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02/12/2025
Image for display with article titled Developers Will Pay for Measure a Elections

At its Jan. 11 meeting, the San Benito County Board of Supervisors took its first steps in adapting to the changes brought by Measure A, the initiative which reshaped the county’s land use decision-making process. The board unanimously approved modifying the county’s General Plan and determined that developers would pay for Measure A-related elections.

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02/08/2025
Image for display with article titled SBC Responds to Allegations Involving Agricultural Commissioner

San Benito County is deeply concerned about recent allegations involving the County's Agricultural Commissioner and a local farmer. These allegations allege a serious breach of public trust, including accusations of a relationship that may have influenced the allocation of grants and equipment.

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02/07/2025
Image for display with article titled FPPC Looking Into Slow-Growth Group

The California Fair Political Practices Commission is investigating a local political organization for allegedly violating campaign reporting laws by masquerading as a local affiliate of the Democratic Party. The complaint was filed in October and the FPPC began its investigation in December. 

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02/05/2025
Image for display with article titled Referendum to Rescind Hollister General Plan Advances

A petition circulated by Hollister Guardians Action to rescind the 2040 Hollister General Plan appears to have obtained enough signatures to be considered by the Hollister City Council. The San Benito County Elections Office notified the city of Hollister that it predicts 2,902 of the signatures collected by the local activist group are valid.

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02/05/2025
Image for display with article titled Attorney General Intervenes in Betabel Lawsuit

California Attorney General Rob Bonta has intervened in a lawsuit challenging San Benito County’s approval of the Betabel Commercial Development on U.S. 101 south of Hollister, Bonta’s office announced this week.

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02/04/2025
Image for display with article titled Bond or No Bond: Determining the Future of Hazel Hawkins

For months, the San Benito County Board of Supervisors and the San Benito Healthcare District have clashed over the future of Hazel Hawkins Memorial Hospital. While the supervisors push to keep the county’s only hospital under local control, the hospital’s board is moving to lease, and potentially sell, it to Michigan-based Insight Healthcare Group.

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02/04/2025
Image for display with article titled No Confirmed Cases of Illness in SBC Following the Moss Landing Fire

Despite much chatter on social media following the fire at the Vistra Energy lithium battery plant in Moss Landing on Jan. 16, San Benito County Public Information Officer Rosemerry Dere said that there have been no confirmed reports of anyone in the county being treated for exposure to the chemicals and waste released into the atmosphere.

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01/30/2025
Image for display with article titled San Benito County’s New Lobbyist Ordinance: Enhancing Transparency and Accountability

On October 22, 2024, the San Benito County Board of Supervisors approved Ordinance Number 1070, aimed at promoting greater transparency and accountability in government decision-making. The ordinance requires individuals and organizations that lobby County officials to register, disclose their activities, and provide detailed information about who they represent, their spending, and the officials they contact.

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01/29/2025
Image for display with article titled San Benito Supervisors Define County’s Priorities

At its Jan. 28 meeting, the San Benito County Board of Supervisors identified a set of priorities—five issues which, according to board chair Kollin Kosmicki, will be “on every agenda” in 2025.

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01/27/2025
Image for display with article titled San Juan Bautista Council Approves Fire Services Study Funds

The San Juan Bautista City Council approved funding to study the creation of a fire protection and life safety services special district at its Jan. 21 meeting. The new district would include the city of Hollister, the city of San Juan Bautista and San Benito County.

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01/27/2025
Image for display with article titled Local Leaders Aim to Quell Undocumented Families’ Fears

San Benito County Sheriff Eric Taylor said Jan. 25 that his department will not help the U.S. Department of Homeland Security with its plans to escalate the enforcement of immigration laws.

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01/24/2025
Image for display with article titled County of San Benito Draft 6th Cycle Housing Element Available for Public Review and Comment

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN of the availability of the 6th Cycle (2023-2031) San Benito County Housing Element Public Review Draft. This update of the Housing Element constitutes an amendment of the General Plan and, pursuant to Government Code §65585, a 7-day review and comment period is provided.

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01/23/2025
Image for display with article titled Supervisors Narrow San Benito’s Economic Vision to Tourism

The San Benito County Board of Supervisors on Jan. 14 mapped out a new vision for economic growth, deciding that the county will make an all-in bet on tourism. Led by its new chair, Supervisor Kollin Kosmicki, the board redefined the mission of a committee previously created to advise the board on economic issues, directing it to focus exclusively on tourism.

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01/22/2025
Image for display with article titled Hollister Rescinds Termination Notices for County Fire Services

On Jan. 21, the Hollister City Council rescinded a plan to end the contract that provides fire services to San Benito County and the city of San Juan Bautista. The council also rescinded a resolution committing to keep the current level of staffing in the fire department regardless of the outcome of contract negotiations that are underway.

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01/21/2025
Image for display with article titled San Benito Supervisors Exclude Gas and EV Stations From Ag Areas

In a 3-2 vote on Jan. 14 the San Benito Board of Supervisors rejected a proposal that would allow gas stations and alternative fuel stations to be built in the county's rural areas.

