City of Hollister Government News Digest

An apartment complex of several buildings with a total 132 units is being proposed for a 3.8-acre site at Fourth Street and Graf Road in Hollister.

The City of Hollister has issued a cease-and-desist demand against San Benito Foods due to odors from wastewater operations.

The Hollister Planning Commission approved a one year permit extension for a 100-unit residential project on Buena Vista Road during its March 28 meeting.

Despite objections from members of the community, council voted 3-2 to change its meeting time to 4 p.m. on the first and third Tuesday of the month.

A 4-1 vote to hold meetings at 9:00AM instead of 6:30PM was passed with no public input and proceeds to a first public reading and final vote.

The Hollister Planning Commission issued an extension to a 28-unit project and approved a new multi-family project at 221 Hawkins Street, known as the Brookshire Apartments.

The Hollister City Council agreed to a traffic calming study to determine if four-way stops are needed along San Benito Street from Hawkins Street to Nash Road.

Frank “Tito” Valenzuela, Hollister’s first Latino mayor, died Jan. 3 at age 91. He served on the Hollister City Council from 1964 to 1968 and was mayor in 1964 and 1965.

After a presentation on the landfill project, the council unanimously agreed to oppose the recommended haul route along Hwy 25 and receive further direction about the city’s hazardous waste disposal site at a future meeting.

Along with adding chemicals to wastewater, the city plans to rebuild part of the sewer system and replace manholes to control the odor.

Voters will decide next November whether future Hollister mayors will serve a four-year or two-year term. The council approved the ballot measure, with Mayor Mia Casey abstaining.

The Hollister City Council continued discussions on having a biker rally in July 2024. The city has not hosted a rally since 2017 because of public safety liability concerns and COVID-19.

A consensus among the councilmembers, with the exception of Rolan Resendiz, approved possible changes to the city’s code of conduct ordinance during the Nov. 20 City Council meeting. The changes will be brought back for a public hearing later.

The Hollister City Council voted 4-1 to adopt a wastewater services agreement between Hollister and Sunnyslope County Water District for Gavilan College, Cielo Vista, Fairview Corners and Lands of Lee.

Behavioral Health Management Services Manager Nancy Abellera and Hollister Police Department Officer Staci Esqueda have had success in reducing mental health crisis incidents through the Support, Awareness, Follow-up and Engagement (SAFE) program,

The Intergovernmental Committee approved a letter asking Caltrans to prohibit left turns onto Highway 156 from Flint and Bixby roads and Lucy Brown Lane between 3-7 p.m.

The Hollister Planning Commission approved in a 4-0 vote a proposal for a condominium project on the corner on Fourth Street and Westside Boulevard, adding a condition to include a two-foot visible lattice above the fence.

The Hollister Planning Commission is scheduled to consider a proposal for a condominium project from Bebek Development, a San Juan Capistrano-based company, at its Oct. 26 meeting.

San Benito County presented to the Hollister and San Juan Bautista city councils a final report and proposal to form a JPA, along with Hazel Hawkins Hospital’s current governing body, San Benito Health Care District.

The Hollister City Council celebrated Martin Del Campo’s 21 years of service.

Up to 15 food vendors will be located by the public parking lot at Sixth and East streets from Oct. 17 to Nov. 14.

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.