Viewers of Wednesday’s Candidate’s Night forum, sponsored by the Benicia Chamber of Commerce, had an opportunity to ask questions of the City Council candidates and learn their perspectives on hot-button issues facing the city. The forum was held in the Council Chambers of City Hall and moderated by James Cooper, the president of the Vallejo […]
Stewart Hall: What I took away from attending a City Council meeting
By Stewart Hall Special to the Herald On July 17, I was able to attend the Benicia City Council meeting. It had been several months since attending meetings after the yearlong debate over cannabis. After seeing how that topic and how it was handled, I considered not attending or witnessing another session. I read in […]
Council denies mayor’s request for ISO rehearing
In yet another marathon meeting that lasted almost until midnight, the Benicia City Council voted 3-2 to reject Mayor Elizabeth Patterson’s request to rehear the council’s June 19 vote on reviewing a draft Industrial Safety Ordinance (ISO) for the city. The matter will not be heard again until November at the earliest. Patterson first requested […]
Letters: ISO rehearing vote
Well-done, Mayor Patterson! I was very happy to read the article “Mayor requests rehearing of Industrial Safety Ordinance vote” in the July 13 edition of Benicia Herald. I applaud our mayor’s determination to reopen review of this critical issue before the proposed November date! I was very surprised to learn that staff reports had not […]
Mayor requests rehearing of Industrial Safety Ordinance vote
At its June 19 meeting, the Benicia City Council voted 3-2 to not take any further action on Mayor Elizabeth Patterson’s request for an Industrial Safety Ordinance (ISO) in Benicia until November. Now Patterson is requesting a rehearing on the item, which is on the agenda for Tuesday’s council meeting. Following a flaring incident […]
Letter: Not a simple issue
Not a simple issue As a citizen of Benicia who lives close to a refinery I, like many other Benicians, would simply like to know what is in the air that we breathe. At the June 19 City Council meeting, the council missed an excellent opportunity to get us that information. Valero clearly does not […]
Letters: Clean energy, ISO and cannabis
California’s clean energy leadership is needed On July 3, the Assembly Utilities and Energy Committee will be voting on SB 100 which would mandate that California utilities produce 100 percent clean energy by 2045. The final Assembly vote in August requires a fifty percent majority and Gov. Brown’s signature. Moving California toward 100 percent emission-free […]
Cathy Bennett: Is it safe to open your windows, Benicia?
By Cathy Bennett Special to the Herald When the subject of Valero comes up most of us think about the refinery. For many of us, this is a reminder of the toxic emissions it releases into our air on a daily basis. That’s troublesome enough, but most of us are unaware that Valero also operates […]
Bob Livesay: ISO vote was win for voters, residents
By Bob Livesay Special to the Herald Mayor Patterson must be in shock. Why would I say that? The mayor and her gang of 12 just got the shock of their life. Their attempt to hijack the City Council meeting went down in a big defeat, that being the Industrial Safety Ordinance (ISO). Backed by […]
Christina Strawbridge: Another late night spent at the City Council Chambers
Several important issues have been voted on by the Benicia City Council in the wee hours of the morning as of late. This past Tuesday was no exception. The packed Chamber was full of those who wanted to speak on the noise ordinance, and the rest of the attendees were there for the Industrial Safety […]