At its regular meeting Tuesday, the City Council heard a report from the Solano Economic Development Corp., decided to re-hear the issue of Amports’ land lease and Benicia Oak Road Investors, and continued the issue of the 1/4-cent, 10-year Solano County sales tax for “Funding the Next Generation” which will appear on the November ballot, among other items.

Moving Solano Forward
Sean Quinn of the Solano Economic Development Corp. presented a report on its current project, “Moving Solano Forward.” Quinn noted that Phase I of the two-phase project was completed in 2015 and that Phase II would address the implementation of programs created during Phase I. He also pointed out that the overall purpose of the project is to give Solano County a competitive advantage.
“We are looking at best practices, including the Florida high-tech corridor strategy, where there were major concerns about local schools, training organizations and community colleges’ ability to train high tech workers, so the entities came together with local governments and developed a strategy on how to create a high tech work force. It has been very successful,” Quinn told the Council. “That’s just one of 40 we looked at so far. We are taking those best practices and applying them to Solano County.”
Phase I of the project identified clusters of need in Solano County businesses and conducted a perception survey, the results of which are currently being studied. Phase II will include a business survey, meetings and interviews to identify training, labor, capital and site location needs.
“These are the clusters that are growing in Solano County,” Quinn explained. “Our goal is to retain the businesses we have, help them expand, and attract new ones.”
Phase II will also compile financing options for infrastructure improvements and other capital needs, and complete a “state of the art” web site to make it easy for brokers, site selectors, local governments and business to find resources. In addition, the project seeks to create a business retention software program for city and county use.
Councilmember Alan Schwartzman asked where Benicia fit in to the study. Quinn answered that Phase I focused on base industries within Solano County and that Phase II would begin to look specifically at each member city.

Amports lease
Staff noted the following for Council consideration at Tuesday’s meeting:
“At its regular meeting of April 5, 2016, the City Council approved a Land Lease Option Agreement between the City and Benicia Oak Road Investors, LLC for Ground Lease Parcels located at 1 Oak Road. At that time, Amports submitted a letter setting forth certain objections to the proposed option agreement. Counsel for Amports also appeared at the meeting and made a presentation on its behalf restating those concerns raised in Amports’ letter.
“Thereafter, Amports timely submitted its application for rehearing as permitted by Benicia Municipal Code Section 1.44.050 outlining its further objections to the approved lease option agreement. As discussed in the accompanying report, staff recommends setting the matter for rehearing to clarify the Council’s approval and to remove any idea that the matter was done incorrectly.”
Vice Mayor Mark Hughes said he felt that some serious allegations were stated by counsel for Amports, and noted that the city manager had said she didn’t believe them to be true.
“I don’t know if they are accurate or inaccurate, true or false, but I think it’s worth a re-hearing to make sure there is clarity.”
The item will be continued at the next regular meeting on May 17.

Further information
The city of Benicia encourages all members of the public to participate in city government and attend City Council and other city meetings.
City Council meetings take place at the Council Chambers at City Hall, located at 250 East L St., on the first, third and fourth Tuesdays of each month beginning at 7 p.m. Meetings stream live online at the city of Benicia website at www.ci.benicia.ca.us and on Comcast Channel 27 or AT&T U-Verse Channel 99.
Copies of meeting agendas as well as minutes (written transcripts) from previous sessions are available at the city clerk’s office at City Hall, the Benicia Public Library or online at the City of Benicia website under the heading, “Agendas and Minutes.” Video transcripts of City Council meetings are also available on the city’s website.
For a complete listing of city of Benicia meetings, visit the website at www.ci.benicia.ca.us or contact the city at 746-4200. Meetings are occasionally canceled, so check the website or call to confirm.

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