Politics

The California Supreme Court has issued a unanimous opinion allowing local municipalities to ban medical marijuana shops through zoning and land use laws.

Former fire marshal and Capt. Mike O’Connor, who has been instrumental in talks with the county over a cooperative service contract, has been named interim chief of the Hollister Fire Department.

San Benito County 4-H member Gabe Hatcher is leading a service project to send care packages to American service personnel serving overseas.

While San Benito County residents produce an average of 275 tons of trash each day, supervisors have waived a limit of 400 tons per day at the John Smith Landfill in hopes of creating a revenue source by bringing in more trash from other counties. On Tuesday, supervisors agreed to amend a contract with Waste Connections, Inc., that will allow the landfill operator to seek out contracts with other agencies to bring in up to 1,000 tons of trash a day to the location.

San Benito County is one of the few jurisdictions in California that does not have an administrative citation ordinance that would allow county employees the authority to issue fines – for such infractions as code violations or animal control issues – without getting law enforcement involved in minor issues.

The Hollister Fire Department will take over fire service in the county in June as San Benito County Supervisors on Tuesday approved a contract with the city not to exceed $1,106,715 per year.

The San Benito County Board of Supervisors is expected to approve a contract with the City of Hollister for fire services for the 2013-14 fiscal year at a special meeting Tuesday at 9 a.m. Supervisors had agreed to pursue a contract with the city of Hollister at the April 2 meeting, after two hours of discussion and comments from the public.

U.S. Rep. Sam Farr, D-Carmel, was among three congressman to reintroduce legislation this week that would reopen Clear Creek Management Area to off-road enthusiasts, according to a statement from Farr's office.

Luis Alejo co-authored legislation that passed the Assembly on Thursday and would allow lawful non-citizens to serve jury duty. Read what the San Benito County assemblyman has to say about the proposal.

Mayor Ignacio Velazquez said his idea for a print newsletter is a means to improve Hollister’s communication with the public and prevent the spread of misinformation. He also suggested that staff officials will have to solicit multiple bids before moving forward.