All posts by Roger Straw

Editor, owner, publisher of The Benicia Independent

AMPORTS, Benicia City Council, City of Benicia, Port of Benicia

Benicia has a rare deep water port. Here’s what it would take to fix it

April 11, 2026 Roger Straw

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED: THE BENICIA BRIDGE
The following excellent reporting comes from Benicia’s newest award-winning journalism duo, Monica Vaughan and Laura López González. Their online publication is The Benicia Bridge. Learn more and subscribe to the newsletter here. Note that the story below is a highly important delvelopment for Benicia – first hand reporting on current City Council business, missing since the departure of the Benicia Herald’s Donna Beth Weilenman in 2015! – Roger Straw

City Council receives 43-page report, ‘Port of Benicia – Facilities and Infrastructure Modernization Plan’

By Monica Vaughan, The Benicia Bridge, April 10, 2026

Benicia City Council learned about improvements needed to maintain the Port of Benicia, as well as potential work that could attract more seafaring customers – to the cost of $700 million.

Background: The City of Benicia received a $750,000 grant to develop a Port of Benicia Facilities and Infrastructure Modernization Plan. The consultant doing the work, GHD, presented parts of the plan to councilmembers at a city council meeting Tuesday. The grant came from regional government agencies, the Metropolitan Transportation Commission and the Association of Bay Area Governments.

The main takeaways: The port and surrounding area need work to maintain operations into the near future, like structural improvements to the pier, stormwater infrastructure, and nearby roads and intersections used by truck traffic related to port activities.

Long-term work is needed to build up the seawall to protect against sea-level rise. And, there are opportunities to expand the pier to allow for additional moorings.

The total cost of all projects reviewed is around $700 million. The council may consider going after grants to help tackle some or all or none of the projects suggested.

Council members seemed dubious about investments, given that the port is privately owned and operated by AMPORTS. As Councilmember Trevor Macenski put it, “Would you spend $700 million on capital projects supporting an industry that doesn’t significantly benefit the city?”

Councilmember Kari Birdseye noted that AMPORTS is a big company in our community, but urged that work moving forward, especially grant opportunities, “has to benefit the larger community and not just one company in our city.”

The consultant suggested the city consider the benefits of a public/private partnership, and noted that other cities work hard to attract a company like AMPORTS to invest in infrastructure that could bring additional industry and revenue to the area.

“At least you have a partner with a revenue stream,” Vanderbeek said.

The reports provided, however, do not include market research or outreach to other potential customers who could bring business to the port.

Want to read more about it?

Vallejo Sun wrote a story: Benicia mulls $700M project to address sea level rise, expand and modernize port

Story by Monica Vaughan of The Benicia Bridge.
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Reach out to the Benicia Bridge via their About page.

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Benicia City Council, City of Benicia, Solar energy

Benicia’s solar panels are broken. The fix is $480k

April 11, 2026 Roger Straw

A solar array by James Lemos pool provides shade and not much else until the system gets fixed. The City of Benicia owns 10 solar arrays that have fallen into disrepair. Photo by Monica Vaughan.

After “years of disrepair,” the City Council on Tuesday…

By Monica Vaughan, The Benicia Bridge, April 10, 2026

After “years of disrepair,” the City Council on Tuesday approved spending up to $1.6 million to fix and maintain the city’s aging solar panels for the next five years. There’s a caveat.

Background: The city has 10 solar arrays installed about 15 years ago to power a portion of city operations. Parts of the system have been broken for years, according to City Manager Mario Giuliani. The system of panels next to James Lemos Swim Center is completely down, for example. The only good they provide is shade until they’re fixed.

Giuliani stressed the need to get these fixed ASAP, saying “we’re losing money just from the four sites that are off.” Together, the system produces about $770,000 worth of electricity a year.

“By the way,” Giuliani said, City Hall, the Clock Tower and the Police Department building are on collateral for the loan to cover the cost of construction of the arrays back in 2011, which the city continues to pay off every year.

The details: Council members approved a five-year contract with Opterra Energy Services to fix and maintain the city’s 10 solar panel systems. The first year’s work for one-time repairs and upgrades to get the system operating again will cost $480,000. The remaining expenses are for annual maintenance and additional services, if needed. The original contract was for $1.6 million, but the council voted to send it back to the company with edits to reduce costs.

Points of discussion:

Councilmember Lionel Largeosparda worked to cut costs, earning him the title “our contract nerd,” by Mayor Steve Young. The nerd successfully argued that some of the built-in annual markups in the contract were too high, like a 15% markup on materials. He admitted to “splitting hairs and nitpicking.”Ultimately the council agreed with him on those points and they voted to empower the city manager to make those requests to the company and get the deal done. He also wanted to reduce a $150,000-per-year set-aside that allows staff to approve repairs without needing to return to council for approval.Giuliani fought back.

“The only reason I’m having this pushback is because, again, we’re trying to solve something that has been broken for years, and this is a vehicle to do that, so we don’t repeat the mistake of letting something get in such disrepair that it’s going to cost $480,000 in year one,” Giuliani said.

