City of Hollister Government News Digest

Teaching officers to intervene when they see other officers violating policies is the goal of Active Bystandership for Law Enforcement (ABLE), a project developed by Georgetown University Law Center.

The Hollister Planning Commission approved an extension for a tentative map, conditional use permit, and site and architectural review for a subdivision of 14 townhomes near R.O Hardin Elementary School.

The Hollister City Council adopted changes by consensus to the city’s draft General Plan 2040. Among the updates were expansion of the sphere of influence and changes in residential land use.

The San Benito County Civil Grand Jury shared its findings on Hollister’s traffic calming measures, noting that the city should be “commended for attempting to be proactive” but did not have a formal policy or procedure in place when it implemented the measures.

The Hollister City Council is scheduled to review next steps on Ladd Lane and Southside Road. The project originally called for installing traffic calming measures to deter speeding. Since the city began work, members of the community have spoken against the measures.

Amid vociferous public opposition, the Hollister City Council approved wastewater services to the Fairview Corners subdivision, Gavilan College and Cielo Vista in partnership with the Sunnyslope Water District.

Those who attended Hollister’s inclusionary housing ordinance workshop received a presentation on the various technical requirements, such as in-lieu fees and design standards.

With California setting goals to increase the number of new housing units to keep up with growth, agricultural regions such as Hollister are equally committed to preserving the open space and farmland in and around the city.

The Community Services and Facilities Element of the Hollister draft 2040 General Plan focuses on things of day-to-day importance to Hollister residents that they might take for granted.

Hollister police and members of the Hollister Fire Department issued 48 illegal fireworks-related citations and responded to 23 fires between June 30 and July 4.

Bret Miller says an ethical conflict, not the lawsuit, was why he was let go by the City Council.

For those who have been wondering about what was going on north of the Hollister Municipal Airport, with all the blue tarps and 9,000 pilings driven 50 feet into the ground, Amazon has finally answered BenitoLink’s repeated requests to verify that the new building will be its latest venture in San Benito County.

On May 25, the Hollister Planning Commission unanimously approved the site and architectural applications for the construction of the 10-megawatt Stodola Battery Storage Energy System that will be built at the Gateway Center Subdivision.

At a town hall meeting on May 22, food truck operators and the local foodie community that loves them were given a reason to hope for a loosening of restrictions that have kept those businesses isolated mostly in the northern area of the city.

Hollister’s draft 2040 General Plan is divided into 11 sections. This includes the Natural Resource and Conservation Element, which focuses on policies and actions to preserve natural and cultural resources, improve air quality and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

As Hollister continues to grow, the need to facilitate better traffic circulation increases as well, and Hollister’s draft 2040 General Plan, a local government’s blueprint for growth, describes what may be required.

In a 3-1 vote, the Hollister City Council elected to give Rolan Resendiz a written reprimand for what they called repeated violations of the city’s code of ethics and conduct. The city also took action on a fireworks show, property purchase and council salaries.

Hollister released its draft 2040 General Plan, a local government’s blueprint for growth, in April for public review. Community members can provide input to the city during some of the planned events, or by email.

On March 23 the Hollister Planning Commission unanimously approved the development of 100 multifamily apartments in the West of Fairview subdivision.

The previous Hollister City Council approved over $1 million for traffic calming on two of 50 roads studied. Mayor Mia Casey, who was not on the council that approved the projects, was determined to stop spending money spending money and angering residents.

The Hollister City Council on March 20 approved a resolution to authorize the display of the LGBTQ+ Progress Pride Flag every June at City Hall, as well as “specific actions to commemorate LGBTQ+ Pride Month.”

The Hollister City Council terminated City Manager Brett Miller on March 6. City Attorney Mary Lerner said at the meeting the vote was unanimous.

The City Council approved the new version of the program that is now available to any business, anywhere in the city limits, not just in the downtown district.

As Jeremy Vanderkraats, owner of Signs by Van, was installing the new “Hollister” sign at San Benito and Fourth streets, he ran into a case of one city department not knowing what another city department was doing.

The Hollister City Council is considering changes to its rules on parking recreational vehicles, which prohibit parking on city streets and driveways.

The Hollister City Council has proposed a meeting with staff to consider contracting with ShotSpotter, a Fremont-based company that claims its technology helps police detect where gunshots are coming from to accelerate response time to shootings.

Ever since the Hollister Planning Commission approved a 1.05-million-square-foot fulfillment center Jan. 13, 2022, the overriding question has been what company will ultimately take up residence there.

The Hollister City Council held its first discussion on Dec. 19 concerning re-establishing the July motorcycle rally after residents voted overwhelmingly last month to continue holding the rally, while also voting against changing its date.

The results for the Hollister City Council District 2 ballot recount for the Nov. 8 election show a three-vote difference between the hand count and the machine count.

The city of Hollister released a survey regarding its recreational vehicle ordinance, which is available online and at City Hall.