Category Archives: Benicia City Council

Benicia CA, Benicia City Council, Benicia Industrial Park, Jefferson Ridge, Just transition, Rose Estates, Valero Benicia Refinery

Benicia Councilmembers Scott and Birdseye on potential Valero closure

To our fellow Benicia Residents and Business owners:

By Benicia Councilmembers Kari Birdseye and Terry Scott, May 27, 2025

This is a pivotal moment in our city’s history. The potential Valero refinery closure isn’t just a challenge—it’s our opportunity to reimagine Benicia’s future.

For decades, Valero has been directly woven into our economic fabric. And, woven directly into being a significant charitable partner.

Now, we must face change. We must look ahead with clarity and purpose.

This transition demands thoughtful planning, which is why Mayor Young has established specialized task forces to guide our path forward. These task forces will focus on economic diversification, sustainable development, and community resilience. Their mission is clear: to mitigate impacts while discovering new possibilities for growth.

The success of this transition depends on inclusivity. We need voices from every corner of our community—businesses, schools, environmental advocates, residents, artists, Bay Area Air District and many others —to participate in this process.

Your insights will shape our economic assessment and redevelopment strategy.

The 940 acres that Valero may leave behind could be the catalyst that will act as a transformative site. But it represents more than land—it may represent Benicia’s next chapter.

This may be our chance to rebuild, reimagine, and reinvent our community for generations to come.

We have received our wake up call as a community. Now it’s time to act. The future belongs to those who prepare for it.

Together, let’s create a Benicia that honors our past while boldly and bravely steps toward a more diverse, sustainable, and resilient tomorrow.

Our challenge is to transform Benicia into a resilient and sustainable community through economic diversification and innovative development, ensuring the prosperity of all residents, businesses and attractive to visitors.

To us the mission is clear: proactively manage the transition brought by potential changes in Valero’s operations by fostering economic resilience, supporting workforce development, and promoting sustainable redevelopment.

We aim to ensure the prosperity and well-being of Benicia’s residents through strategic planning, community engagement, and innovative solutions.

Benicia will be a vibrant, sustainable community where cutting-edge innovation harmonizes with small-town charm.

And finally, we envision a city where green, renewable technologies pioneers work alongside revitalized local businesses. Where our historic downtown thrives as a destination for visitors and residents alike, and where cohesive new neighborhoods like Rose Estates, Jefferson Ridge, and the Valero property reinvention, and others, provide diverse housing options and mixed use housing and retail tied together with micro transit opportunities.

Change is hard. But we must control our destiny.

Terry Scott
Kari Birdseye
Benicia Council Members

Benicia CA, Benicia City Council, Benicia Fire Chief Josh Chadwick, BISHO, Industrial Safety and Health Ordinance, Valero Benicia Refinery

Benicia ISO Coalition awarded SF Baykeeper’s 2025 Community Partner Award

“So many people worked so hard and for so many years to achieve this.”

Benicia ISO Advocates gather at San Francisco’s Dolphin Club to celebrate the Baykeeper’s 2025 Blue Rivet Award. PHOTO: Michaela Joy Photography

Benicia Industrial Safety and Health Ordinance (BISHO), 5/25/25

Benicia, CA—A coalition of Benicia citizen activists and government leaders has been awarded the 2025 San Francisco Baykeeper’s Blue Rivet Award for its work in passing the Benicia Industrial Safety Ordinance (ISHO). The group was presented the award at the annual SF Baykeeper Celebration of Community of Support on Saturday, May 17 at San Francisco’s Dolphin Club.

Baykeeper Executive Director Sejal Choksi-Chugh presents the 2025 Blue Rivet Award to Benicia City Council Member Kari Birdseye and BISHO member Terry Mollica. PHOTO: Michaela Joy Photography

SF Baykeeper Executive Director Sejal Choksi-Chugh presented the award to Benicia Council member Kari Birdseye and BISHO member Terry Mollica with more than a dozen other Benicia ISO advocates attending.

Birdseye and fellow Benicia Council member Terry Scott were the sponsors and advocates for passage of the Benicia ISHO. After the Council voted in December 2023 to have City staff study the issue of formulating a specific Industrial Safety and Health Ordinance for Benicia, Birdseye, Scott and Benicia Fire Chief Josh Chadwick spent months talking with citizens, stakeholders, businesses, and others to determine the best piece of legislation to monitor and protect Benicia’s air quality. Last month, the Council voted unanimously to pass the draft ISO.

