Randy Pfeifer, 51,
”
jumped into
”
the Hollister City Council race during the past few weeks
because at the time, both candidates were running unopposed.
Randy Pfeifer, 51, “jumped into” the Hollister City Council race during the past few weeks because at the time, both candidates were running unopposed.
Pfeifer, now, will face incumbent Pauline Valdivia and challenger Henry Sumaya for the Council District 3 seat on the Nov. 5 ballot.
Pfeifer has lived in the county for only four years, but said a constant negativity has surrounded Council that entire time, and it must be dealt with.
Pfeifer, a registered nurse, said he is qualified because of his “fresh outlook” and a non-political conviction.
He recently spoke at a Hispanic Chamber of Commerce meeting and said the public speaking got to his nerves.
“It dawned on me,” Pfeifer said, “my nervousness is why I am a viable candidate. I didn’t owe anybody in that room a political favor. I can go in there and make decisions based on my heart and what I feel is right.”
Pfeifer said the current Council is rushing to fix the city’s sewage problems, including its enactment of the long-term wastewater management plan.
The state Regional Water Quality Control Board recently fined the city because of a 15 million gallon sewage spill in May. As part of the fine, the board decided each phase of the Council-approved LTWWMP must be completed on schedule or the city would lose up to $600,000.
“I listened to the engineer talk about the plan for the next five years,” Pfeifer said. “It didn’t seem right. I couldn’t quite pinpoint it. I’m not really sold on this plan.”
Pfeifer blamed the Council – due to ill-preparedness – for the sewage spill and its repercussions.
“They dropped the ball,” Pfeifer said. “They waited and waited. And now here we are. And now we’re trying to catch-up.”
He sees other problems as well.
Pfeifer has attended Council meetings and said a procedural aspect of the nights’ itinerary needs changes. He referred to the study session before each meeting, when Council asks questions of staff to clarify misunderstandings about provisions on the agenda.
“The meetings before the meetings, I’m not really in favor of that,” Pfeifer said. “I’m wondering if it’s a Brown Act violation.”
The Brown Act is the open meetings law for local legislative bodies. It requires governments to allow for public participation and scrutiny at meetings.
In Hollister, the public can attend both the study session and City Council meeting but can only make comments during the meeting.
Regardless, Pfeifer said getting the public more involved in decisions would benefit the city.
“We need to have that door open and let people know it’s OK to come in and talk about something before we vote,” Pfeifer said.
Pfeifer said change of leadership is essential to Hollister maintaining its hometown persona for the long run.
“I’m here to serve,” he said. “I want my youngest daughter to be proud that her father is on the City Council.
“I don’t know if it’s possible to be an honest politician, but I’m being honest at this point. I’m going to do the best I can.”
