Benicia’s draft Industrial Health and Safety Ordinance is now live! Read and provide feedback on the draft ‘IHSO’ and supporting documents by clicking the link or image below.
The deadline to submit feedback is August 17, 2024. You will need an account for EngageBenicia.com to read the draft and leave feedback.
If you would prefer to email comments or suggestions, the directions for how to do so are included on the linked page.
Got some time? Watch the Benicia City Council receive a report from their ISO Subcommittee LIVE NOW by clicking this link or clicking the image below.
Check out the meeting packet for more information about how to participate.
Here’s a copy of the PowerPoint the subcommittee prepared if you missed the live presentation.
To learn more about the project and the public engagement process, visit the City’s public engagement website, www.EngageBenicia.com.
Accessing The Meeting
How to Participate in the Meeting:
1) Attend in person at Council Chambers
2) Cable T.V. Broadcast – Check with your cable provider for your local government broadcast channel.
3) Livestream online at www.ci.benicia.ca.us/agendas.
4) Zoom Meeting (link below)
The public may view and participate (via computer or phone) link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88508047557?pwd=cHRsZlBrYlphU3pkODcycytmcFR2UT09
Dial in with phone:
Before the start of the item you wish to comment on, call any of the numbers
• Enter the meeting ID number: 885 0804 7557 *please note this is an updated ID number* item you wish to speak on. Once unmuted, you will have up to 5 minutes to speak.
How to Submit Public Comments for this City Council meeting:
Besides appearing in person and offering public comments, members of the public may provide public comment via Zoom, or to the City Clerk by email at lwolfe@ci.benicia.ca.us. Any comment submitted to the City Clerk should indicate to which item of the agenda the comment relates. [BenIndy: This is item 16A.]
Specific information follows:
– Comments received by 2:00 pm on the day of the meeting will be electronically forwarded to the City Council and posted on the City’s website.
– Comments received after 2:00 pm, but before the start time of the meeting will be electronically forwarded to the City Council but will not be posted on the City’s website.
By Benicia Vice Mayor Terry Scott, received July 8, 2024
Note: A number of these points have been made on the record, noted during the 6/25 City Council discussion on this subject.
I am opposed to the proposed consolidation of the Arts and Culture Commission (ACC), Human Services Board (HSB), and the Parks, Recreation, and Cemetery Commissions into a single entity.
This plan, while well-intentioned in its aim to reduce monthly staff support, fails to recognize the unique and vital contributions each commission makes to our community.
The HSB’s mission as a granting organization is to provide a safety net for the most vulnerable among us. Its specialized focus on social services cannot be overstated, as it ensures that those in need and receive the targeted support they require.
The ACC, with its dual mission of creating and supporting public art initiatives and creating and supporting cultural events, enriches our community’s cultural landscape.
From Shakespeare in the Park to supporting local arts organizations like the Benicia Ballet and the Old Town Theatre, the ACC’s role is multifaceted and requires dedicated oversight.
In addition, ACC also manages on-going grantor programs for Arts Benicia, VOENA, Benicia Performing Arts Foundation, Makers Space and Benicia Literary Arts .
Combining these groups, along with Parks, Rec and Cemeteries into one large committee dilutes their individual effectiveness and undermines their ability to serve the distinct needs of our community.
A newly comprised seven-member committee cannot possibly manage the diverse needs, budgets, and intricacies of the grantor process that these individual commissions oversee.
Furthermore, the suggestion does not directly address the needs of our aging population. As we have seen in the Parks Master plan and witnessed on our streets, Benicia is aging.
To meet the challenges this demographic shift presents, we need a dedicated City Commission on Aging, not a mere mention in a consolidated group’s mission.
If staff reduction is the goal, let us find ways to support and enhance the work of these commissions, which play an irreplaceable role in the fabric of our community.
But if we cannot continue to maintain independent stand alone commissions due to the need to reduce staff involvement, we must look at new opportunities for staff time reduction.
I offer the following thoughts on how to potentially accomplish the task by matching Benicia commissions to need based on similar visions.
Combining the Arts and Culture Commission with Economic Development Board can create a more cohesive strategy for driving both cultural and economic growth. This approach aligns with the concept of creative placemaking where arts and culture are integrated into community development to enhance the quality or and economic prosperity.
For example, as ACC Chair Neema Hekmat has noted, the National Endowment for the Arts has highlighted how arts can be a powerful tool for community transformation and economic development.
Similarly, merging the Human Services Board with the Family Resource Center could streamline services and provide a more robust support system for disadvantaged groups. Our Family Resource Center serves as a hub for various support services that is a match with HSB’s mission of addressing the needs of vulnerable populations.
This integration can lead to more efficient use of resources and better outcomes for the community and possibly avoid redundant staffing needs.
Combining HSB with FRC, and then ACC with EDB, could help keep these functions separate but integrated into two existing commissions, which seems practical and focused on leveraging the strengths of each area. It ensures that arts and economic development can thrive together, while human services and family resources support can provide a comprehensive safety net.
How do you envision the implementation of these changes? Are there specific steps or strategies you think would be crucial for a smooth transition?
Attend a special commission meeting tonight, on Monday, July 8, 2024, at 5:30pm, where the commission will be ideating concepts for a new structure. More information can be found here: https://benicia.granicus.com/AgendaViewer.php?view_id=1&event_id=2106
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