The Hollister City Council Monday held off on voting on whether
to spend $11,700 to join other local government bodies in managing
and using a high-tech computer mapping system.
Hollister – The Hollister City Council Monday held off on voting on whether to spend $11,700 to join other local government bodies in managing and using a high-tech computer mapping system.
Council members are asking, instead, that city staff bring them proof that Hollister’s involvement in the project will ultimately save the cash-strapped city money.
“We’re looking at costs for next year, and we’re probably going to be discussing layoffs and reducing staff. That’s just a concern,” said Hollister City Councilman Doug Emerson.
Each year Hollister’s spending exceeds its revenues by $3 million – a structural budget deficit that could drain the city’s reserves in just a few years.
It was the second time this month that the council had delayed a vote on whether to join the memorandum of understanding that would make Hollister part of a Geographical Information System steering committee comprised of San Benito County, the San Benito County Water District, the County Office of Education, San Juan Bautista and Gavilan Joint Community College. The GIS will allow users to access information, such as zoning designations, about a particular piece of land by clicking on the parcel represented on a computerized map.
Agencies represented on the steering committee would use the GIS and set policy for how it’s used. Member agencies will also pay a portion of a $54,700 contract with Lynx Technologies that includes further development of the GIS and training government employees to maintain it.
Though city staff told the council that the benefits of using the GIS will far outweigh the cost of joining the committee, council members wanted to see proof of the benefits before making a decision.
The GIS – which the city could likely make available on its Web site – will benefit government employees and private citizens, according to David Rubcic, an associate civil engineer for Hollister. Developers will use the system to get information about property without going to city staff, he added.
“Quite frankly, the $11,700 spent would likely be saved in staff costs in a year,” Hollister City Manager Clint Quilter told the council. “The downside is that if we wait until budget time, these other agencies won’t wait.”
Quilter said that if the city wanted to develop its own GIS, the cost would be hundreds of thousands of dollars. Council members directed Quilter to bring possible funding sources, do a cost-benefit analysis and an estimate of ongoing maintenance costs that might be incurred by the city if it joins the committee.
