The Benicia City Council is poised to make a potential decision at its Tuesday meeting on whether alcohol should be allowed in Benicia parks without permits.

The Benicia Police Department is asking the council to pass an amendment to Title 12 of the Benicia Municipal Code. The amendment is intended to remove the allowance of alcoholic beverages and its consumption within designated city parks unless expressly permitted by the city.

Police say this amendment change will decrease the number of calls for services at city parks, allow officers to hold those who cause pollution at the park accountable and give Benicia police the ability to hold the person who reserves the area responsible for allowing others to consume too much alcohol. Police believe the parks will be more family-friendly and safer for children under this amendment.

At its March 16 meeting, the Parks, Recreation & Cemetery Commission unanimously voted to bring this amendment change, which is now on the council’s table.
Staff recommends the council the introduce ordinance to amend the Benicia Municipal Code to prohibit the possession and consumption of alcoholic beverages within all city parks, unless a picnic area reservation or special event permit is obtained from the Parks and Community Services Department. Other cities with similar policies include Napa, Fairfield, Martinez and Pleasant Hill.

In other business, the council will examine the city’s water and sewer rates. The council will be working off a fellow report of the water and sewer rate increases report presented at the Oct. 17 meeting, which provided information on factors that are leading to the 5-year rate increases. During the  meeting, the council asked staff to come back in the spring with information about how well actual revenues matched projections, the status of the capital improvement plans, a review of future rate increases for possible reduction and other related information.

City staff recommends the council move to adopt a resolution to maintain water rate increases as adopted in 2016, and to revise the sewer rate increases implemented each July 1 as follows: lower the rate increase for the 2018-19 fiscal year from 9 to 0 percent; maintain the 2019-20 increase at 7 percent, and maintain the 2020-21 rate increase at 5 percent.

The council will meet at 6 p.m. Tuesday. April 17 in a closed session to discuss legal matters. The regular meeting will start at 7 in the Council Chambers at City Hall, located at 250 East L St. A live stream of the council meeting can also be found online at ci.benicia.ca.us/agendas.

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