Politics

Hollister City Council members Monday are set to consider spending $4,000 toward painting of utility boxes in an effort to stem graffiti.

Residents in 59 homes on the south end of Aromas can take in more than a breath of fresh air. Soon, they can take a gulp of fresh water, too.

The end of agreements between Charter Communications and the cities of Gilroy, Hollister and San Juan Bautista may mean tens of thousands of dollars in extra costs for local school districts, the Hollister wastewater treatment plant, the San Juan Bautista library and other agencies.

San Benito County Agricultural Commissioner Ron Ross has announced his retirement.

The promoter of the Hollister Rally for the past two years has departed from the role, and the Hollister Downtown Association is searching for a replacement to potentially put on a 2015 event.

The fire chief and city clerk both have indicated plans to retire soon, according to an agenda report for next week's city council meeting.

Pauline Valdivia said her final goodbye as a Hollister city councilwoman Tuesday and thanked many people for their support.

The hiring of an outside investigator to examine allegations against Fire Chief Mike O'Connor cost the city about $13,000, according to a top finance official.

A letter detailing unfounded allegations against Fire Chief Mike O’Connor—and the city’s responses—includes accusations of nepotism, falsifying time cards and violations of federal laws pertaining to compensation for reserve firefighters.

Trustees of the Aromas-San Juan Unified School District came to a standstill Dec. 4 regarding how—and if—they will fund $120,110 in overage costs for a roughly $2.8 million project that would add eight classrooms to Aromas School before the start of next school year.