Hollister City Council also dealt with the following issues
during Monday night’s meeting:
– The City Council received a legal claim from Dennis Stafford,
a private investigator who alleges District Attorney John
Sarsfield, Sheriff Curtis Hill and officials with the Hollister
Police Department defamed his character in a Sept. 10 press
conference. He is seeking more than $1 million from the city,
according to the claim.
Hollister City Council also dealt with the following issues during Monday night’s meeting:
– The City Council received a legal claim from Dennis Stafford, a private investigator who alleges District Attorney John Sarsfield, Sheriff Curtis Hill and officials with the Hollister Police Department defamed his character in a Sept. 10 press conference. He is seeking more than $1 million from the city, according to the claim.
The local law enforcement officials held the press conference about a month ago. During it, they announced the District Attorney’s Office investigation into alleged misconduct by Stafford on up to 60 cases since 1984 that resulted in felony convictions. Sarsfield called for consideration of re-trials for the convicts.
– The Council set a hearing for Nov. 24 to consider San Benito Foods’ appeal of a $1.4 million debt payment requested by Hollister. The town’s tomato cannery uses the industrial wastewater plant for disposal each summer canning season, services for which the city bills San Benito Foods every year. The two sides disagree on invoice amounts dating back to 1999. San Benito Foods recently filed the appeal contesting the city’s request for the money.
– The Council unanimously approved a resolution to support a statewide ballot initiative that would require voter approval before the state government could take local tax funding.
The initiative resulted from a League of California Cities conference in September attended by Council members and other officials.
Representatives from local agencies in attendance unanimously voted in support of the initiative, which will appear on the November 2004 ballot, according to Councilman Tony Bruscia. He is also president of the Monterey Bay region League of California Cities.
Officials from local jurisdictions throughout California have voiced concern over the state Legislator’s willingness to supplement its once estimated $38 billion deficit with local funding.
– The Council approved a resolution for the Redevelopment Agency to start a “second mortgage program” that assists low- and moderate-income families. The program, which has existed since 1995, helps eight to 10 first-time home buyers a year by providing each $50,000 loans at an interest rate of .5 percent for second mortgages.
– The Council authorized applying for grant funding worth $41,000 for the Hollister Police Department.
The money, routinely received each year by the federal government’s Local Law Enforcement Block Grants program, would go toward training and equipment.
Officers will be taught to handle “high risk search or arrest warrants,” according to a staff report.
– Several senior city officials, not included in the 71-member union that agreed to a new contract last week, are getting a new deal.
Contracts for 14 “executive management” and nine “confidential” employees were approved by the Council Monday.
Executive management includes such positions as fire chief, police chief and finance director.
Confidential employees work with classified information, including some dealings with human resources and accounting.
The new deal includes cost-of-living salary increases and health benefits that will escalate their previous contracts’ annual total cost by $85,000.