Benicia Industrial Safety and Health Ordinance (BISHO) group is a citizens advocacy group which was founded in early 2023 to work toward passage of a strong ISO. More than 265 supporters became part of the group calling for more accountability from Valero and other industrial companies in the City.

For several years, Benicia has had a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) specifically with Valero but it was long believed and advocated that a stronger, more accountable and enforceable ordinance was necessary, particularly in light of ongoing violations. Benicia was the only refinery city in the Bay Area without such an ordinance. Passage of an ISO came close in 2018 but ultimately was not passed by the then-City Council who opted for the MOU. BISHO was formed as an outgrowth of the 2018 effort.

SF Baykeeper was founded in 1989 with the mission to defend the San Francisco Bay and its watershed by holding polluters and government agencies accountable to create healthier communities and help wildlife thrive. The organization uses a unique combination of investigation, advocacy, and litigation to defend the Bay’s waters and the Bay Area’s communities including science field teams that use boats and drones to patrol the waters checking on reports of polluters and legal teams that challenge polluters in court.

The annual Blue Rivet Award honors individuals and groups who have made a significant difference for San Francisco Bay. The Blue Rivet Award includes a plaque with an actual Golden Gate Bridge rivet representing individual efforts by the many community members and businesses that join together to create a thriving, healthy San Francisco Bay.

“The Benicia Industrial and Safety Ordinance is a pivotal legislative public health safeguard that was created through a process of transparency and substantial community outreach,” said Benicia Council Member Terry Scott, who co-sponsored the Ordinance. “And Saturday, we celebrated how a community focused on working toward solving a common problem can come together and achieve greatness.”

“We are honored to be recognized by SF Baykeeper for the success in passing the ISO,” Mollica said. “So many people worked so hard and for so many years to achieve this. All of Benicia should be proud of this significant move toward making our community safer, cleaner and an even better place to live, work and raise families.”

Benicia City Council, Just transition, Valero Benicia Refinery

Benicia City Council to appoint four task groups to look into possible Valero closure

Benicia City Council Agenda, Tues. May 20, 2025

Item 15.B – Staff Report

TO : City Council
FROM : City Manager
SUBJECT : APPOINTMENT OF CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS TO AD HOC “ACT” TASK FORCE GROUPS IN RESPONSE TO POTENTIAL BENICIA VALERO REFINARY CLOSURE

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:
With the recent news by the Valero Energy Company to potentially cease operation at the Valero Benicia Refinery in April 2026, the City believes it is worthwhile for the City Council to spearhead task force groups to work with various stakeholders to understand potential economic impacts, develop strategies to mitigate those impacts and plan for the future. To that end, Mayor Young is proposing four (4) separate City Council Task Force Groups to understand the impacts of any closure will have on the community.

RECOMMENDATION:
Move to adopt by motion the nomination of the respective members of the City Council to the proposed Ad Hoc Task Force Groups.

BUDGET INFORMATION:
Staff does not anticipate any direct impact on the City’s budget due to the action of creating the proposed Task Force Groups.

BACKGROUND:
To help facilitate engagement and information with impacted stakeholder groups, advocate for the protection of Benicia’s economy and imagine the possible transition of redeveloping 930 acres of the Valero Benicia Refinery, Mayor Young is proposing four (4) ad hoc City Council “ACT” Task Force Groups: Advocacy, Collaboration & Transition.

These proposed groups will be ad hoc in nature and not subject to the Brown Act or Open Government Ordinance. The respective member(s) of Council may solicit feedback and participation from stakeholders as they deem helpful to gather information germane to their purpose, including business owners, employees, labor leaders, community members and governmental and non-governmental organizations. The second City Council meeting of each month will serve as an opportunity for the members of Council to report on the progress of each ad hoc group.

Task Force 1: ADVOCATE for Benicia’s Economy: – Mayor Young
It is proposed that Mayor Young will serve as a point of contact and lead efforts to work with State Officials such as the Governor’s Office of Economic Development, The California Energy Commission, elected leaders, labor and business representatives to advocate on behalf of Benicia relating to the potential shutdown of the refinery. The purpose is to gather information and reports on the economic value of the refining operations to Benicia’s economy, county employment, the States economy as well as the importance the Benicia refinery is to Travis Air Force Base.

