Hollister City Council members Monday are set to consider accepting control and maintenance over the San Benito Street portion of Highway 25 after years of delays with the planned relinquishment.
Council members will consider that and other items at their 6:30 p.m. Monday meeting at Hollister City Hall, 375 Fifth St.
After completing the State Route 25 bypass in 2009, the city has sought to give the road back to the state in exchange for local control over portions of Route 25 and San Benito Street in the downtown area. Funds generated from a 1/2 percent Measure A sales tax increase from 1989-1999 went to complete the bypass. But as recently as May 2012, the state wanted $6.6 million in repairs to the bypass before accepting ownership of the road – an idea that was quashed by city and state officials in later negotiations.
In other matters:
• Council members will weigh an agreement with local chapters of the Veterans of Foreign Wars and the American Legion for management of the Veterans Memorial Building. Since the city took over the management of the Veterans Memorial Building from the county in 2000, the city has run a deficit of about $75,000 annually in operational and maintenance costs. If the resolution is adopted, the council will transfer daily maintenance and operations to veterans groups from Nov. 1, 2013 until June 30, 2015, renewable upon the city’s request.
• Members also will consider a resolution to authorize the city manager to execute all documents for the implementation and administration of the CALGRIP Grant program, which is the California Gang Reduction, Intervention, and Prevention Program. The resolution would ask for $500,000 in grant funding from the Hollister School District to hire a school resource officer to be fully funded for 2 years with the grant. The funding would also support bullying prevention programs and anti-gang efforts for FY 2014. State funding would also provide another $500,000 in funding, totaling $1 million.
