Politics

Local organizations have scheduled three separate election forums in the coming weeks.

A voluntary federal government program to create conservation easements along the Central Valley foothills is coming up against resistance in San Benito County, with supervisors prepared to draft a resolution opposing the program.

An Aromas group wants San Benito County to tighten controls on oil and gas drilling and is seeking a six-month moratorium on new wells in the meantime.

San Benito County roads will be more crowded by 2035 – and not just because of population growth.

Karminder Brown's family is not poor, but she said they might be if they had to purchase all the books and resources her children use at the San Benito County Free Library each week.

Roadways could get more crowded

At Tuesday's San Benito County Board of Supervisors a handful of residents talked about items not on the agenda. One called for the supervisors to work with Congressman Sam Farr on reopening Clear Creek. Another talked about "new" revenue for San Benito County in the form of unclaimed property held at the state controller's office. Others talked about the importance of the CDBG grant funding and remembered 9/11 on the 11th anniversary of the tragedy.

Councilman Victor Gomez is the latest city official to broach a spending plan in the event voters pass the Measure E sales tax extension.

Residents remain concerned about increased traffic on John Smith Road even as supervisors approved a general plan amendment and application to CalRecycle to expand the daily tonnage allowed into the landfill from 500 tons per day up to 1,000 tons per day.