City should finance Industrial Park broadband update

On Jan. 24, the Benicia City Council received an update on the outstanding broadband services project for the Benicia Industrial Park, with Economic Development Manager Mario Giuliani presenting three options:

1. The city of Benicia will self-finance the project, at a cost of $3 to $5 million;
2. The city of Benicia will rely on existing providers AT&T and Comcast to determine when and how (or if) services will be made available; or
3. The city of Benicia will establish a $750,000 grant/loan program in which businesses can pay to bring improved connectivity to their respective properties.

I am writing to endorse option one because telecommunication is an infrastructure expenditure like clean water, sewage, roads and electricity and because it affirms the city’s commitment to meeting the needs of existing businesses and to making the Benicia Industrial Park competitive again and “investor ready” for new business.
Option one is also the quickest solution for the tenants of the Benicia Industrial Park who have patiently been waiting nearly a decade for help. Coincidentally, revenues from the park are at a 10-year low, dropping 20 percent quarter over quarter since 2008. This matters because the Benicia Industrial Park represents 70 percent of all sales, property and utility taxes generated in our community.
I encourage the City Council to remain proactive when it comes to protecting and strengthening the community assets that generate revenue through a vibrant economy. As a matter of fact, it should be the top priority for local government after public safety.
I also encourage the City Council to adopt a modern policy vision for economic development from which solutions and action items can be crafted that ensures both long standing businesses and new firms have infrastructure and space to grow and evolve, preserving and creating good jobs in Benicia.
The Benicia Industrial Park is the greatest piece of property for miles around. It has port and rail access, and is surrounded by four airports (Oakland, Sacramento, San Francisco, and San Jose). I am hopeful that the City Council will fund the infrastructure costs and also increase the city’s business recruitment efforts through additional investment in the Economic Development Division.
It’s time to construct an economy that will last generations and leave a legacy that keeps on growing.

Lionel Largaespada,
Benicia

There is a plan

In response to Bob Livesay’s assertion that the mayor does not have a plan, perhaps he needs a better understanding of the way a city works. There is, of course a plan, or we would have chaos or a one-sided vision, neither of which is appropriate for any city, large or small.
The plan is called the General Plan, which is the law of the city. We are fortunate to have had over 100 citizens participate in the creation of that plan, with our own mayor (at the time, a citizen), at the helm, taking input and reaching consensus on how to create, within the law, a city to our liking. In part, it was successful because Elizabeth believed in the wisdom of the citizenry to decide the path for itself.
Instead of complaining that there was no vision, those very citizens spent hours creating that plan. So, I say to Mr. Livesay, why don’t you spend some hours helping to create something, rather than just complaining? You might learn how a city is guided and how a mayor can facilitate some of your input.

Susan Street,
Benicia

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