Who's Who: Rebecca Benassini on Her City Council Role

Name: Rebecca Benassini, 34

Occupation: Member of the El Cerrito City Council, economics consultant.

Editor's note: We thank El Cerrito City Councilwoman Rebecca Benassini for taking time from her busy schedule to respond to a few questions by email.

Describe a day in the life as an El Cerrito City Council member.

The City Council has two employees that we supervise: the City Attorney and the City Manager. Scott Hanin is our City Manager and he runs the City on a day-to-day basis.  City Council members direct the general direction for the City with input from residents and others and the City Manager and staff put that direction into action.  

Like most of the members of the Council, I have a full-time job so I have regular workdays Monday through Friday. But on nights and weekends, I have the opportunity to weigh the policy alternatives and make the best decisions possible for El Cerrito residents, businesses and visitors.  

In addition to our Council meetings twice a month, we meet frequently with the City Manager and usually attend meetings of the City's hard-working boards and commissions. In addition, we try to keep an eye on the conditions of other agencies that affect the City (for example, the State's budget, the School District, EBMUD and others). Finally, we always try to promptly respond to emails and phone calls from constituents.   

What is your history in El Cerrito?

I moved to El Cerrito in 2004 when I was a graduate student at UC Berkeley's Goldman School of Public Policy. I actually moved here on the advice of a fellow student--he told me it was a wonderful place to live. I ended up loving the City, and I married that classmate who recommended El Cerrito to me.  We have lived here together ever since. 

Are there any issues the citizens of El Cerrito should be aware of right now affecting our city? Any upcoming changes?

Definitely. Residents should know that the City is working to unwind our redevelopment agency. The State eliminated the agencies earlier this year.   While the agency elimination has been absorbing a significant amount of staff time, the City is otherwise focused on service, service, service.  Residents can enjoy staff's efforts at the Earth Day festivities on Saturday (today, April 21), at the ribbon cutting for the new Recycling Center on Sunday (tomorrow, April 22), and by gathering for some good old-fashioned street games at the street Play event on Sunday the 29th. 

Two key items on the horizon are important planning efforts which will require public input for success: The City plans to begin updating the City's General Plan in the next year (as the budget allows), which is the primary long-term blueprint for the City's future.  It was last updated in 1999.  Also, we will discuss at our next meeting developing a Strategic Plan, which would establish near and mid-range goals and define actions needed to achieve those goals.  

What is your main job outside of working on the city council? 

I make my living as an economics consultant at a small firm in Berkeley. We work on city planning, growth, and reuse of land from the economics perspective, analyzing the potential costs, revenues, and impacts of development and land use changes. 

What do you do for fun?

We have a 9-month-old baby. Watching her try new things is really fascinating. I have been obsessed with giving her all kinds of foods to make sure she has an expansive palate; her latest interests are beets and mangos.  Delicious!  

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