Task Force 2: COLLABORATE with Community: Non-Profit Organizations, Sports Groups, Benicia Unified School District, Restaurants & Hotels – Council Member Largaespada
The focus of this Task Force is to coordinate between the various community groups that receive contributions and support from Valero. Understand the economic impact to these groups and facilitate collaboration between groups to maximize resources where possible and generate plans on how to proceed with either less funding or new means of revenue. Similarly, with sports groups, the intent is to quantify the financial contribution made to sports groups and how reduced support from Valero could impact users. Additionally, this Task Force will coordinate with Benicia Unified School District to analyze the impact on property tax revenue to the District and any other direct revenue loss from Valero’s cessation of operations. Finally, this Task Force will seek to quantify the economic impact on hotels and restaurants with Valero’s exit. The work of Councilmember Largaespada is to coordinate information, facilitate cooperation of resources between groups where feasible, and develop a plan of action on how to overcome the loss of revenue with Valero’s departure.

Task Force 3: COLLABORATE with Benicia Industrial Park (BIP): Existing industrial park businesses, Rose Estates and Port of Benicia – Council Member Birdseye
This Task Force is designed to work with impacted BIP businesses; understanding the impact on jobs, lost revenue and impacts on the stream of commerce. Additionally, this Task Force shall coordinate the plans and actions of Rose Estates, the Priority Production Area plan of the Port with redevelopment efforts of the 930 acres of Valero’s property with any interested developers. There may be an opportunity to synchronize development activity and/or work to incentivize new business development into the BIP including offshore wind manufacturing.

Task Force 4: TRANSITION Prepare for Transition and Redevelopment of Valero’s 930 acres: Valero & Signature Development Group – Vice Mayor Macenski & Council Member Scott
This Task Force is to collaborate with Valero and Signature Development Group to imagine the possible reuse opportunities for the 930 acres of Valero’s property. This Task Force would help to facilitate stakeholder involvement to solicit public feedback and visioning. Identify the types of uses, be it residential commercial or industrial and those uses can be best incorporated into Benicia. Identify reports and information that would be helpful to forecast highest and best use for Benicia’s economic viability and environmental sustainability.

NEXT STEPS:
If approved, the various Task Force groups can meet at their convenience with stakeholders of their choosing to help facilitate their mission.

ALTERNATIVE ACTIONS:
None.

CEQA Analysis
The requested action is exempt from CEQA because it will not result in a direct or indirect physical change in the environment and therefore it is not a project as defined in CEQA Guidelines Section 15378.

ATTACHMENT:
None.

For more information contact: Mario Giuliani, City Manager
Phone: 707-746- 4289
E-mail: mgiuliani@ci.benicia.ca.us 

Benicia CA, Benicia City Council, Industrial Safety Ordinance (ISO), Just transition, Valero Benicia Refinery

Cathy Bennett: Valero’s “current intent” is anyone’s guess

If Valero closes, or not … Benicia can hold them accountable. This is not the end of the world.

By Cathy Bennett, April 24, 2025

Cathy Bennett, Benicia

My thanks go to Steve Golub in his recent article outlining the broader perspective and potential reasons for Valero’s “possible” closer. As always, Steve is clear and concise in explaining a very complicated situation. In the wake of Valero’s sudden announcement there is a lot of finger-pointing going on, and his article wisely advises a mindful step back to see the bigger picture.

I for one, do not believe that Valero is actually going to close. I think Valero is stacking up its options in a strategic move to give itself as much wiggle room as possible for the tough decisions it must now make, due to a variety of reasons, the least of which is the
watered-down ISO. I also believe Valero benefits tremendously by these scare tactics to the public (and Benicia City Council) at the very time when decisions are forthcoming regarding fees and fines for the ISO.

The timing of Valero’s announcement, and the reckless manner it threw its employees and the city of Benicia under the bus, strikes me as a crude thumb to the nose. Another example that Valero has never been “a good neighbor”. That said I would urge everyone to resist panic. There are many layers to this onion. We must peal back each layer one at a time to expose the true underbelly of what is before us. By staying focused and examining each step, Benicia will develop a solid strategy to move forward. Benicia must hold Valero accountable for what ever decision it ultimately makes. That includes clean up of the 400 acres of potentially toxic contamination of waterfront property if it plans to close.

This is not the end of the world, nor the demise of our beloved Benicia. I trust our city council to think this through carefully, not over-react, and not capitulate to Valero’s threats. This is one more piece of evidence of the bully behavior we have been dealing with for decades.

Cathy Bennett
Benicia resident for 25 years