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01/15/2025
Image for display with article titled Supervisors Demand to Have a Say Over the Future of Hazel Hawkins

At a Jan. 14 meeting, the San Benito County Board of Supervisors discussed the future of Hazel Hawkins Memorial Hospital. By a unanimous vote, they decided to approach the San Benito Health Care District in an effort to stymie the potential lease-sale of the hospital to the Michigan-based Insight Health. 

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01/11/2025
Image for display with article titled Construction of Riverview Regional Park Begins in Fall

Construction of Riverview Regional Park, the 46-acre recreation zone planned for the area between the Hollister High School campus and the San Benito River, will begin this fall, a year later than originally expected.

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01/07/2025
Image for display with article titled Fire Protection Services Town Hall Postponed Again

For the second time, San Benito County has canceled a town hall meeting to discuss the future of the county’s fire protection services. The meeting—which was supposed to take place in December but was then rescheduled for Jan. 9—has been indefinitely postponed.

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01/06/2025
Image for display with article titled Kosmicki to Chair SBC Board of Supervisors

On Jan. 6 the San Benito County Board of Supervisors unanimously chose Kollin Kosmicki to be its chair for 2025. Among his duties, he will preside over board meetings, rule on questions of procedure and appoint committees to study issues. 

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01/02/2025
Image for display with article titled Thousands of Voters Skipped Some November Races

In many elections, voters will cast a ballot selecting candidates at the top of the ticket but skip voting on “down-ballot” races—resulting in what election officials call “undervotes.” In the Nov. 5 election, a number of San Benito County races had more undervotes tallied than the margin between the top two choices, which means the undervotes may have determined the outcomes of those races.

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12/28/2024
Image for display with article titled Bird Flu Outbreak Not a Threat to General Public

Mallory Schmitt, San Benito County’s deputy director of public health services, said the general public is not at a high risk from the bird flu outbreak that led Gov. Gavin Newsom to declare a state of emergency on Dec. 18.

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12/21/2024
Image for display with article titled Congress OKs $15 Million for San Benito County Water Projects

Rep. Zoe Lofgren has secured seven provisions relating to local water issues, which could bring as much as $15 million to San Benito County to pay for the San Juan Bautista Water and Hollister Downtown Water Line Replacement Projects.

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12/16/2024
Image for display with article titled Measure a Clashes With Federal ‘Opportunity Zones’

In 2017, President Donald Trump created a program called Opportunity Zones to spur economic growth in low-income communities—two of these are located in San Benito County.

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12/15/2024
Image for display with article titled Sheriff’s Office Visits Encampments in Riverbed

Homeless residents have built elaborate living arrangements along the San Benito River, and some of them include underground dwellings and walled communities, according to a recent census conducted by the San Benito County Sheriff’s Office.

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12/12/2024
Image for display with article titled San Benito Supervisors Delay Changes to Planning Commission’s Authority

At its last meeting of the year, the San Benito County Board of Supervisors unanimously agreed to postpone voting on amendments to the rules governing the county Planning Commission. The proposal modifies the commission’s duties and scope of authority, which has been the source of tensions between planners and supervisors in recent months.

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12/11/2024
Image for display with article titled State Finds No Criminal Wrongdoing by Jail Staff in May Escape Case

The California Department of Justice found no criminal wrongdoing by San Benito County Jail staff in the case of an inmate who escaped on May 28, according to San Benito County Sheriff Eric Taylor. He said the escape was a result of lazy or sloppy work by staff. 

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12/09/2024
Image for display with article titled For Now, Measure a Will Not Halt Betabel Project

According to a San Benito County planner, Measure A will not immediately stall the plan to build a visitor center, gas station, fruit stand and motel at the corner of Hwy 101 and Betabel Road. The Betabel Road Project was approved by the San Benito County Board of Supervisors in November 2022 and that approval cannot be retroactively revoked, said Johnathan Olivas, associate planner for the county.

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12/05/2024
Image for display with article titled San Juan Bautista City Council Sends Growth Measure to Supervisors

At a Dec. 2 special meeting, the San Juan Bautista City Council voted to approve the final wording of a memorandum of understanding that will be submitted to the San Benito County Board of Supervisors. If accepted by the board, the MOU would give the city a greater voice in decisions regarding proposed developments in the area immediately outside the city limits.

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12/04/2024
Image for display with article titled San Benito County Election Results Finalized

The San Benito County Elections Department released its final results for the Nov. 5 election on Dec. 4. Overall, a total 28,017 county residents voted in more than 30 national, state, and local races.

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12/01/2024
Image for display with article titled Supervisors Delay Changes to the County’s Zoning Code

In a Nov. 26 meeting, the San Benito County Board of Supervisors tabled a series of amendments to a number of zoning ordinances listed in the County Code. The amendments, which were introduced by county staff, aimed to change substantial parts of the county’s land use policies, including allowing commercial development on land zoned for agricultural use.

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