The Issues: Benicia Mayoral Candidates' Visions for the Future

Everybody has an idea of what Benicia was like when they moved here or when they started school. Our elected officials have an obligation to take the city into the future so the next generation of residents has the same or greater advantages of safety and security we enjoy in Benicia in 2011. How each candidate views the future and how they intend to see that vision through is often what differentiates one candidate from another. 

Today’s question (from a reader): Please describe Benicia 10 years hence and how will your services positively affect that vision.

Mayoral Candidates

There are many parts to my vision for Benicia 10 years from now, but I will outline the ones that I feel are the most important for long-term budget stability and maintenance of our quality of life.

A downtown destination shopping/historical district with a mix of retail boutiques, art galleries, specialty shops and restaurants that rivals Fourth Street in Berkeley (without the Restoration Hardware) and an open State Capitol and Fischer Hanlon House. A place that not only draws people from out of town for shopping, eating, art and historical experiences, but where Benicians go first to shop.

I see our industrial park with the needed infrastructure improvements completed and filled with businesses in a variety of industries generating needed jobs and the property and sales tax revenues to assure our ability to fix the roads, provide clean water, offer quality police and fire services, keep the parks properly maintained, fairly compensate our employees, provide creative and appropriate support to the schools and maintain our quality of life.

I will work to create a cohesive atmosphere between existing merchants, implement a downtown business improvement district, work closely with the City Manager, Economic Development Manager and Economic Development Board to fine tune our economic development program and aggressively pursue new retail for the downtown and clean businesses in the industrial park. I will also work to find a responsible solution to keeping our state parks open.

I envision a lower Arsenal that is cleaned of the contamination the Army left and new businesses open and historical assets attracting visitors. I will do everything in my power to delay or eliminate the issuing of an “order” by the Department of Toxic Substance Control and work to reduce the scope of concern to the smallest area possible so that nearly all property owners and businesses in the Arsenal are free to carry on without disruption and will not have to fear costly investigations and clean-up.

I can see a Trader Joe's and more in the commercial area of the community-approved Business Park that is under construction 10 years from now. I will negotiate a strong development agreement and will insist on 24/7 on-site monitoring during construction that is hired by us and paid through us by any developer, whoever that may be.

I believe that my business experience, independence, open-mindedness, ability to bring people together, and balanced approach to decision-making will allow me to lead the city back to prosperity and keep Benicia the wonderful place it is to live and raise a family.

I ran for city council in 2003 to ensure that Benicia would maintain its special quality of life, its small town character, historic values, support compatible uses in the Arsenal and enhance the port and industrial park with diverse businesses. These values are what the community supported and the council adopted in the 1999 General Plan. Community development and sustainability remain at the heart of the goals developed in the General Plan:

“The concept of creating a sustainable community in Benicia is a primary goal and objective of the General Plan. The concept affects all chapters of the Plan and all aspects of the community. While it is assumed that this Plan cannot radically change the nature of Benicia, the goal and intent is to create a more livable and sustainable community over time.”

I will continue to advocate, support and lead on initiatives in furtherance of these General Plan goals.

I have fostered, advocated and fought for these values and shall continue to do so as mayor in the following ways: 

• We held firm on Seeno project by insisting on an A+ project that meets the above goals;
• We initiated the Climate Action Plan, recognized as one of the best in the state, a plan that is not only saving the city money in energy savings, but also will be earning money by returning solar energy to the PG&E grid;
• We initiated the Arts and Cultural Commission to bring the arts community together to collaborate, cooperate and communicate for the advancement of the arts both for its intrinsic values (spiritual, aesthetics) and its economic contributions;
• We led the way in finding funding for the Benicia Community Center when others voted against the lease agreement and opposed proposed funding for fear that it was too “risky” or not a good use of money;
• We prevented large McMansions to be developed on the Jefferson Ridge which would have adversely affected the nationally designated Civil War era historic district;
• I sought and got $250,000 for traffic-calming projects to slow down cars and make our streets safer;
• Anticipating Department of Toxic Substance Control regulatory action on property owners in the Arsenal (including the City of Benicia), we adopted a proactive resolution: to seek a voluntary and enforceable plan for the cleanup of the Arsenal to protect public health, especially regarding munitions of explosive concern and carcinogenetic pollution.

Nov. 8, 2011, City Council and Mayor Election Handbook: Candidate Q&As, Bios and Voter Guides

Disclosure: Patch editor JB Davis was the campaign manager for Dan Smith in his successful campaign for City Council in 2001.  He has no involvement in Smith’s 2011 campaign.