Compiled by Nick Sestanovich

75 years ago

Trustees Refuse Request To See Contract With Finance Co. (July 9, 1942)

Routine business was transacted by the Board of Trustees of the City of Benicia at their regular monthly meeting held last Tuesday evening at the City Hall; all members of the Board were present with Mayor Charles G. Clyne presiding.
Howard K. Salz accompanied by his attorney, Byron Coleman, appeared before the trustees and requested permission to view the new proposed contract of sale and property between the city of Benicia and the Jefferson Finance Co. of Los Angeles, who propose to buy certain property tax deeded to the state for delinquent taxes and which had been assessed to the Benicia Properties Inc. whom Mr. Salz represented.
The Trustees on the advice of City Attorney Harold M. Simon refused to allow Mr. Salz and his attorney to view the proposed contract at this time without permission of the other party to the contract but Mr. Simon agreed to present the request when conferring with the officials of the Jefferson Finance Co. on Wednesday.
Mr. Coleman asked that his formal demand, which was refused, be made a matter of record.
The property involved includes the Kullman, Salz Tannery property in this city and at this time there is an action pending in the superior court against the city to prevent sale to the Jefferson Finance Co.
Fire Chief William Davena stated that due to the increased population there is need of additional firefighting equipment and asked for an appropriation of $1,500, which was granted.

50 years ago

City Council Will Oppose Library Unity (July 6, 1967)

The City Council adopted a resolution Monday night which opposes any attempt by Solano County to unify Benicia with the county library system. The action to oppose the plan was unanimous with Councilman John F. (Jack) Cody offering the motion and Councilman James Lemos giving the second. The third affirmative vote was cast by mayor C. Cartsen Johansen. Councilman Roy J. Charboneau and Enos P. Nebergall were absent from Monday’s meeting which was moved up a day due to the July 4 holiday.
Lemos and Cody both sparked the discussion regarding the library consolidation proposal. Lemos said there was a real danger in the county’s efforts to take over the local system.
“The Benicia library was built by our taxpayers,” he said, “and it is stocked with more than 10,000 books. We pay eights to the county on the library tax. I have requested the city attorney (John A. Bohn) to supply me with an opinion so this council can go before the Board of Supervisors on July 17 and attempt to head off this plan.”
Bohn promised Lemos he would have the opinion ready in sufficient time before the board meets in Fairfield.

25 years ago

City ponders taking role in C&H proposal (July 5,1992)

With a proposed cogeneration plant just a stone’s throw from Benicia’s shores, the City Council will discuss Tuesday whether to become involved in the Crockett project, now that the application is before the California Energy Commission.
Benicia’s primary concern is with possible adverse air emissions adding to the air pollution downwind from the plant. In a memo to the council, Planning Dempartment Director John Bunch noted the city would also like an analysis done on how the cogeneration plant emissions will combine with air emissions from other industrial projects in Contra Costa County, most notably cleaner-burning gasoline manufacturing processes being added to oil refineries.
C&H Sugar refinery, in conjunction with an energy company called Energy National, has submitted an application before the California Energy Commission for a 240-megawatt cogeneration plant.
The plant would generate electrical energy to be sold to PG&E, while steam would be sold to the refinery for its manufacturing processes. The plant is expected to cost $300 million to build.

The full articles of these and other stories are available on microfilm at the Benicia Public Library.

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