Lots to be drawn for length of term

By Keri Luiz
Assistant Editor

The Downtown Benicia Alliance had a special meeting Wednesday to discuss changes to the criteria and nomination procedures in its bylaws, and voted to elect new members of the board each December, rather than in January, as had been proposed.

New members would, however, take their place on the board in January.

The DBA also agreed to move its next meeting to Nov. 4 instead of Nov. 11, to avoid meeting on Veterans Day.

The panel, in deciding how potential successors will be seated, was advised by Benicia Economic Development Manager Mario Giuliani and Melanee Cardoza, a paralegal for Civitas Advisors, a Sacramento-based consultant.

Members Eric Hoglund, Carl Lucca and Christine Mayoff were not present for the meeting.

As the DBA’s bylaws are currently written, all nine board will term out at the end of this year, and nine vacancies would need to be filled. “Whether part of that is the original nine or not depends on the elections, but it could be the same nine people,” Cardoza said.

Among the nine members, lots will be drawn to see which five will serve two years, and which four will serve for only one.

DBA board member Tom Hamilton, co-owner of the Rellik Tavern, expressed concern that there might not be enough people interested in volunteering to serve on the board, leaving unfilled seats.

Cardoza said vacancies can be filled by appointment by “sitting directors.”

City Councilmember Christina Strawbridge, owner of Christina S Fashion Destination, voiced concerns about consistency from one year to the next.

“If you have a complete turnover of board members, that’s like almost starting over with this group,” she said.

But Hamilton expressed doubts that enough people would step forward to serve on the board, and said he will continue to serve unless “there’s an overwhelming turnout of people who want to take over and sit on this board. I would love to hand it over to someone. My fear is that that’s not going to happen.”

How nominations to the board are made was another question tackled by the board.

“As it stands right now you have a lot of fluidity in how you elect your directors,” Cardoza said.

“We left it very broad for you so that you can really find a system that works for this group.”

Currently the only requirements are that there is a nominating committee, the committee comes up with procedures for seeking nominations, those nominations are submitted to the board and the board selects the directors for the next term.

Giuliani said nominations will be solicited by a letter mailed out to all businesses that are members of the Benicia Business Improvement District.

Those solicitations are expected to be mailed Nov. 12 and be due back to the nominating committee by Dec. 2. The committee will submit nominations to the board to be decided at its Dec. 9 meeting.