Benicia City Council Meeting – April 7, 2026

The Benicia City Council met in regular session on April 7, 2026, beginning at 6:00 p.m. at City Hall Council Chambers, 250 East L Street, Benicia. All five Council members were present. The Council adopted the agenda, approved six consent items, discussed at length a pulled solar maintenance and repair agreement with Opterra Energy Services, and received a status update on the Port of Benicia Facilities and Infrastructure Modernization Plan. No written minutes were included in the source packet.

Consent Calendar

• The Council adopted the agenda by unanimous roll call after staff pulled item 14E, the Finance Department salary schedules and position allocation change, saying the item contains an error and would be brought back later in April.
• The Council approved items 14A, 14B, 14C, 14F, 14G, and 14H in one motion, 5-0.
  • 14A: Minutes from the February 19, 2026 special meeting and March 17, 2026 special and regular meetings.
  • 14B: Acceptance of the Industrial Way Sewer Replacement Project (Project No. 25-05) and authorization to file the Notice of Completion with the Solano County Recorder.
  • 14C: Acceptance of the I-80/Watt Court Water Line Repair Project (Project No. 25-09) and authorization to file the Notice of Completion.
  • 14F: Authorization for the City Manager to enter a five-year public safety communications system licensing agreement with Solano County (P25 radio system) at a fixed annual cost.
  • 14G: Public review of the Benicia Police Department's AB481 Annual Report on military equipment use for 2025.
  • 14H: Waiver of the reading of all ordinances introduced or adopted under the agenda.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Mike Tufu, identified with Ned 0360 Sustainable Waste Solutions at 5310 Gateway Plaza Drive in Benicia, asked the Council for support for a proposed Benicia Net Zero Sustainable Resilience Hub, seeking at least $15 million over five years from an Air District catalyst grant or other grants. He described a plan to place free collection bins at 200-plus locations, collect and recycle used vapes, pods, and small lithium batteries, keep hazardous waste out of landfills, and run a green jobs academy with OSHA and waste-handling training. He framed the project as addressing dangerous battery fires, air pollution, and the need for living-wage jobs after the Valero refinery closure.
• Maggie Kolk, a Community Services Commissioner, presented highlights from the city's community service grantees for July 1 through December 31, 2025. She reported: Carquinas Village received a first-year grant of $42,068 and provided 607 essential rides, 772 direct services, 47 tech support services, and 600 events with 1,926 unique participants; Food is Free Bay Area received $41,024 and provided 29 distributions, serving 1,840 households and 4,862 individuals; Community Action Council received $33,626 and provided 3,000 meals to seniors and 1,500 meals to low-income families with children; St. Vincent de Paul received $18,785 and reported $9,618 in expenditures, serving 24 Benicians and providing five households with rental assistance and two with utility assistance; and Families in Transition assisted 40 clients, including 21 with rental assistance, 10 with security deposits, and 9 with utility assistance. She expressed hope the city would continue these grants into the next fiscal year.
• Nicole Newell, a program manager for Sustainable Solano, announced that community garden beds are available at Avon Garden and Swenson Garden, and that the 10th annual garden tour will take place April 25, 2026, featuring 17 self-guided gardens in Benicia and Vallejo in partnership with the California Native Plant Society.
• Mayor Young noted that the Solano County civil grand jury is recruiting members and encouraged interested residents to get information through the city or the court system in Fairfield.

Discussion Items

14D – Opterra Energy Solar Preventative Maintenance, Repair and Upgrade Agreement