Mayor Steve Young questioned the bid process used to pick the contractor. Instead of publishing a “request for proposals” (RFP for bureaucrats in the know), the city used a third-party vendor, Omnia Partners, that released an RFP and did vetting in 2023. Kelly Ferguson with Opterra Energy made the case in person. “We are uniquely qualified for this contract because, actually, our predecessor company built the systems, and we have stockpiles of equipment, which obviously, now you can’t get on the market.”

Story by Monica Vaughan of The Benicia Bridge.
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Benicia Police, Benicia Schools, Children & Teens, E-bikes, E-motos, Parents

Is Benicia Next? Prosecutors charge parents with child abuse following e-moto crash

April 3, 2026 Roger Straw

“I find myself deeply concerned about the children I’ve seen riding e-motos and electric bicycles around Benicia.”

By Ethan Dale, former Benician, April 2, 2026

I saw this headline this morning: “California prosecutors charge parents with child abuse following e-moto crash” – and it caused me great concern.

As a person who rides bicycle, drives a car and also rides a internal-combustion powered motorcycle, I find myself deeply concerned about the children I’ve seen riding e-motos and electric bicycles around Benicia.

I don’t know how it is that the parents in Benicia who buy e-motos for their children justify this to themselves, but it worries me that the combination of older drivers (with increased reaction times and attention deficits) and teens/younger kids on electric motorcycles and electric bicycles that are heavier and faster than pushbikes is a potentially deadly one.

These young riders of e-motos and electric bikes engage in risky and dangerous behaviors, and aren’t always wearing helmets (state law requires a helmet of any bicycle or moto rider under the age of 16). I’ve had them pass me on the right at stop signs without stopping while I was driving my car, swarm me on my bicycle doing wheelies, and ride on the sidewalk at high speeds. IN BENICIA. I have to assume they’re seeing this behavior modeled on Youtube, and think they live in a safe enough place that nothing bad can happen to them. The parents that allow these behaviors and enable them by purchasing the vehicles clearly think this way.

I don’t know if Benicia’s police department is doing much on the enforcement side, but it would probably be well past time they started to pull over and cite the kids and hold the parents responsible. The e-motos are not legal for street use to start with in many cases, and there are learner’s permits that are required for the rider to have in some cases.

I no longer live in Benicia, but I have family who do and every time I’ve been back there since I moved to Berkeley earlier this year I’ve seen a kid on one of these machines. I wish people were more aware of the dangers. I don’t think anyone wants their kid to die, or for the parents to end up destitute after being sued because of a preventable accident.

I am including a link below to the website hosted by the Danville Bicycle Advocacy organization – they have done a fantastic job of pulling together information about this topic and clarifying the differences between the various types of e-motos and e-bikes. They also have a number of articles about accidents that have happened in Danville, enforcement efforts by the Danville PD, and others.

I suggest that anyone concerned about these machines and their potentially deadly impact on other cyclists, pedestrians and vehicles educate themselves. I would really like to see Benicia PD take a stance on these issues, and begin enforcing the law by pulling over, citing and potentially impounding the vehicles that are being used illegally.

Ethan Dale
Former Benician

Clarification: “E-Motos” vs E-Bikes” and Why it Matters. – DANVILLE SAFETY ADVOCATES

Democracy under attack, Donald Trump, Local vigilance, No Kings!

NO KINGS Protest in Benicia – massive turnout!

March 28, 2026 Roger Straw

A few pics and my rough crowd estimate

By Roger Straw, March 28, 2026

NO KINGS Protest, Benicia CA, March 28, 2026 | Photo RStraw

I’m used to counting crowds in the hundreds, and I’m pretty good at that. I’m not much good at counting bodies in the thousands, so don’t quote me on this. But I think there were well over 2000 protesters on the banks and sidewalks around Benicia’s Gazebo.

I thought the early 9am hour might be a problem here, and we’d see fewer Benicia protesters than last June or October. But no! The movement in Benicia is growing. We’re part of a massive uprising nationwide, who will not stand by while Trump and his crowd try to destroy our successful experiment in democracy.

Here’s one of my favorite signs. True.

Stay tuned for more as I receive photos and links from others…

Roger Straw
The Benicia Independent

REMEMBERING…

Benicia in Solidarity with Minnesota, February 2026:

- Crowd of 400 Benicia HS students protest ICE at City Park

Benicia’s October 2025 No Kings Rally:

- Slides & Video: Benicia No Kings Day #2

Benicia’s June 2025 No Kings Rally:

In America, we don’t put up with would-be kings.

Our peaceful movement is only getting bigger and stronger. “NO KINGS” is more than just a slogan—it’s the foundation our nation was built upon. Born in the streets, carried by millions in chants and on posters, it echoes from city blocks to rural town squares, uniting people across this country to fight dictatorship together.

The president thinks his rule is absolute. But in America, we don’t have kings, and we won’t back down against chaos, corruption, and cruelty. Grow our movement and join us.

A core principle behind all No Kings events is a commitment to nonviolent action. We expect all participants to seek to de-escalate any potential confrontation with those who disagree with our values and to act lawfully at these events. Weapons of any kind, including those legally permitted, should not be brought to events.