Tuesday was a historic day for the city of Hollister. The start
of construction on the city’s new $120 million wastewater treatment
plant has begun
– and it has been a long time in coming.
Tuesday was a historic day for the city of Hollister. The start of construction on the city’s new $120 million wastewater treatment plant has begun – and it has been a long time in coming.
Some thought it would never happen. But thanks to five courageous City Council members, dozens of hard-working city employees and strong support from Hollister’s business community, construction has begun on the plant.
But while Tuesday was a historic day, it will be far overshadowed by the day the new wastewater treatment facility is fully operational.
When the City Council adopted new sewer rates earlier this year to fund the project, few bill-paying Hollister residents were happy.
In fact, hundreds came before the council with thousands of signatures on petitions against the new rates and urged their representatives not to pass the increases.
In the face of that harsh criticism, and it should be noted, during an election year, Robert Scattini, Pauline Valdiva, Doug Emerson, Brad Pike and Monica Johnson made the right the decision.
All five members of the council voted to increase the rates, which will allow the city to build a new wastewater treatment plant and allow the state to lift the moratorium on new sewer hookups.
The end to that moratorium will bring phrases like “economic development” and “growing economy” back into the vocabulary of city residents.
In essence, our community will be able to flush away its fears of a stagnate economy and all the nightmares that have accompanied the sewer moratorium.
Yes, that day will, indeed, be welcome.
But that day is more than a year away. In the meantime, we hope the City Council will be working diligently to make sure the project stays on track, costs are kept in line and that treated wastewater never again spills into the San Benito River.
The city also must make efforts to keep the public informed of new developments and progress on the expensive construction project.
Throughout the coming years, taxpayers will be reminded of just how expensive this project is every time a sewer bill arrives in the mail. Some may even be reminded every time they hear a toilet flush.
This project is vital to the city’s future and carries a $120 million price tag.
Given those facts, it will be extremely important that city officials make sure residents are regularly informed about how their money is being spent.
