Politics

Hollister residents will see significant increases to their water bills over the next five years after the council Monday gave final, unanimous approval to rate hikes. Before that vote, some residents shared strong views in opposition, one council member called a critique from the public "B.S.", and the vice mayor acknowledged that he regularly drinks ancient, pure water from McAlpine Lake.

Hollister City Council members Monday are set to consider sending a message to the biker community that officials plan to hold a downtown motorcycle rally for the next 10 years, while city leaders also will weigh starting talks with the Hollister Downtown Association to oversee the event.

The proposed changes in water rates at the Hollister and Sunnyslope Water Districts modify the fixed price, tier price, and tier steps over several of years. This makes forecasting of water bills difficult for the average homeowner.

Construction of the new San Benito County courthouse has been moving at a brisk pace on the lot at the corner of Monterey and Fourth streets. Judge Steven Sanders said last week the court staff members estimate the first proceedings will be held at the new courthouse location by the end of this year or early in 2014.

On a visit to Hollister last week, San Luis Wildlife Refuge Complex manager Kim Forrest talked about current easements and prospects for others under the federal government's proposed California Foothills Legacy voluntary program. Her office currently manages nearly 200 easements - they usually involve the government paying landowners a certain amount per acre to follow certain requirements - for duck-hunting clubs.

A key environmental document for a federal easement program aiming to permanently set aside huge swaths of rangeland notes that San Benito County is excluded from the proposal's preferred alternative.

The San Benito County Grand Jury released its report for 2012-13 that included 11 reports on public agencies.

The Hollister Redevelopment Successor Agency – or city council – has recommend to its oversight board representing local taxing entities that they restructure loans made by the former Hollister RDA to the Honda Powerhouse and Cain/Renz property at 102 San Benito St.

As of late July, the Hollister Redevelopment Agency Successor Agency – or the city – had distributed a total of $12.7 million to taxing entities as a result of the RDA’s dissolution.

As the construction of the new courthouse continues along Fourth Street, with estimated completion by the end of the year, San Benito County supervisors discussed how to allot the space that will be emptied in the existing courthouse.