the General Plan Land Use Element, Benicia Zoning Ordinance and Benicia Zoning Map. The City has prepared an Environmental Impact Report (EIR) that evaluates the environmental impacts of the General Plan and zoning amendments, which will be reviewed as part of the upcoming hearings. Key dates this month are:

December 13, 2022 at 6:00 p.m. – City Council/Planning Commission. The Council and Planning Commission will conduct a public hearing to discuss an overview of review comments from the Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) and next steps. Public comments will also be accepted on the Draft EIR.

December 19, 2022 at 5:00 p.m. – Draft EIR Comments Due. The Draft EIR was released on November 3, 2022. The deadline for public comment on the draft EIR is December 19, 2022. Written public comments on the Draft EIR will be accepted until 5:00 pm on December 19, 2022 and should be sent to:

Jason Hade, AICP, Planning Manager

Community Development Department

250 East L Street, Benicia, CA 94510

Email comments can be sent to: [email protected]

The public is invited to participate in the public comment period, including during the joint City Council/Planning Commission meeting on December 13, 2022.

Want to learn more? Please visit our website to view the proposed amendments and summaries of past public meetings:

- Housing Element, Zoning, and EIR: www.ci.benicia.ca.us/housingelement

- Community Health and Safety Element: www.ci.benicia.ca.us/safetyelement

Leaf Maintenance for Effective Storm Drains

As trees throughout the City drop their final leaves for the season, the City would like to draw the public’s attention to the very important issue of leaf maintenance so that storm drains can provide their flood control benefits. Storm drains are typically located next to street curbs and are a vital part of flood control, allowing water to quickly drain from the streets. Flooding can occur if these drains get clogged by leaves, trash or other debris. It is important to maintain storm drains to prevent stormwater blockages and minimize the number of pollutants from run-off entering storm drains.

Stormwater is discharged directly into the Carquinez Strait from the stormwater system. Clogged catch basins can also cause water to pond along streets and in yards. This flooding can be a nuisance, possibly a safety hazard or property damage issue, to both motorists and homeowners. Stormwater drainage systems are typically designed to remove water from a developed area as quickly as possible during a storm. Clearing off leaves, pine needles, mud and any other debris on and around the drain grates will allow water to enter the storm system freely, preventing localized flooding.

The City of Benicia asks that residents and businesses properly collect and dispose of leaves to keep them from clogging drains. Please do not rake or blow leaves into the street. Instead, collect and use them for personal composting or simply place them in your green recycling bin. Do not attempt to remove the grate, only the debris on the top.

If the drain is still clogged after you’ve removed the debris, call Public Works Maintenance Division at 707-746-4296 to report it. Thank you for your help and cooperation with this important health and safety issue.

Public Draft Safety Element Comments

Public Draft Safety Element Comments Due on December 12, 2022

The Draft Community Health and Safety Element and Revised Background Report, to be included as an appendix to the general plan, are now available on the project website.

Please remember the deadline to provide comments on these documents is December 12, 2022. Comments and questions can be directed to (707) 746-4320 or [email protected]

North Study Area Open House Summary

On November 16, 2022, the City hosted an open house to kick off the North Study Area Visioning Process. Two weeks later, on November 29, the City hosted an on-line virtual open house for the visioning process. Thank you to the over 100 Benicia residents who attended these events!

Summary notes for open house events can be found on the City’s project webpage. Your next opportunity to provide input will be a community survey planned for January 2023. If you have any questions or comments, please let us know.

Valero Community Night

Press Releases

Recent City of Benicia Press Releases are available on the City of Benicia website under Main/Announcements.

Save the Date

- Dec 12 - Human Services Board, 6:00 p.m. at Benicia City Hall Council Chamber. See the full agenda for more information.

- Dec 13 - Joint City Council / Planning Commisssion meeting, 6:00 p.m. at Benicia City Hall Council Chamber. See the full agenda for more information

- Dec 13 - Library Board of Trustees, 6:30 p.m. at Benicia Public Library. See the full agenda for more information.

Visit www.ci.benicia.ca.us/agendas for meeting information.

Click Here for more information