Because of the city’s sewer moratorium, a local agency is in
danger of losing almost $1 million in grants.
The Private Industry Council, Inc. received a $922,544 grant in
2001 to build a 3,703-square-foot day-care facility that would
serve 56 children. Because the building moratorium only exempts
”
essential public facilities,
”
the city Planning Commission denied a conditional-use permit due
to the lack of sewer services. The Private Industry Council, Inc.,
or PIC, appealed the decision to the City Council.
Because of the city’s sewer moratorium, a local agency is in danger of losing almost $1 million in grants.
The Private Industry Council, Inc. received a $922,544 grant in 2001 to build a 3,703-square-foot day-care facility that would serve 56 children. Because the building moratorium only exempts “essential public facilities,” the city Planning Commission denied a conditional-use permit due to the lack of sewer services. The Private Industry Council, Inc., or PIC, appealed the decision to the City Council.
PIC hopes to bypass the moratorium issue by using a temporary sewage holding tank that would be pumped and emptied by a septic service outside of Hollister, said David Wright, chairman of PIC. PIC is stressing the situation because it will lose half of its grant if it does not start construction by the end of March.
“Especially with the economy in Sacramento and the budget issues, there will be plenty of cities and communities vying for these funds because they’ve lost funds from other sources,” Wright said.
PIC has already been dinged by the granting organization, the Community Development Block Grant, a state organization that funnels federal money to communities. The chances of reapplying and getting the grant again are very slim, Wright said.
“We haven’t performed well using this grant money,” he said about the moratorium. “We’re already seeing repercussions – we learned that we’re not eligible to apply for 2004.”
Wright did ask the Community Development Block Grant if they could delay use of the funds, but he has not heard back yet.
The cost of the septic service runs around $400 to $600 a month. Since the day-care center wouldn’t be up and running until March 2005 and the moratorium might be lifted as soon as late 2005, Wright said the cost of the temporary tank is worth it to keep the $922,544 grant.
The appeal was presented at Monday night’s City Council meeting. The Council instructed City Attorney Elaine Cass to review the legality of the temporary sewage holding tank, which includes looking at orders, laws and city policy, she said. The issue will come back to the Council’s Jan. 20 meeting. The council members seemed to support PIC, Wright said.
“The use is relevant – it’s a nonprofit and it’s an important city facility,” Cass said. “It’s important for the health and safety of residents.”
Depending on what Cass finds, the Council can grant the appeal or reaffirm the denial of the permit, Cass said. If the appeal was allowed, the Council would have to review and amend certain policies, she said.
Another issue Cass is researching is whether or not the day-care center would fall under the moratorium’s essential public facility exemption like the city’s Fire Station No. 2.
Although the day-care center may not be considered as essential as a fire station, local research shows there is a shortage of day care in San Benito County, especially for low-income families.
Local questionnaires filled out in the early 1990s showed that childcare for low-income families was a top health and safety priority in the county, Wright said. In 1997, the local Childcare Planning Council of San Benito County published a “Guide to Childcare and Development Services in San Benito County,” which showed an even greater need than before, he said.
The 1999 “San Benito County Childcare Needs Assessment” stated that “2,156 income-eligible children may be underserved.”
“Quality day care is vitally important to many workers’ families and found that 65 percent of parents stated that it is difficult to find such care in San Benito County,” according to the 2000 San Benito County Community Health Status Report.
“We have a lot of low-income families where child care is a great burden,” Wright said. “Substinance child care is available but we don’t have a place to provide it.”
The Jan. 20 City Council meeting starts at 7 p.m. at City Hall, 375 Fifth St.
