County decides Tuesday to revitalize Intergovernmental
Commission to improve relations with Hollister
Could Hollister and San Benito County be entering the age of
Camelot?
The day after embattled councilman Tony LoBue relinquished his
mayor’s gavel, new Mayor Brian Conroy and Supervisor Richard
Scagliotti announced plans to resurrect a defunct commission to
bring the two government agencies together to discuss issues.
County decides Tuesday to revitalize Intergovernmental Commission to improve relations with Hollister
Could Hollister and San Benito County be entering the age of Camelot?
The day after embattled councilman Tony LoBue relinquished his mayor’s gavel, new Mayor Brian Conroy and Supervisor Richard Scagliotti announced plans to resurrect a defunct commission to bring the two government agencies together to discuss issues.
“There’s definitely going to be a new line of communication, after everything that’s happened,” said Scagliotti, who is expected to take over as chair of the supervisors in January. “It’s all burned down and now we have to start rebuilding.”
“In my discussions with other council members, they also have the same priorities that I do,” said Conroy on Tuesday. “We owe it to the people of the county and the city.”
Scagliotti and Conroy are hoping that since a predominantly slow-growth city council has been instated, the group can start mending fences to overcome the long-standing feud between leaders of Hollister and San Benito County, including issues involving the proposed sewage treatment plant.
It’s a move that brings hope to many elected officials on both sides, and one that Supervisor Bob Cruz believes will start a “round table” of unity.
The plan is to revitalize the six-year dormant Intergovernmental Commission, an agency consisting of staff and elected officials from county and city posts who met whenever issues developed between the two entities. The commission was created in 1991, but over the years – and especially after the city approved the 677-home West of Fairview project in 1999 – the think-tank partnership fizzled out.
“Richard wants to start this again now that the city has a new mayor,” said Cruz, who said he believes the biggest obstacle in reinstating communications was LoBue, who repeatedly antagonized the county with his public comments.
“Lets put it this way,” said Cruz. “Look what he did on the vote for mayor Monday. It was 4-1. I mean, c’mon. That’s a no-no and it shows no class. He ought to resign if he feels that way and do the city of Hollister a favor.”
LoBue has been a vocal crusader for the Award Homes project since it was first approved by the former city council. The councilman has maintained that the city was bound to honor the development agreement or face getting sued by the developers of the subdivision.
Many elected leaders on both sides believe there is no dearth of issues to tackle. A sticky one that has kept the county and city at odds for years is the funding of the Animal Shelter.
“The first thing is the dog pound,” said Cruz. “And perhaps some growth issues.”
Cruz and Scagliotti said that the battle over the new sewage storage pond the city is building – without state environmental reviews, to the county’s apprehension – is something that will have to be played out in court. But Councilwoman Pauline Valdivia said she was eager to hold discussions with her county counterparts on the Long Term Wastewater Treatment Facility.
“That’s a hot issue on the table,” said Valdivia, who ticked off her own wish list of items. “And maybe we can bring back the (inter-jurisdictional) fire department because that’s a safety issue for the community. We still need to discuss the thing with the dog pound, and maybe some growth issues.”
Supervisor-elect Pat Loe, who replaces Rita Bowling, is particularly interested in the idea of a city/county commission because her District 3 resides entirely within Hollister city limits.
“I think it’s a wonderful idea,” said Loe, who once was a Hollister council member. “We have to put aside petty differences and work together. Face to face meetings are very important, ones that elected officials run — not ones that staff run.”
Scagliotti said he has no illusions as to how the rift between the city and county grew so seemingly hopeless.
“They were making decisions on issues that were politically motivated and based on bad information…yes, like Award Homes,” said Scagliotti. “Unfortunately, our staff proved that the city had no services and that their staff had lied. The city council believed they had services, that they were forced to uphold an agreement. The fact is you have no legal obligation when you have no services.
“Now no one wants to own the fact that they’ve created en economic disaster,” he added. “I don’t believe that the city council is purposely reckless. But it happened, it created a major problem for this community, a three-year building moratorium and astronomical debt. That’s what this is all about.”
Conroy believes the age of cooperation is way overdue.
“One year ago the city held a retreat and I spoke about the need to work with the county,” said Conroy. “I heard that it was dismissed as insignificant. Well, my opinion has not changed. What will change is that old attitude.”
Earlier on Tuesday Conroy spoke from the podium at the Board of Supervisors chambers, wishing outgoing four-term Supervisor Rita Bowling well in her retirement – and also seizing the opportunity to extend an olive branch to county officials. He expressed his eagerness to work with everyone in the county and its departments. When he mentioned that the council had voted him in as mayor the night before, the chamber erupted in applause.
“It’s about being open about what were doing,” said Scagliotti. “No more of this two people running the city of Hollister stuff. Well, they’ve run it right into the ground. Now we have to put the pieces back together.”
County Administrative Officer Gil Solorio, who will probably be part of the new city/county consortium, believes a new era of cooperation is predestined.
“It’s going to happen with or without the agency,” said Solorio, “because there are different players now. It’s a new start. There are new missions.”
Valdivia echoed the sentiment.
“Brian (Conroy) has really made an effort to step up to the plate,” she said. “But it’s not about Pauline Valdivia or Brian Conroy or Tony Bruscia or Tony LoBue or Robbie Scattini. The changing of the guard is going to be good for the community. We’re looking at a new year and a different leadership.”
