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Record of Proceedings

Benicia Community Sustainability Commission Meeting – July 20, 2026

City Council & Boards — Monday, July 20, 2026
BodyBenicia, California
SessionCity Council & Boards
DateMonday, July 20, 2026
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 1:08:25

Original source
Transcript — VerbatimClick a timed line to jump · ⧉ to share it

Speaker numbers apply only to this recording.

Speaker 1

0:18

Thank you.

0:18

So we are going to have a small cozy meeting today.

0:23

I don't think anybody's coming

Unassigned speaker

0:25

to

Speaker 1

0:26

watch.

0:26

I don't know if anybody's going to be watching us online, but if so, hello.

0:30

Um, we're going to call the meeting to order at 403 EM.

0:38

And Secretary, could you please call the roll?

Speaker 2

0:44

Jodiv.

0:44

I Lloyd.

0:46

Here.

0:47

Ray?

0:48

Here.

0:49

Chair Fleming.

Speaker 1

0:50

Here.

0:52

And we do have a quorum.

0:54

Thank you.

0:55

Next is the Pledge of Allegiance.

1:16

Thank you.

1:18

The fundamental rights of each member of the public can be found in the municipal code posted on the city's website and on a plaque that is posted at the entrance to this meeting per section 4.04.030 of the City of Bonesha's open government ordinance.

1:38

Item five, can we have adoption of the agenda?

1:42

Are there any changes anybody wants to make to the agenda?

Speaker 3

1:49

So moved.

1:51

A second.

Speaker 2

2:01

Yes.

2:02

Ray?

Unassigned speaker

2:03

Yes.

Unassigned speaker

2:04

And

Speaker 2

2:04

Chair Fleming.

Speaker 1

2:05

Yes.

2:06

Thank you.

2:07

Um the agenda will be mostly focusing on the projects that we've been discussing, so I think that'll be

Unassigned speaker

2:14

good.

Speaker 1

2:16

Umpportunity for public comment.

2:20

This portion of the meeting is reserved for persons wishing to address the commission on any matter not on the agenda that is within the subject jurisdiction of the community sustainability commission.

2:33

State law prohibits the community sustainability commission from responding to or acting upon matters not listed on the agenda.

2:43

Each speaker has a maximum of three minutes for public comment.

2:48

If others have already expressed your position, you may simply indicate that you agree with a previous speaker.

2:55

If applicable, a spokesperson may present the views of your entire group.

3:00

Speakers may not make personal attacks on commission members, staff or members of the public, or make comments which are slanderous or which may invade an individual's personal privacy.

3:15

Staff, have we received any written comments after 3 p.m.?

Speaker 4

3:20

No.

Speaker 1

3:21

Are there any members of the public participating via Zoom that may wish to make public comments?

Speaker 4

3:30

No.

Speaker 1

3:32

Thank you.

Unassigned speaker

3:35

So

Speaker 1

3:35

then we move on to item seven, which is an informational item that Kerry will be presenting on the status of the Bay Area Air District grant application process.

Speaker 4

3:50

Thank you, Chair.

3:51

As you know, the city submitted two applications to the Bay Area Air District.

3:57

One is a catalyst grant, and the second is an opportunity grant.

4:01

Each grant had different deadline and set of requirements.

4:05

The air district processed two qualifying catalyst grant applications, one from the City of Benicia and one from the Benesha Unified School District.

4:15

On July 8th, at the Air District's community equity, health and justice committee meeting, the subcommittee reviewed the applications and scoring.

4:26

The staff recommendation was to work individually with both applicants so that they could resubmit revised applications.

4:34

City of Benesha staff will be working with air district staff to revise our application and resubmit by the end of July.

4:41

The Air District still plans to make award announcements in September.

Speaker 1

4:48

Thank you.

Unassigned speaker

4:51

A

Speaker 1

4:51

couple of additional things.

5:03

As you may recall, there's three categories of grants that the air district is doing.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Environmental Protection██████████████████████████████████34%
Community Engagement████████████████████20%
Procedural██████████10%
Parks and Recreation█████████9%
Public Engagement███████7%
Active Transportation███████7%
Economic Development█████5%
Personnel Matters█████5%
Youth Programs███3%
Summary of Proceedings

Benicia Community Sustainability Commission Meeting – July 20, 2026

The Benicia Community Sustainability Commission (CSC) met on July 20, 2026, at 4:03 PM in the City Hall Council Chambers. The meeting focused on updates to the Bay Area Air District grant application and planning for ongoing and future projects, including the farmers market, sustainability corner articles, Earth Day event, bike lane advocacy, and reducing disposables in businesses. The consent calendar was adopted unanimously. Commissioner Annika attended her final meeting and was recognized for her service.

Consent Calendar

  • Adoption of Minutes: The commission unanimously approved the minutes from March 16, 2026, and April 27, 2026.

Information & Presentations

  • Bay Area Air District Grant Application (7.a): City staff reported that Benicia submitted two applications – a Catalyst grant (up to $40 million) and an Opportunity grant. The Air District’s subcommittee reviewed two qualifying Catalyst applications (City of Benicia and Benicia Unified School District) on July 8, 2026. Staff recommended both applicants revise and resubmit by the end of July. Award announcements are expected in September. Key concerns raised by commissioners: the City’s proposal included purchasing diesel-electric generators and high outside consultant fees, which received negative feedback; the School District’s request included projects already funded by a 2024 bond (Proposition F, approved by 53% of voters), with a large surplus sitting in the bank. Commissioners expressed disappointment that the City’s application was poorly aligned with grant metrics and lacked coordination with the CSC or public. Several community members spoke at the subcommittee meeting urging the Air District to work with the City. The commission discussed offering input to Mayor Steve Young and noted limited communication between the City and School District.

