After months of fraught negotiations, San Benito County and the City of San Juan Bautista have finally come to an agreement on fire and emergency medical services with the City of Hollister.
The board of supervisors approved the county’s side of the contract for fire services at the June 10 meeting. The Hollister City Council had approved the contract on June 6 to provide fire services to the other two jurisdictions.
The San Juan Bautista City Council approved its share of the agreement at the June 9 meeting.
The five-year contract begins with the 2024-25 fiscal year, with the county’s cost for the first year at about $3.4 million for fire and EMS services in the unincorporated county. The county’s payment to Hollister increases by 3% per year, topping out at $3.8 million for 2028-29.
The contract includes minimum staffing of two fire department responders per engine—down from three in the previous contract.
The board voted 4-1 to approve the contract, with Supervisor Angela Curro in dissent. Although Supervisor Mindy Sotelo voted “yes,” during discussion she said a minimum staffing level of three firefighters would be preferred.
Staffing levels had been a key sticking point in recent months’ negotiations, with fire department staff and union representatives arguing adamantly in favor of a minimum of three per engine.
Hollister Fire Chief Jonathan Goulding told the supervisors that two per engine is feasible, but a minimum of three is preferred.
Goulding and Hollister City Manager David Mirrione said the city’s fire department would continue to staff its engines at three in all jurisdictions, even though the new contract only requires a minimum of two.
Mirrione added the agreement would reduce the county’s overall overhead costs, and ensure that all fire department companies that might need to help with emergencies in the county’s jurisdiction have the same level of training.
The City of Hollister has provided fire services for the county since 2013. The contract had been renegotiated in 2016 and 2019.
Negotiations earlier this year were initially unsuccessful, and had stalled shortly after the Hollister council issued a 270-day notice of contract termination in March.
After the Hollister council rejected the county’s previous offer on a new contract in May, the supervisors narrowly voted to cease negotiations and look into forming a county fire department.
However, Hollister officials reconvened on June 6 to consider the agreement again, and approved it with small changes.
Also at the June 10 meeting, supervisors expressed a consensus to reenter longterm discussions about forming a fire district in order to more formally share firefighting resources throughout San Benito County.
