Category Archives: Benicia

Benicia, Benicia City Council, Benicia Economic Development, Benicia's Budget Crisis, Climate action

City of San Luis Obispo launches Sustainable SLO initiative (and Benicia could take note)

[Note from BenIndy: There are many paths to a balanced budget in a small town like ours. Paths that emphasize local economic development by enhancing active transportation safety and accessibility, minimizing fossil fuel reliance, and boosting both outdoor and indoor air quality set a course for a San Luis Obispo that is cleaner, healthier, and safer…and yet still financially stable and self-sustaining. San Luis Obispo and Benicia have a lot of common: SLO is another full-service town like Benicia, with a larger population but many of the same values.]

San Luis Obispo.

PublicCEO, January 29, 2024

San Luis Obispo has set big goals to reduce pollution and adapt to the climate crisis, and we’re making big progress. To highlight this work, the City is adding a new Sustainable SLO mark and illustrated graphic on a variety of public facilities and equipment in San Luis Obispo.

“The City of San Luis Obispo is leading on climate action, and we’re excited to tell our story over the next few months,” said Chris Read, the City’s sustainability manager. “Now through Earth Day 2024, we will highlight everything from our new electric buses to our recycling bins and will share resources for how community members can make changes to save money, reduce pollution in their own homes and businesses and help reach communitywide carbon neutrality by 2035.”

Community members may have already seen the new Sustainable SLO mark and illustrated graphic throughout San Luis Obispo and will likely be seeing it more often. Climate action is a major City goal for the City of San Luis Obispo and the City has been working for years from its Climate Action Plan to reduce pollution and make San Luis Obispo more resilient to the effects of climate change.

Sustainable SLO demonstrates how the City is leading by example by phasing out fossil fuels from public facilities and fleet vehicles, reducing greenhouse gas emissions from organic waste and restoring the beautiful natural ecosystems that make San Luis Obispo such a wonderful place to live. These efforts include but are not limited to:

  • Installing new bike lanes and using all-electric buses that make it safer and easier to get around,
  • Conserving open space properties throughout the greenbelt to protect natural resources,
  • Transitioning the City’s fleet to electric vehicles to save money and use less fossil fuels,
  • Installing new trash and recycling bins downtown to reduce litter and landfilled waste,
  • Adding more public-facing electric vehicle chargers in SLO so it’s easy to charge on the go,
  • Planting 10,000 new trees in streets, parks and open space areas by 2035,
  • Switching to energy-efficient lighting at City facilities to save money and use less energy, and
  • Installing a large battery at the Water Treatment Plant to save money and create a more resilient facility.

With generous federal, state and regional funding resources, incentives and technical assistance available to support climate action, it’s becoming easier for organizations and individuals to make sustainable choices in SLO. Over the next few months, the City will share more about Sustainable SLO and suggest ways organizations and individuals can take local action on the climate crisis.

“We’ll be telling this story on social media, local news channels and at in-person events,” said Lucia Pohlman, the City’s sustainability and natural resources analyst. “Everyone can find Sustainable SLO ‘in the wild’ to see tangible ways we’re making a difference. Hopefully, this will inspire community members to cut climate pollution and prepare for increasingly hazardous floods and fires. It’s no easy task, but with the community’s help, we can reach our goals and ensure our community thrives into the future.”

Learn more about the City’s Sustainable SLO initiative at www.slocity.org/sustainableslo and subscribe to email updates at www.slocity.org/Subscribe.

January 29, 2024 | Cities, Climate Change, Conservation, Environmental Policy, Infrastructure, Local Government, Planning and Development, Technology
Benicia, Solano County Transit, Vice-Mayor Terry Scott

Benicia Vice Mayor Terry Scott Assumes Chairmanship of Solano County Transit Board of Directors

[Note from BenIndy: While it may not seem as glamorous, the development and maintenance of transportation and transit systems plays a crucial role in long-term infrastructure development, economic viability in cities like ours, and – arguably most important of all – equity and accessibility. They are of course also key components of environmental sustainability. Benicia is at a crossroads of sorts, and transit/transportation issues are important parts of the conversation for what Benicia (and Solano more broadly) will look like in the future. We at BenIndy have heard some casual complaints about Benicia’s transit options and are happy to know who to point those complainants to in the near future. Good luck, Vice Mayor!]