Action and Discussion

  • Farmers Market Sustainability Corridors (9.a): Commissioner Barbara reported planning two dates – September 17 and October 8, 2026 – for sustainability-themed tables at the Benicia Farmers Market. Partners include Harmony Organics (unresponsive), MCE, Benicia Litter Pickers, Republic Services, Benicia Tree Foundation, Simply Perfect Gardens, Monarch Milkweed, Sustainable Solano, Drive Electric, Benicia Community Air Monitoring Program, and Cultivate Community Food Co-op. New potential partners discussed: Rising Sun Center for Opportunity (youth energy efficiency), Benicia Biking Club, and sea-level rise groups. The commission agreed to focus on Solano County partners and aim for at least six partners per event.
  • Sustainability Corner (9.a): Commissioner Richard is writing short articles for the city’s weekly newsletter. One article on Benicia Litter Pickers is awaiting approval. Previous articles covered the Bay Area Butterfly Festival, BayREN’s energy upgrades, single-use plastics, and holiday recycling. The goal is to publish every two to three weeks.
  • Earth Day Event at Benicia High School (9.a): Commissioner Annika reported that the April 2026 event had only two of 10 invited organizations attend. She suggested creating a one-page memo for her successor, Caroline Pilot, and noted interest in policy-oriented projects. The commission thanked Annika for launching the youth outreach program.
  • Other Projects (9.b):
    • Bike Lanes and Access: Lindsay advocated for a structured approach to bike lane advocacy, suggesting an educational presentation at a future meeting (possibly November) from city engineer Derek Lindsley.
    • Partner Groups: The commission discussed leveraging citywide events (Earth Day, Coastal Cleanup Day on September 19) and national/global events like Electric Drive Month. Commissioner Richard proposed rejoining ICLEI (a municipal sustainability network); staff confirmed Benicia was a previous member and will reapply. The commission expressed interest in having a representative attend online meetings.
    • Decreasing Use of Disposables in City Businesses: Republic Services’ Marie Newtz suggested creating an informational flyer about state law AB 1276, which prohibits automatic distribution of disposables. Commissioners noted the law is mandatory and agreed to explore economic development outreach.
    • Sustainability Webpage Enhancement: Annika suggested archiving sustainability corner articles on the city website to avoid duplicative efforts. The commission decided to focus on the articles first.
    • MCE Business Outreach: A retrospective on the partnership with MCE to promote business electrification was discussed; the Chamber of Commerce was to send an MCE flyer to its email list, but follow-up is needed.

Key Outcomes

  • The consent calendar (minutes) was approved unanimously.
  • Farmers market dates set for September 17 and October 8, 2026; Barbara will confirm partner attendance.
  • Richard will continue writing sustainability corner articles, alternating partner spotlights with broader topics.
  • Annika’s Earth Day program will be documented for her successor; the commission aims to sustain youth outreach.
  • Lindsay will contact city engineer Derek Lindsley to schedule a bike lane presentation for November 2026.
  • Staff will inquire about costs and participation in ICLEI.
  • Staff will check with the economic development department on outreach for AB 1276.
  • The commission recognized outgoing Commissioner Annika for her two years of service, including insightful questions and excellent minutes, and presented a certificate.
  • New members Caroline Pilot and Barbara McBride will start August 1, 2026; one commission vacancy remains, with efforts to recruit another member.
  • The next meeting is scheduled for September 21, 2026, at 4:00 PM.

Meeting Transcript

Thank you. So we are going to have a small cozy meeting today. I don't think anybody's coming to watch. I don't know if anybody's going to be watching us online, but if so, hello. Um, we're going to call the meeting to order at 403 EM. And Secretary, could you please call the roll? Jodiv. I Lloyd. Here. Ray? Here. Chair Fleming. Here. And we do have a quorum. Thank you. Next is the Pledge of Allegiance. Thank you. The fundamental rights of each member of the public can be found in the municipal code posted on the city's website and on a plaque that is posted at the entrance to this meeting per section 4.04.030 of the City of Bonesha's open government ordinance. Item five, can we have adoption of the agenda? Are there any changes anybody wants to make to the agenda? So moved. A second. Yes. Ray? Yes. And Chair Fleming. Yes. Thank you. Um the agenda will be mostly focusing on the projects that we've been discussing, so I think that'll be good. Umpportunity for public comment. This portion of the meeting is reserved for persons wishing to address the commission on any matter not on the agenda that is within the subject jurisdiction of the community sustainability commission. State law prohibits the community sustainability commission from responding to or acting upon matters not listed on the agenda. Each speaker has a maximum of three minutes for public comment. If others have already expressed your position, you may simply indicate that you agree with a previous speaker. If applicable, a spokesperson may present the views of your entire group. Speakers may not make personal attacks on commission members, staff or members of the public, or make comments which are slanderous or which may invade an individual's personal privacy. Staff, have we received any written comments after 3 p.m.? No. Are there any members of the public participating via Zoom that may wish to make public comments? No. Thank you. So then we move on to item seven, which is an informational item that Kerry will be presenting on the status of the Bay Area Air District grant application process. Thank you, Chair. As you know, the city submitted two applications to the Bay Area Air District. One is a catalyst grant, and the second is an opportunity grant.

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