At its regularly scheduled meeting Tuesday, the Benicia City Council heard presentations from the Benicia Historical Museum and Republic Services and considered budget policy amendments, among other items.
Short-Lived Climate Pollutants
Marie Knutson of Republic Services presented a report to the council regarding California Senate Bill 1383, passed in August, 2016, and how it is likely to affect Republic Services and its customers in 2017.
SB 1383 calls for the California Air Resources Board (CARB) to implement a strategy to decrease emissions of Short-Lived Climate Pollutants (SLCPs) to specified levels by the year 2013. In response, the CARB issued a report in December, 2016 on its strategy for compliance. While SLCPs include methane, black carbon (soot) and hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), Knutson spoke to the council specifically on possible measures for mitigation of methane emissions from organic waste.
SB 1383 establishes targets of a 50 percent reduction in statewide disposal of organic waste from the 2014 level by 2020 and a 75 percent reduction by 2025. Organic waste includes food, in addition to green waste and other sources.
According to the Republic Services report, one element of that reduction goal is for at least 20 percent of currently disposed, edible food to be recovered for human consumption by 2025. That could be achieved in part by adding organic recycling bins where public trash bins are located, for example at parks and cafeterias, and by source reduction, or taking measures to reduce waste at the point of consumption – “Shop your Fridge First.”
Benicia Historical Museum Year in Review
Benicia Historical Museum Executive Director Elizabeth d’Huart highlighted the museum’s most popular additions and services in her annual report, including the “I Dig Benicia” interactive program made possible by collaboration with the University of California-Berkeley Archaeology Department and the Benicia Historical Society, and the museum’s first new, permanent exhibit since 2006, “The Benicia Arsenal in War and Peace,” which opened in November.
Fox News visited the museum recently to film segments for a Fox Business News program called “Strange Inheritance,” based on the museum’s collection of Granizo tiles, to be aired over the next few weeks on the Fox Business News network.
Interim City Manager’s Report
In his final report to the council, Interim City Manager Steve Salomon categorized the city’s financial health as “fragile,” due in large part to reduced tax revenues, increased pension costs and high employee turnover. The report cited the need for the 2014 Measure C in order to continue to maintain city operations. For the 2017-2018 fiscal year, for example, he estimated that $1.7 million of the anticipated $4.5 million Measure C revenue will go directly to the city’s general fund to maintain operations.
The report made general recommendations for improved efficiency and new revenue sources.
Budget Implementation Plan Update
As part of its quarterly update to the budget implementation plan, city staff proposed a resolution to amend the city’s vehicle purchasing and replacement policy. Finance Department Director Karin Schnaider described a purchasing policy in use by other California cities in which new vehicles are purchased only for front line fire, police and water and wastewater departments, while other departments with vehicle needs would acquire pre-owned inventory from those departments.
This policy, Schnaider explained, would eventually accomplish significant savings for the city. Under current policy, by contrast, vehicles are used for their initial purposes until such time as they require replacement. Savings from the new policy would be substantial but probably not realized for 10 to 15 years, Schnaider estimated.
Transient Occupancy Tax
Vice Mayor Steve Young requested that the council agendize discussion of a transient occupancy tax for vacation rental properties, as a means to collect tax revenue from entities such as VRBO and Airbnb.
The city does not currently collect tax on short-term rentals such as Airbnb. Such a tax could generate between $20,000 and $30,000 per year in revenue, according to the staff report.
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Transient Occupancy Tax? Complete Waste of staff time. Who is going to monitor it? You will need 50 things like that to keep revenue flow coming to make sure the residents get the services they demand and deserve. Sorry Councilmember Young your economic development thinking is very shallow. Sorry Councilmember Young I forgot that you think Valero is the Bank of Benicia. Better re-think that one. If that is the best Councilmember Young can do we are in a world of hurt. CBR issue is over and Councilmember Young is now a lost councilmember searching for what I do not know.
Really, that is the issue you have with the council notes from last night? How about the use of $1.7 MM of the anticipated $4.5MM in Measure C funds this year to go into the general fund to maintain operations. Measure C was sold as a sales tax increase that was to go to fund projects around the city that needed to be addressed, not to go into the general fund. What happens in a few years when ALL the Measure C funds go into the general fund? We will be asked again to fund yet another tax increase.
John read what I write. I know all about measure C. You are correct within a few years it will all go to the general budget. It was original a 60/40 with the 60% going to infrastructure. I suggest you take a look at CalPers, Workmans Comp and salary increases. Within three years all of measure C could go to the General Fund. .This city has a revenue flow that is stagnant. I know all about the council notes.
I find it very interest that our new Councilmember does not seem to be prepared or understand the Financial report. All he had to do was meet with the Finance Director prior to the council meeting. All his yellow sticker items would have already been answered. If this is what we are looking forward too we will have very long and unnecessary council meeting. explanations. He does get the packet in plenty of time. My suggestion is get prepared Councilmember Young. I expect the same thing on the Feb 28th meeting. Be prepared ahead of time. Get some help on how this city runs. It is starting to remind me of the long drawn out Planning Commission meetings. All he had to do was look at land use and issue is over and out.