Councilman Rick Perez, Councilwoman Dolores Morales, Mayor Mia Casey, Councilman Tim Burns & Vice-Mayor Rolan Resendiz
Who Do They Serve?
Hollister Guardians and our supporters have attended many City Council and Planning Commission meetings. Sadly, Hollister's Mayor & City Council majority keep ignoring our concerns, even when we bring 30 to 80 residents to meetings and give public comments. But their votes show that they consistently listen to the handful of developers and large landowners who attend their meetings. See details below or download a summary here.
Sewer Service Give-Away
In the summer of 2023, the Mayor & City Council majority voted to double the city's sewer capacity so that they can extend sewer service to thousands of houses outside of Hollister city limits (San Juan Oaks, San Juan Bautista, Fairview, Cielo Vista, Ridgemark). Developers have long lobbied for sewer service because it makes it profitable for them to build large housing developments. Westside residents protested at several City Council meetings and spoke of the stench from the sewer plant in their neighborhood. Residents warned that more houses would bring more sewage, more traffic, and more overcrowded schools. Learn more here. (See June 20, 2023, City Council Minutes & Video, Agenda item F1. And Aug. 7, 2023, City Council Minutes & Video, Agenda item F1.)
Rewrite General Plan for Developers
Residents oppose the City Council cutting affordable housing from 20% to 15%
Developers were unhappy with the Hollister General Plan that a citizens committee had worked on for three years. This "people's General Plan" reflected residents' wishes for modest growth. On November 6, 2023, the Mayor & City Council majority voted to rewrite the General Plan and give developers their wish list: (1) Cut the affordable housing requirement from 20% to 15%, (2) Expand the city's "sphere of influence" to allow thousands of new houses along Fairview, Union, and Buena Vista Roads, and (3) make Hollister residents pay $762,822 to rewrite the General Plan for the benefit of developers. Learn more here. (See Nov. 6, 2023, City Council Video & Minutes, Agenda item F3.)
Friend of Developers
Sewer Service to Lee Subdivision
Developer of Lee Subdivision asks for sewer service
On August 7, 2023, the Mayor & City Council majority voted to give the developer of Lee subdivision sewer service. This 141-unit residential subdivision on Fairview Road is outside Hollister city limits. (See Aug. 7, 2023 City Council Minutes, Agenda item 1.)
Several months earlier, in February 2023, the San Benito County Board of Supervisors had rejected Mr. Lee's project because of its impact on traffic, roads and other infrastructure. The Mayor & City Council simply ignored the Supervisors' decision to reject the Lee subdivision located on County land. (See Feb. 7, 2023 County Supervisors Minutes & Video, Agenda item 4.1.)
$4.5 Million Discount to San Juan Oaks
San Juan Oaks Developer asks for sewer service
When the Mayor & City Council majority gave sewer service to 1,084 houses at the San Juan Oaks (SJO) golf community, the developer also got a 53% discount because San Juan Oaks is for seniors (55 years & older). This is a total discount of $4.5 million that the Mayor & City Council gave to the San Juan Oaks developer. The discount was intended for low-income, senior housing in Hollister, not for luxury houses in golf communities outside of Hollister. Only Councilman Resendiz voted against extending sewer service to San Juan Oaks. (See June 20, 2023, City Council Minutes and Video, Agenda item G2; Resolution 2023-133 of Agenda Packet.)
Secret Meetings
Violating the Brown Act (Transparency)
For some time, the Mayor & City Council majority kept discussions about city sewer services for developments in closed meetings. They probably didn't want the public to know, until shortly before the vote, that the sewer extensions include a $4.5 million discount to San Juan Oaks & require Hollister to pay $2.5 million to double sewer capacity. The CA Brown Act requires public participation in this kind of City Council deliberation. They violated the spirit of the Brown Act. (See June 5, 2023 City Council Video, report of Councilman Resendiz, at 7:48:34 of Video.)
Suppress Free Speech
Silencing the Voice of West Side Residents
The Mayor & City Council majority have tried to silence Councilman Rolan Resendiz by censuring him twice because he strongly objected to the expansion of the city's sewer facility for new housing developments due to the impact on his Westside constituents. Large groups of Westside residents attended City Council meetings in May - November of 2023 to defend Rolan's freedom of speech. Councilman Resendiz's supporters objected to the censures and urged the Mayor & City Councill to stop bullying Mr. Resendiz with threats of removal from committees, fines, and other punishment. During public comment, Westside residents said, "Rolan is our Voice", and "When you silence Rolan, you silence Us". Several spoke in Spanish with the help of translators. Many brought signs with messages like "Free Speech for Rolan". On Aug. 7, the Mayor & City Council had their fire marshall expel 12 Westside residents for standing in the back of the room, but they let the supporters of developers stand in the back. Residents told the KSBW News reporter: "They won't listen to us" and "We're tired of being ignored!". See KSBW News reports here.