■ Group picks officers in inaugural confab

By Keri Luiz
Assistant Editor

The newly formed Downtown Business Alliance, a group of business owners that will guide the Benicia Business Improvement District, had its first formal meeting Monday, and Mayor Elizabeth Patterson congratulated board members for what she called a landmark accomplishment.

“It should be noted what a major achievement this is,” the mayor said.

The DBA’s first meeting focused on nuts-and-bolts concerns: who to elect as officers, and when to meet and where.

Leah Shelhorn was elected chair, Eric Hoglund treasurer and vice chair, and Jeanne Steinmann was elected secretary. All votes were unanimous.

Following Shelhorn’s caution that “we have to have the meetings in the footprint on First Street” — a fact reinforced by Beniia Economic Development Manager Mario Giuliani, who advised board members that meetings must be held within the BBID’s boundaries — the DBA agreed to meet the second Monday of every month for the first year at the Rellik Tavern, 726 First St.

Giuliani also advised the board that because “the laws that allowed you to form require the Brown Act,” the panel would have to follow that state law governing open meetings.

“Simply (put) … you are utilizing the city of Benicia, a government structure, to assess other businesses, that’s the hook that captures you into the Brown Act,” he said.

The board will receive more thorough training on the Brown Act from City Attorney Heather McLaughlin, who was out of town Monday.

The DBA also unanimously approved a contract with Civitas Advisors of Sacramento, the firm that served as a consultant in the formation of the BBID.

“The contract is to help form the nonprofit corporation that will manage the district,” said Carson Lambeth, Civitas president. “What we do is that we help them with the tax status, create bylaws, and we help them file with the state to become an official corporation.”

She explained to the board that Civitas will be paid for the first part of the contract in June. “So there would be $1,000 collected in June, and then we are deferring payment because we know the District has modest means for the next couple years,” Lambeth said.

“So we are deferring the other part of the contract, which is the total of another $2,000 to be paid in the following June.”

Civitas was also instrumental in drawing up the contract between Benicia and the DBA, which was also unanimously approved.

Board members of the DBA and their businesses are: Pat Ryll of Benicia Plein Air Gallery; Frank Cassese of Courtyard Customs Signs and Designs; Edmund Johnson of Jae Properties Inc.; Carl Lucca of Lucca’s Bar and Grill; Hoglund of Estey Real Estate Property Management; Shelhorn of Studio 41; Tom Hamilton of The Rellik Tavern; Steinmann of Benicia Magazine; and Christina Mead of the Capitol Café.

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