Hollister City Council members Monday approved installation of recreational amenities at Dunne Park.
The council voted 3-1 in favor of it. Mayor Ignacio Velazquez was against it and Councilman Ray Friend was absent, City Clerk Christine Black confirmed. There was a lot of discussion on the matter, with six people speaking in favor of the idea, Black noted.
The item was an approval of $30,000 for park furniture improvements at Dunne Park that include picnic tables, ping pong tables and other passive recreation equipment to go with a new picnic area. Staff wanted to place up to four concrete picnic tables, two concrete ping pong tables, two concrete chess tables, and one concrete bean bag game on the site. The project also called for added trees, shrubs and flowers to the site.
In other items:
Fire department living quarters
The council OK’d $15,000 for the purchase of modular living quarters at 2000 Aerostar Drive, currently owned by California Shock Trauma Air Rescue, for the fire department to have a public safety facility at the north end of Hollister.
“This was going to be Station 3 a couple years back,” said Velazquez, who was in awe of the deal.
Transportation program
The council authorized staff to proceed with plans regarding Caltrans Cycle 4 Active Transportation Program applications for pedestrian and bicycle improvements to Nash-Tres Pinos and Sunnyslope roads and the construction of the river trail between Bridgevale Road and Apricot Park.
In the discussion, city planning official Mary Paxton referred to traffic plans calling for a roundabout at Rancho Drive and Tres Pinos Road.
“As you well know this is a corridor that’s used by three schools,” said the planning program manager.
Planners will return to officially request a $100,000 supplemental appropriation on the matter.
Cross-town pipeline
Otherwise, the council also approved funding for a multi-jurisdiction cross-town pipeline.
It was an approval of a reimbursement agreement between the city and Sunnyslope County Water District for the construction of a cross-town pipeline project. The pipeline portion of the construction bid is in the amount of $ 766,753. In addition to the bid amount, staff recommends to include a 5 percent contingency for unforeseen circumstances.
The second phase of the pipeline will be constructed by SSCWD for $5,942,738, while the city’s total share was $1.8 million, City Engineer Danny Hillstock said.
Councilman Karson Klauer was among the excited city officials on the project. He said he wanted to highlight how there was “forward thinking going on.”
“I’m excited to see this finish,” Klauer said.
First woman-owned cannabis facility
The council also approved a new cannabis facility Monday. Council members voted 4-0 to OK a cannabis use permit for Saavy Ventures to operate a cultivation, manufacturing and distribution facility at 731 San Felipe Road.
Elia Salinas, who is running for county supervisor but is also an outspoken advocate for the local cannabis industry, noted how it will be the first female-only owned cannabis facility from Monterey County to San Benito County.
Road rehab project
Additionally, the council authorized a $2.99 million contract with Teichert Construction for the Road Rehabilitation Program project. There wasn’t any discussion by council members but City Manager Bill Avera made note of it during his report and said he would distribute a list of the affected streets.
Chamber tourism funding
The council talked about a proposed five-year contract with the chamber to provide $78,000 annually for tourism marketing, but there wasn’t support for an approval with a current provision that awarded the chamber 20 percent of any net increases in transient occupancy tax (hotel tax) dollars.
There were just three members considering the deal, since Councilman Jim Gillio recused himself due to membership in the chamber and Friend was absent.
In prior years, the chamber had an initial $50,000 payment increased to $100,000, but asked for the lower amount with the TOT incentive as well.
The mayor was direct in his reasoning, because the council rejected funds for the Hollister Independence Rally.
Klauer was among those openly against the 20 percent add-on.
“We all know that we need every single dollar we can get,” he said, noting how it’s general fund money once received by the city.
Victor Gomez, board chairman for the chamber, spoke on the issue and agreed that the 20 percent part isn’t necessary.
“We would appreciate your continued support of the tourism fund,” Gomez said.
-By Kollin Kosmicki
