Hollister council members Monday could decide the fates of the 2017 Hollister Independence Rally and a local medical marijuana ordinance.
Other items on the agenda include hiring two additional fire department personnel and a public hearing relating to participation in a joint powers authority finance program.
Monday’s meeting is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. at City Hall, 375 Fifth Street.
Biker rally.
The 2017 Hollister Motorcycle Rally contract comes back before council members Monday.
At the Nov. 28 meeting, the council declined to approve a contract with promoter Roadshows Inc. for less than $180,000 for a three-day rally. At the time, a draft version of the contract showed the promoter intended to pay $135,000 for a four-day event.
According to the meeting agenda packet, the promoter provided a revised contract to the city on Dec. 14 for $164,000 for a three-day event.
City documents showed that officials over the past four years calculated widely ranging figures for each rally’s total cost. There was a fluctuation of $94,000 between the 2013 and 2014 rallies.
Other changes in the new version of the contract include when the money would be paid to the city. The promoter is requesting to pay two installments of $82,000 due June 1 and June 29 of next year.
Staff is concerned that the payment schedule doesn’t give the city enough time to cancel the rally for lack of payment or default in the contract, the agenda packet states.
As such, council members will have three options for deciding the fate of the motorcycle rally:
Adopt a resolution approving Roadshows Inc. to promote the rally.
Adopt a resolution cancelling the rally and direct Police Chief David Westrick to start preparing for a non-event weekend.
Direct staff to engage with a contracted employee to act as an event coordinator. The event then becomes sponsored by the city.
The agenda packet states the third option would be a large undertaking with high risk to the city.
Marijuana
Council members could adopt a proposed medical marijuana ordinance Monday. The ordinance would lift the current ban on medical marijuana facilities within city limits.
The ordinance comes back before the council after changes were made at the last meeting. Proposed changes deal with the number of dispensaries allowed, zoning and the working age of those who can work at medical marijuana facilities.
Fire department
Two agenda items for Monday’s meeting deal with temporary personnel hires for the Hollister Fire Department.
Consent Agenda item A.7 features a resolution authorizing the department to implement a pilot program utilizing a deputy fire marshal for the purpose of fire prevention and code enforcement.
According to the agenda packet, the department’s fire prevention bureau has experienced a significant increase in new residential construction with a decline not expected for two years. The fire prevention office has conducted over 500 inspections and obtained $100,400 through generated fees within five months, according to the agenda packet. It states the prevention office will conduct over approximately 700 inspections and recover an additional $140,000 through generated fees for the rest of the year. That’s a total of $240,400. Money obtained through the fees is enough to fund the salary of a “much needed” deputy fire marshal, according to the agenda packet.
The regular agenda features a resolution authorizing the fire department to alter its staffing level by hiring one temporary, full-time firefighter. This will provide the department with the needed staffing to reduce overtime created from firefighters assigned to the fire protection contract obligation of the Panoche Valley Solar project, according to the agenda.
The City of Hollister entered into a fire protection agreement with Panoche Valley Solar, LLC in June 2015. The agenda packet states that firefighters assigned to the contract have been providing site coverage as of Nov. 23 of this year. Production is expected to start in January, and the contract is scheduled to either be extended or renegotiated to reflect the project’s need for service.
The cost of this temporary hire would be $84,166. If approved, Administrative Services Director Brent Miller would need to make the amendment to the fiscal year 2016-17 budget. The adjustment to the fire department personnel budget would be funded by the solar project contract, Fund 271.
Staff recommendation is to hire one temporary, full-time firefighter for the solar project contract in order to reduce overtime caused by the loss of grant funded firefighters and the daily reassignment of two current solar project firefighters.
The recommendation supports the city’s general plan and demonstrates fiscal responsibility, the agenda packet states.
Public hearing
City council members will hold a public hearing Monday to consider if Hollister will participate in the Statewide Community Infrastructure Program.
The program is put on by the California Statewide Communities Development Authority, a joint powers authority sponsored by the League of California Cities and the California State Association of Counties. Hollister is one of 383 cities and 56 counties that are members.
The program lets property owners and developers pay impact fees and finance public improvements with tax-exempt bonds issued by the California Statewide Communities Development Authority.
If the council decides to participate in the program, the city can choose between two versions of the proposed resolution. One allows the use of the program for commercial, industrial and multi-family residential rental developments with five or more units. The other would limit the program to just commercial and industrial development.
According to the agenda, the minimum threshold to participate in the program is $500,000 of qualifying impact fees from roads, sewer, water, drainage, parks and parking.
The staff report states there’s no financial impact because “generally” administrative costs are handled by CSCDA, except applications and financing for payment of impact fees to other agencies.