Benicia Vice m Mayor Terry Scott.

SOLTRANS NEWS RELEASE: January 24, 2024

Solano County – Solano County Transit (SolTrans) is pleased to announce the appointment of Benicia Vice Mayor Terry Scott as the new Chair of the Board of Directors. In assuming this pivotal role, Vice Mayor Scott brings a wealth of experience, leadership, and dedication to advancing public transportation initiatives in the Solano County and beyond.

As Chair of the Board of Directors, Vice Mayor Scott will play a key role in guiding strategic decisions, fostering collaboration with stakeholders, and ensuring the continued success of SolTrans in providing reliable and sustainable transportation options for the community of Solano County.

“We are thrilled to welcome Vice Mayor Terry Scott as the new Chair of the Solano County Transit Board of Directors. His leadership skills, combined with his passion for public service, make him an ideal candidate to lead our organization into the future,” said SolTrans Executive Director Beth Kranda.

Vice Mayor Terry Scott expressed his enthusiasm for the new role, stating, “I am honored to have the opportunity to serve as Chair of the Solano County Transit Board of Directors. Public transportation is a vital component of our community, and I look forward to working collaboratively with the board, staff, and community partners to enhance transit services and address the evolving needs of our communities.”

Solano County Transit remains committed to delivering safe, reliable, courteous, efficient, and accessible transportation services that effectively link people, jobs, and communities. With Vice Mayor Terry Scott at the helm, the organization is poised to achieve new milestones and continue its mission of connecting communities through reliable transit services.

Solano County Transit (SolTrans) has been the public transportation provider for south Solano County since July 2011. SolTrans provides local and SolanoExpress fixed routes and complementary paratransit. The agency is a Joint Powers Authority (JPA) governed by a six-member Board of Directors, composed of two representatives from the cities of Benicia and Vallejo, Solano County’s representative on the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC), and a representative from the Solano Transportation Authority.

Benicia, Benicia Measure C, Benicia School Board, Benicia Schools, Benicia Unified School District, Benicia's Budget Crisis, Vice-Mayor Terry Scott

Vice Mayor Terry Scott: Why we should all support the upcoming BUSD school bond Measure C

Mary Farmar Elementary students. | Mary Farmar Elementary Facebook Page.

By Vice Mayor Terry Scott, January 23, 2024

Benicia Vice-Mayor Terry Scott.

My fellow Benicians,

Investing in our schools is an investment in the future of our community. The proposed improvements, spanning infrastructure, classrooms, and technology, are crucial for fostering an environment where students can thrive.

A strong BUSD school system not only provides a high-quality education but also contributes significantly to the overall well-being of our residents.

Improved facilities and advanced technology ensure that students have access to modern resources, preparing them for the challenges of the future job market.

As Benicia residents, we play a pivotal role in shaping the foundation of our community. Supporting this bond measure is an investment in the growth and prosperity of our town.

Passage of the bond measure will not result in higher property taxes.  In fact, because the way the bond is structured, the average Benicia property owner should see a tax reduction of about $30.00.

Let’s come together to empower our schools and, in turn, empower our future generations.

Sincerely,

Terry Scott
Vice Mayor
City of Benicia

Visit the Benicia Unified School District’s Fact Page for Measure C for more information.

There, you’ll find a letter to parents and guardians, an FAQ for the measure, and the BUSD Facilities Master Plan.

Visit BelieveInBenicia.org to learn more about Benicia’s Resiliency Plan, sign up for updates from Benicia City Manager Mario Giuliani, and join the effort to help shape Benicia’s future. While some workshops have already occurred, there is still time to add your voice! Look for the red, bolded text below to see upcoming workshops, and please fill out the community survey (also linked below).

