HOLLISTER
Aside from the Hollister City Council’s review Monday of the Measure T Citizens Oversight Committee’s report on sales-tax spending (see this story published Tuesday), members also did the following:
Airport recycled water pipeline
The council approved a contract with Valleycrest Landscaping Development, Inc. for services on the “Airport Recycled Water Pipeline Project.” The funding will come from a supplemental appropriation of Fund 664.
The project will be one of two projects featuring recycled water. The water will go toward sod growing at the airport, said Mayor Doug Emerson. He brought up the potential of leasing the land to a sod farmer. The contract has taken longer to approve due to the need for more extensive environmental testing.
The other site using recycled water is Riverside Park.
Gang coordinator position
The council gave staff direction to write a contract between San Benito County, the Hollister School District, San Benito County High School and the San Benito County Office of Education about the formation of a countywide gang coordinator position. Emerson said that the catalyst group in starting this position will probably be the intergovernmental committee. In terms of staff personnel, City Manager Clint Quilter and County Administrative Officer Susan Thompson will be instrumental in the position becoming a reality, he said.
Once the position has been formed, the mayor said there will be a policy committee formed with a representative of each body involved. From there, he projected that officials will follow San Jose’s lead and have a second technical committee that could potentially include police officers, sheriff’s deputies and citizens.
Emerson said he expects the contract to come back for approval no later than Nov. 17.
