As another day slips through the hour glass, the City of
Hollister still appears to be no closer to solving its sewer
dilemma.
The long-standing struggle to get a new sewer plant up and
running begs the question: where is the sense of urgency from our
elected City Council members to solve the most important issue
facing Hollister residents today?
As another day slips through the hour glass, the City of Hollister still appears to be no closer to solving its sewer dilemma.
The long-standing struggle to get a new sewer plant up and running begs the question: where is the sense of urgency from our elected City Council members to solve the most important issue facing Hollister residents today?
The city has sought a new plan to handle Hollister’s sewage since a spill in 2002 dumped 15 million gallons into the San Benito River and resulted in the Regional Water Quality Control Board slapping a building moratorium on the city until a new treatment plant that could handle future needs was built.
Though council members readily admit meeting the October 2005 deadline imposed by the Regional Water Quality Control Board is a mere pipe dream, they have little other information to divulge about the state of wastewater treatment in the City of Hollister – that is except to say they’re still working on finding an area to dispose of the treated water. Now officials estimate it will be at least 2006, if not 2007 or later, before the moratorium is lifted.
Meanwhile, the local economy suffers the most under the moratorium, as businesses are unable to grow to meet demands for their products and services. At the very least, the city should approach the RWQCB to ask for a business exemption to the moratorium. This important step would allow local businesses to develop, jump-start Hollister’s economy and encourage new businesses to move in – to say nothing of the much-needed jobs and tax revenue that could be created. Winning an exemption would create a window of opportunity to allow commercial growth in Hollister without houses being built, improving the obvious imbalance between jobs and housing that has turned us into a bedroom community for San Jose.
Considering it could be another two years until the sewer problem is behind us, local businesses simply cannot wait while the rest of the region enjoys explosive business growth.
Granted city staff have hit a brick wall in where to send wastewater nobody wants in their own backyard, but the city needs to break through the log jam and find an answer. And, the city council must be relentless in their pressure on city staff to find the solution.
It’s frustrating to hear that the city staff is working hard on the issue but to see so little progress being made. We’re not sewer engineers and we don’t pretend to understand the esoteric issues of wastewater management, but we do know there are many communities throughout the great state of California that have tackled hopeless sewer problems in the past.
Asking for a business exemption to the moratorium is a needed band-aide measure to allow our businesses to grow while the city tackles the tough problems of how complete a new plant. Waiting for another couple of years to revitalize our economy should not be an option.