• Item 14D was pulled from the Consent Calendar by Councilmember Largaespada; Councilmembers Scott and the Mayor also had questions. City Manager Giuliani said consent items are routine matters that do not warrant a full staff presentation.
• Councilmember Largaespada initially proposed three amendments to the staff recommendation: remove the $150,000 annual placeholder for additional services; reduce the 5 percent annual operation and maintenance escalator to 3 percent; and remove or reduce the 15 percent markup on equipment and materials. He later narrowed this to a 3 percent escalator, a 5 percent equipment markup, and no materials markup, while agreeing to keep the $150,000 annual placeholder.
• Councilmember Scott questioned why the city used a cooperative piggyback procurement through Omnia Partners and the Region 4 Education Service Center rather than a new RFP, noting the underlying RFP dates from November 2022 with proposals submitted June 27, 2023, and expressing concern that local solar companies had no opportunity to bid on the city's specific work. Staff and the City Attorney explained the process was competitively vetted and allowed under municipal code; Opterra representative Kelly Ferguson said Opterra is headquartered in Oakland, its predecessor company built the city's solar arrays, and it stocks obsolete parts to keep the systems operating.
• Staff and Opterra stated the four offline solar sites are costing the city money; the arrays currently produce about $770,000 per year in value, one-time repairs will total about $480,000, and payback periods range from roughly six months to 3.6 years. The $150,000 annual amount was described as a city-controlled reserve for unexpected repairs so staff can move quickly without waiting for a future Council meeting.
• Vice Mayor Macenski asked about termination exposure; the contract's termination-for-convenience provision allows a seven-day notice and a negotiated final payment based on work performed. Councilmember Birdseye said the $150,000 should remain because it is the city's money and provides needed flexibility.
• The Council voted 5-0 to direct staff to negotiate and, if accepted, execute the Opterra agreement with the revised terms: 3 percent annual escalator, 5 percent markup on equipment, zero markup on materials, and the $150,000 annual additional services placeholder retained. If Opterra counters or does not accept the terms, the agreement will return to the Council.

15A – Port of Benicia Facilities and Infrastructure Modernization Plan: Deliverables 3 and 4

• Deputy City Manager Sarah Shocky introduced the item, noting the city was the only jurisdiction awarded the full $750,000 ABAG MTC planning grant in October 2024. Michael Vanderbeek of GHD, the city's consultant, presented the status update. Roughly 75 percent of the planning work is complete, with the final plan expected by early September 2026.
• Vanderbeek said the Decarbonization and Resiliency Pathways deliverable recommends shore power as the most cost-effective vessel emission reduction measure, estimating a three-berth system at about $34 million and noting it could be up to three times more cost-effective than the current bonnet barge compliance method. A microgrid and battery energy storage system was deemed infeasible because it would require five to six acres and create a $6 million to $9 million land-creation cost. Sea level rise modeling to 2080 shows long-term risk but little near-term impact, so the plan calls for monitoring and eventual levee/seawall improvements estimated at about $113 million.
• The CIP and Yard Expansion Feasibility Analysis evaluated 19 projects and advanced 15, totaling just under $700 million over 15 years. Three port enhancement projects are the largest: pier structural improvements at about $217 million, a 400-foot pier expansion for a third berth at about $68 million, and port backlands improvements at about $239 million. Utility projects include shore power and stormwater infrastructure improvements. Transportation projects include Bay Shore Road and Park Road improvements at about $16 million each, intersection studies, and truck restriction/signage changes at Park/Adams and Military East.
• Councilmembers raised several concerns. Vice Mayor Macenski asked whether the city should spend roughly $700 million to support an operator that does not bring significant revenue to the city; Vanderbeek responded that a win-win arrangement would need to be defined, and AMPorts has not yet been asked to share costs. Councilmember Birdseye said near-term priorities should favor community-wide road and infrastructure benefits rather than projects that primarily benefit AMPorts, and that grants should benefit the larger community. Councilmember Scott asked about PG&E capacity, sea level rise planning, diversification opportunities, and outdated truck routes; staff said the circulation element update will revisit truck routes by the end of 2026. Ben Hammond, AMPorts general manager, spoke in public comment, welcoming a strong partnership and saying he looked forward to improved collaboration.
• Although the agenda listed a recommended action to accept the status update, no formal motion or vote was taken; the Mayor stated no action was required.

Key Outcomes

• Agenda adopted 5-0.
• Six Consent Calendar items approved 5-0; item 14E was deferred to a future meeting in April.
• The Council unanimously directed renegotiation of the Opterra Energy agreement with a 3 percent escalator, 5 percent equipment markup, no materials markup, and the $150,000 annual reserve retained.
• The Council received the Port of Benicia Modernization Plan status update without taking a formal vote. Next steps include completing the design guidelines update by late April or early May, releasing a draft CEQA initial study/mitigated negative declaration in early summer with a 30-day public comment period around mid-June, and completing the final plan with funding and activation support by September 2026.