Betsy Dirks was appointed to the San Benito County Board of Supervisors by Gov. Gavin Newsom to fill the District 1 seat left vacant when Mark Medina resigned. She represents northeast Hollister and the north end of the county. Dirks is an independent education consultant and has also taught at Christopher High School (2020-2021), Gilroy High School (2001-2005). She previously ran for the District 1 seat against Medina but lost to the incumbent in the March 2020 primary election with 42.4% of the votes. “I’m excited and honored for the opportunity to serve San Benito County and the residents of District 1,” Dirks told BenitoLink. “I know there is work to be done and I look forward to making sure that all voices are heard and represented.”
Notable quote: “At the heart of why I wanted to run is to make sure the county is a place where families can make sure kids have somewhere to put down roots.” (Source: BenitoLink.com)
As the new chair of the San Benito County Board of Supervisors, and also the county’s Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCO), Kollin Kosmicki gave a 180-degree turn to the agency watching over the boundaries of the county’s two cities and nine special districts.
On Feb. 21, the San Benito County Board of Supervisors held a special meeting at Paine’s Restaurant in Hollister with state and federal representatives. The goal was to seek their support for some of the board’s priorities, including the widening of Hwy 25, housing, tourism and the condition of the county’s jails.
Following a recommendation from public safety coordinator Roy Morales to the San Juan Bautista City Council, the city held a town hall meeting on Feb. 22 to provide an overview of fire services in San Benito County.
For more than a year, the housing element of San Benito County’s General Plan—which California cities and counties must submit to address housing needs—has been out of compliance. That has triggered a provision in state law, known as “builder’s remedy,” which prevents jurisdictions from rejecting developments that provide affordable housing, even if they violate zoning rules.
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.
