Hollister City Council members on Monday are set to again
consider reviving enforcement of parking fines downtown.
HOLLISTER
Hollister City Council members on Monday are set to again consider reviving enforcement of parking fines downtown.
Three Hollister council members in attendance at the May 4 meeting voted to delay a vote on proposed downtown parking fines and the hiring of an officer to enforce the revived rules.
Council members voted to continue the consideration because three votes were necessary to approve a resolution or ordinance, City Manager Clint Quilter explained.
Councilman Victor Gomez and Mayor Eugenia Sanchez voted in favor of continuing the matter, while Valdivia voted against it.
Monday’s meeting is set for 6:30 p.m. at Hollister City Hall, 375 Fifth St.
Officials estimate the city will lose about $12,700 in the first year, but that Hollister will net $15,270 in the second year – which amounts to a total of $2,600 in additional income during that time, according to a council staff report.
Along with considering time-zone enforcement downtown, council members also would hire a part-time, non-sworn officer carrying a first-year cost of $54,670, according to a city council staff report. Officials estimate the city in the first year would gain $42,000 in revenue – based on prior citation numbers – from the fines.
As part of the reinstatement – city officials stopped enforcing the violations about five years ago – the fines would increase for various violations. The fine for the most common one, parking too long in a spot with a two-hour time limit, would go from $20 to $35, bringing it in line with penalties in neighboring communities.
