Benicia Planning Commission had expected to talk Thursday about the cumulative visual impacts of new telecommunication equipment. Instead, led by Commissioner Steve Young, the conversation focused on a 2012 federal act and a subsequent Jan. 8 Federal Communications Commission ruling that local agencies “may not deny and shall approve” eligible requests to modify existing wireless […]

Benicia and the rest of California may be experiencing a severe drought, but officials at Pacific Gas and Electric Company are reminding residents that even this winter’s occasional storms — like the one starts Friday — can pack a wallop if residents aren’t prepared. According to PG&E meteorologists, this weekend’s rainfall could exceed 8 inches […]

California’s independent Parks Forward Commission has released what it is calling a 10-year “ready roadmap for transforming how state parks are run.” But while those associated with the two state parks in Benicia said they agree with the bulk of the report, called “A New Vision for California State Parks,” they said it falls short […]

Consultant Cardno Entrix of Concord was asked to do a narrow scope of work and did it, the city attorney told the City Council Tuesday night. The panel was pondering an increase in its contract with the firm so it could consider creative ways to provide additional relief from flood waters in the vicinity of […]

No impact to operations at Valero refinery, spokesperson says While Tesoro has shut down its refinery in Martinez after employees walked off their jobs, it’s still business as usual across the Carquinez Strait at Valero Benicia Refinery, Sue Fisher Jones, public affairs manager, said. “Labor discussions at Tesoro are not affecting operations at the Valero […]

If Benicia does nothing on the financial front, the changes it has made so far should result in balanced budgets in the near future. But beginning about five years from now, expenses will exceed revenues — and in 10 years, the city’s reserves could drop from a mandated 20 percent of revenues to a mere […]

City announces five-month recirculation of environmental report for Valero proposal first announced in February 2013 The first draft of a lengthly environmental impact report on the proposed Valero Crude-By-Rail Project will be rewritten, and the revised document may be available for public viewing June 30, the city announced in a prepared statement. The window for […]

Marin Clean Energy wants Benicia residents and business owners to know that in May they’ll be enrolled as electricity customers of the community choice aggregation agency, unless they choose to remain with Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E), Allison Kirk, MCE account manager, told the City Council on Tuesday. To avoid the change, customers must make […]

Commission also to discuss cell tower appearance Benicia Planning Commission will hear an appeal Thursday of a use permit for a bed and breakfast at 963 Jefferson St., then look at the visual impacts of new cell towers in the city. Principal Planner Amy Million wrote the commission Jan. 29 that interim Community Development Director […]