UPCOMING MEETINGS

Community Survey
January 15-26 – Community Survey Link
In Person Workshops
January 18 • 6pm-8pm
City of Benicia Public Library
January 25 • 6pm-8pm
City of Benicia Community Center
Virtual Workshops via Zoom
January 17 • 6pm
January 24 • 6pm – Join the meeting
Benicia, Benicia City Council, Benicia Economic Development, Benicia General Plan, Benicia's Budget Crisis, East Fifth Gateway, Elizabeth Patterson

Elizabeth Patterson: Blaming “stagnant population growth” for our budget crisis is wrong…and risky

Elizabeth Patterson, Benicia Mayor 2007–2020.

Stephen Golub submits many interesting and important writings in the BenIndy, the local newspaper, blogs and so forth.  His insights are helpful.

But I am disappointed about his statement about “stagnant population growth” as one of the reasons for the city’s budget woes.

It seems he has unintentionally been captured by the influence of “development machine” (which happens to be the title of a 25-year-old University of California book on developers and their practices).  A casual reference to “stagnant population growth” does not make population growth itself a legitimate path to economic prosperity.  For just a few examples, this EPA report titled “How Small Towns and Cities Can Use Local Assets to Rebuild Their Economies: Lessons from Successful Places” highlights what small cities can do for economic health with a stable population.

It is true that we need to provide for housing, and I like the idea of tasteful additions of duplexes, ADUs and multifamily units as infill development.  But, of course, it is the developers who build – not the cities – and developers have shown their true intentions when they have the chance to build expensive housing instead of affordable or middle-cost housing.  They go for the higher profit.  We are told they have to do this because of the fees, time to process and so forth.

But a recent incident in San Jose demonstrates that this is false.  In this case, the developers were approved with entitlements for high-density residential and mixed-use.  Perfect.  But when they learned that San Jose may have been late in approving its housing element, what did the developers do?  They resubmitted their plans under the “builders’ remedy” for high-end single family units and condos.  

Anyone read The Ox-Bow Incident?  You should.  It would teach you about what the “market can bear” the intentions of the commercial class – in this case, the railroads.  And yes, we are being railroaded into building anything, anywhere, no matter what.

So, back to Stephen’s piece.  The population growth issue is being used by the city in support of sprawl development out by Lake Herman Road.  Now back up a second and think about population growth and the need to develop outside of the city’s urban footprint.  If it were true that we must have population growth to thrive, when does it stop?  We just keep having population growth to the end of time?  Of course not.  This is a failed concept and people should stop saying that we must approve development inconsistent with the city’s General Plan due to stagnant population growth (General Plans regard the constitution of land use development and fealty to them is the law, not a choice).

To be clear, Stephen does not say he supports sprawl development.  He doesn’t.  In fact, he supports the East Fifth Gateway mixed-use plan. It’s a good plan and needs city initiatives to encourage development. But he does use the “stagnant population” theme, which is troubling.

I suggest that we dig deeper into this concept of population growth and connect the dots of congested roads, long lines at National Parks, food shortages and pollution.  There is a connection.  It is not likely that we will solve problems like these by having more people.

And lastly, population growth is projected to begin to decline near the end of the century.  This is certainly true in the US and California.  We could wind up with lots of empty residential development just like we are seeing with the over-built, retail commercial development that we were warned about years ago.

What then, is the answer?

Consider economic development with the increasing need for manufacturing that is green, more local shopping at smaller, more community-based stores, not to mention the arts and entertainment. Our aging population  will need services and housing accommodations over the next 25 years.

Thoughtful development with these needs in mind will create a place that people want to visit, shop in and work in.  This is not a pie-in-the-sky idea, but it does take hard work and we, the people, need to do our part and help with city revenues for our infrastructure.  And maybe with less stress the city council and staff can focus on the future so clearly described in the General Plan.

Elizabeth Patterson

For safe and healthy communities…