Citizens and City Staff Discuss Ways to Keep State Parks Open

Nearly 40 people, including the mayor, the vice-mayor and a city councilman, crowded into Room 2A at the Benicia Community Center Wednesday evening to discuss strategies to keep Benicia's two state parks open.

Carol Berman, president of Benicia State Parks Association, opened the meeting attended by history buffs, gardeners and service club members and representatives of the Economic Development Board and the tourism committee.

After a brief history of the parks and plans to close them, Berman turned over the dais to city staff.

Mike Dotson, director of Parks and Community Services, outlined the steps the city has taken to learn the costs associated with running the two facilities.  According to Dotson, his staff is preparing two draft proposals, one for each facility, outlining how Benicia could take over operations of the parks.

The proposals from the parks department will be presented to the city council in late August or early September, according to Dotson and will cover operations and maintenance.

He said the city has been successful in convincing the State Parks Department to keep the restrooms in the Benicia State Recreation Area open seven days a week.

"We're looking to be a caretaker," said Dotson. "We're going to need funds and we don't have the funds identified right now and we're going to need people."

The Wednesday night meeting was held, in part, to address both needs. 

Benicia's two state parks, along with about 70 others, are casualties of the protracted budget problems in Sacramento and are scheduled to close by June 30.

Legislation is being debated in Sacramento that would allow nonprofit groups to take over day-to-day operations of state parks slated for closure.  The bill, AB 42, is being heard in a Senate committee.

After the presentation by Dotson and a discussion of safety and security issues by Lt. Bob Oettinger of the Benicia Police Department, participants broke into smaller groups to discuss specifics of fund-raising, maintenance, volunteer opportunities, communications and safety.

Just before people broke into the groups, Berman emphasized the urgency of the situation by noting that the windows of all the buildings at both facilities had been measured for plywood in preparation for the closures.