After deciding against cutting its lone code enforcement officer
position, the city of Hollister is recruiting to fill the role
responsible for cracking down on substandard housing and other
violations of the city code.
Hollister – After deciding against cutting its lone code enforcement officer position, the city of Hollister is recruiting to fill the role responsible for cracking down on substandard housing and other violations of the city code.
Hollister stopped accepting applications for the one-person division Aug. 20 and plans to interview the top tier of candidates in the coming weeks, according to officials.
Former code enforcement officer Tim Burns left Hollister after the city council in January approved a layoff of 36 positions that included his job. Burns was most known for his enforcement of illegal housing units. He also led the city’s efforts to tame noise coming from the San Benito Foods tomato cannery during its peak summer season.
The council later reevaluated its layoff list and decided, after Burns left for a similar job in Visalia, to keep a code enforcement officer on board.
Mayor Tony Bruscia said the city changed its mind after a further look at budget projections showed Hollister wasn’t as financially strapped as officials had thought.
“There are some very important issues that need to be dealt with,” Bruscia said.
Since Burns left, other workers in the community development department have picked up some of the slack, according to Redevelopment Agency Director Bill Avera.
The code enforcement officer responds to code violations upon receiving complaints, which Avera said there were plenty of to keep Burns busy. If Hollister had two or three officers, which other small cities do, the city could be more proactive in its enforcement, Avera said.
Hollister hired its first code enforcement officer, Burns, in March 2002. The city first tried hiring a code enforcement officer in 2000, but budget constraints prevented it from doing so.
Anyone with complaints about potential code violations should call 636-4360.
Kollin Kosmicki covers politics for the Free Lance. Reach him at 637-5566 ext. 331 or
kk******@fr***********.com
