The Hollister City Council decided to cancel a contract
designating the top post in city government as the part-time
executive director of the Council of San Benito County
Governments.
With City Manager George Lewis retiring in January, the Hollister City Council decided to cancel a contract designating the top post in city government as the part-time executive director of the Council of San Benito County Governments.
By adopting the resolution Monday, the Council also terminated contracts for similar services with the Local Transportation Authority, Measure A Authority, Airport Land Use Commission and Service Authority for Freeways and Expressways.
“With the current workload at the city and COG, we can’t do justice to both jobs,” Lewis said.
COG is an agency made up of local governments. It serves to address regional issues, primarily dealing with transportation and planning.
COG will now put out a request for proposal for a new part-time executive director, who will be expected to work about 80 hours per month, Lewis said.
Before Lewis took over as COG director in February 2000, the county public works director held the job. With the growing number of responsibilities at City Hall, Lewis said the city manager could not devote an appropriate amount of time to COG.
Lewis estimated he put in about 30 hours a month, which he said is not nearly enough.
“It’s distracting from what I do here (at the city),” he said.
Public Works Director Clint Quilter and Community Development Director Bill Card assisted Lewis on COG issues. They also will no longer work with COG.
The contract is terminated as of Jan. 10, the day Lewis retires.
