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If you have more information or questions regarding this incident, please contact Mayor Young directly at: office: (707) 746-4207 email:  SYoung@ci.benicia.ca.us Communications will remain confidential and or anonymous.

From the Benicia Herald, by Galen Kusic; responses by Steve Young , September 20, 2020 COVID-19 economic recovery for businesses and the City. While the City has offered grants, services and accommodations to help local businesses survive during the pandemic, what will you do to further assist businesses while also following state and federal guidelines to keep citizens safe? What is your plan toward economic recovery for businesses and the City? Unfortunately, the City has been too slow to react. I made two proposals to the Council, both of which were rejected and both of which are still worthy of pursuing. My proposal in late March for Downtown Dollars, under which the City (through Benicia Main St) would issue $100 certificates to 500 persons economically affected by the pandemic to be spent at any local small business or restaurant, was defeated by a 3-2 vote for reasons that were described only as “not well thought out”. (The City of Martinez has recently adopted the exact same pr

  By Steve Young Many people have rightfully felt upset that their streets are not included on the list for street repairs for 2020 and 2021. There is no question that our roads, including the ones left off that have been listed by many of you on social media, are very bad. However, some of the frustration has been directed at Public Works staff. We have an excellent Public Works department, capably headed by William Tarbox. Ill feelings should not be directed at City staff for just doing their job.   The City of Benicia Public Works department has supplied additional  information about how these funding recommendations are made.   Money for road repairs comes from a variety of sources (e.g. federal & state funding, gas tax, measure C, etc.) Federal and some State funds are distributed through the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC). To access those funds, cities must utilize a ' Pavement Management Program' and assign each street in the city a Pavement Conditio