City of San Juan Bautista Government News Digest

The San Juan Bautista City Council approved a $18.7 million water agreement with the city of Hollister. City Manager Don Reynolds announced that the project to divert the city’s wastewater to the Domestic Wastewater Treatment Plant in Hollister is firmly on track.

In a reversal following public comments from divided retail business owners and residents, the council rescinded a decision to remove all of San Juan Bautista’s parklets by April 28 and voted instead on a motion to keep them through the end of 2023.

A five word agenda item for the April 11 meeting of the San Juan Bautista Planning Commission sparked a contentious two-hour-long dialogue regarding recent citations issued by the city to the Hapa Brothers’ food truck.

The city of San Juan Bautista is conducting a high-level organizational review including a strategic planning and public facilitation session to review and determine organizational goals, objectives, and priorities.

In a surprise move at its March 21 meeting, the City Council ordered all the downtown Third Street parklets to be removed by April 28. The resolution originally allowed for restaurants and bars to keep their parklets.

On Jan. 31, the San Juan Bautista City Council approved a bond for its wastewater project, filled vacancies on the Planning Commission and reviewed its transportation and connectivity plan.

Appointing four new planning commissioners proved difficult for the San Juan Bautista City Council, as it rejected two of the five hopefuls and erred in one appointment at the council’s Jan. 24 meeting. In a 4-1 vote, members appointed David Medeiros and Jose Aranda.

Candidates are sought for the position of city treasurer for the city of San Juan Bautista. To qualify, a candidate must be an elector and resident of the city.

Born to farmworker parents, outgoing Councilmember San Juan Bautista Cesar Flores served as an Air Force flight line mechanic, spent over 50 years with El Teatro Campesino, worked with the National Park Service in the Conservation Corps, served as the principal at Chamberlain House and as president of the San Benito Arts Council.

San Juan Bautista City Manager Don Reynolds and Mayor Leslie Jordan were presented with a ceremonial check for $3 million by state Senator Anna Caballero and Assemblymember Robert Rivas.

A special San Juan Bautista City Council meeting was held on Nov. 29 to allow public comment on the city’s ongoing attempts to resolve violations of its floodplain ordinance occurring at 451 San Juan Hollister Road, a property owned by Kulta Farms LLC.

San Juan Bautista City Manager Don Reynolds announced the U.S. The Department of Agriculture accepted an application for assistance that includes $14 million in potential funds for the city’s wastewater project. He also said Hollister accepted the final design for the project.

Shawn Novack, water conservation program manager with the Water Resources Association San Benito County, writes that after a slow start, residents stepped up their efforts to conserving water in late August.

Taylor Farms, a San Juan Bautista-area produce wholesaler and packagers of pre-made salads, announces it will be leaving the power grid. Its renewable energy facilities will produce 8 megawatts of power for the company, enough electricity for 3,200 to 7,200 homes.

San Juan Bautista council candidates Leslie Q. Jordan, Jackie Morris-Lopez and E.J. Sabathia discuss development and the problems of disrepair in the historic downtown.

Local dignitaries and members of the senior community of San Juan Bautista gathered on Oct. 6 at the St. Francis Retreat to honor the late Mary Sellen by dedicating the new Senior Citizens Center in her name. The center project will be organized under the nonprofit Jovenes de Antaño.

At their monthly meeting on Sept. 20, the San Juan Bautista City Council took a step back on three issues: road repair, a fireworks prohibition and, most significantly, the redrawing of sphere of influence and urban growth boundaries.

News outlet BenitoLink has set the date for its Your Voice—Your Vote General Election Forum. The free, nonpartisan forum is set for Oct. 11 at the Granada Theater, 336 Fifth Street in Hollister.

Before four big development projects could be discussed, the Aug. 2 San Juan Bautista Planning Commission meeting began with an announcement that Luis Matchain had been removed as a commissioner, which leaves two seats open. The commissioners also discussed a BenitoLink article about the contentious June 21 joint meeting of the City Council and Planning Commission.

San Juan Bautista has reached a settlement with the Regional Water Quality Control Board for the Central Coast Region regarding the payment of mandatory minimum penalties for alleged violations of the city’s expired 2009 Wastewater Permit.

A contentious joint session of the San Juan Bautista City Council and the Planning Commission on June 13 was intended to have the public respond to proposed city growth boundaries. Instead, the proceedings ground to a halt when two council members left and the meeting ended for lack of a quorum.

San Juan Bautista recently held five public meetings to discuss growth and changes to the city, including future development while remaining environmentally friendly.

At an April 19 meeting, the San Juan Bautista City Council declared a state of emergency due to the drought. Effective May 1, a series of conservation measures will be imposed on residents and businesses.

San Juan Bautista’s First Street roundabout is nearing completion, according to City Manager Don Reynolds. It is intended to help regulate traffic entering and exiting the Meritage Homes Rancho Vista subdivision at Lavagnino Drive.

BenitoLink invites the public to a free, nonpartisan primary election forum to be held April 19 at the Granada Theater in Hollister. The forum can also be viewed on video after the event.

The San Juan Bautista City Council is implementing an ordinance that would allow it to impose a lien on hotels, after Hacienda de Léal hotel accrued over $300,000 in unpaid Transient Occupancy Tax, penalties and interest.

The City of San Juan Bautista will break ground for its newest park, located on Franklin Circle, on Feb. 4 at 4 p.m. City Manager Don Reynolds said the city is working on a policy to name the park.

San Juan Bautista has approved $231,284 to go toward rehabbing the county's homeless shelter. The facility can house 50 people each night in separate dormitories for men and women.

San Benito County is now requiring all county public safety workers to be vaccinated by Sept. 30. This includes employees with the city of Hollister and San Juan Bautista.

The city of San Juan Bautista raised the LGBTQ flag for the month of June this year. Even though the move didn’t spark controversy, the City Council decided to avoid future issues by approving a broad policy on flags flown at City Hall and city-owned buildings.