The Benicia City Council will be meeting tonight, and once again cannabis is on the agenda. The council will discuss reviewing the scoring and evaluation criteria for commercial cannabis uses from the four ordinances approved at the Feb. 20 meeting which allows cannabis uses in Benicia. Those four ordinances allowed for personal cultivation of cannabis […]
Benicia hosting March for Our Lives rally
Upwards of 1,000 people could rally in the March for Our Lives Rally this Saturday in Benicia. In response to the Feb. 14 shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla., Never Again MSD and Everytown for Gun Safety are organizing several demonstrations to call for legislative action on gun control and support […]
Commission approves alcohol prohibition in parks amendment
The Parks, Recreation & Cemetery Commission unanimously voted to add an amendment to Title 12 of the Benicia Municipal Code, taking the first step to prohibit alcohol in parks without a permit. It will next be submitted to the City Council for approval. The amendment is intended to remove the allowance of alcoholic beverages and […]
Benicia High students rally on campus for gun control
Unlike at the thousands of schools across the country, zero students walked out of Benicia High School during the National School Walkout. Instead, students held a rally in the quad during Access Period to give speeches on preventing future gun violence and improving their school. Senior Carson Rendell began the rally with a moment of […]
BHS discourages leaving campus for National School Walkout, provides alternative activities
Students leaving campus or skipping classes for the National School Walkout will be marked absent, according to a recently issued Benicia High School newsletter. In response to the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla. One month ago today, students at schools and universities throughout the country are planning to walk out […]
Planning Commission approves Speakeasy use permit, commits to study session for zoning text amendment
The Planning Commission met Thursday for a discussion on approving a restaurant’s use permit and a study session for zoning text amendments. The Loft and the Speakeasy on 280 First St. requested a use permit to authorize the sale of full alcoholic beverages. The two restaurants are located in downtown Benicia’s Harbor Walk mixed-use development, […]
Council approves sculpture, progress report
The Benicia City Council took action on an an art project donation and the city’s 2017 General Plan Annual Progress Report at its Tuesday meeting. The Arts & Culture Commission issued a request in mid-2017 for proposals for its initiative to add more public art to the downtown and throughout Benicia. Artists were to submit […]
Rep. Thompson hosts town hall on gun violence
Rep. Mike Thompson (D-Napa) discussed his plans for curbing gun violence and took questions from his 5th District constituents at a town hall at Vallejo High School on Saturday. Thompson, who represents Benicia in the U.S. House of Representatives, began the town hall by talking about his goals of establishing a committee on gun violence […]
Statue, progress report on council agenda
Updates on the public art initative and General Plan are on the agenda for Tuesday’s Benicia City Council meeting. In mid-2017, the Arts & Culture Commission issued a request for proposals for its initiative to add more public art to the downtown and throughout Benicia. This call was for artists to submit proposed designs for […]
Council discusses Priority-Based Budgeting
It was a night for numbers as Benicia’s City Council discussed a proposed system for the city’s budget at Tuesday’s meeting. The only item on the agenda for the council was Priority-Based Budgeting (PBB) and the confirmation of strategic results. PBB is an economic approach being used by local governments across America with the goal […]