Hollister council members this week OK’d Interim Fire Chief Mike O’Connor as the full-time fire chief. O’Connor assumed the interim post in April and has overseen the transition of county fire services from Calfire to the Hollister Fire Department.
Interim City Manager Bill Avera said the city went through a full vetting process for the position.
“It became clear Mike O’Connor was most qualified for the position,” he said.
Council members made his permanent appointment official at Tuesday’s meeting. Councilman Victor Gomez praised O’Connor’s work so far.
“As interim, you took the position of chief during some interesting times, some transitional times,” he said.
Councilwoman Pauline Valdivia said the fire chief has a hard task before him.
“You really stepped up to the plate, especially with the contract we have with San Juan Bautista,” she said.
She pointed to the fire that broke out last month in San Juan destroying several shops in the mission’s downtown.
Councilman Robert Scattini recalled when he worked as a peace officer with O’Connor.
“He’s always been a professional,” he said.
Mayor Ignacio Velazquez remembered when he first met O’Connor 10 to 12 years ago, when O’Connor worked as a firefighter and told the businessman he had to install fire sprinklers in his businesses.
“$43,000 later…” Velazquez joked.
Still, he said was proud of the work the chief has done.
“You’ve done a great job for the city and county,” he said.
In other matters:
• The council approved new annexations of various private properties to the city, including Dassel/Mackie Rental, Gay Lee Products, Inc., and Award Homes, Inc.
• The council elected a new vice mayor and assigned new committee spots for the year. Valdivia was sworn in and will take over from Scattini as vice mayor.
• The council formed an ad hoc committee between the city and county – whose members will be the mayor and County Supervisor Margie Barrios – to address the growing homeless population issue.
• The mayor asked members of the public to attend a rain dance at Old Mission San Juan Bautista being held by the San Juan Intertribal Council every Sunday at 9:30 a.m. in the hopes of bringing rain back to the valley after a devastatingly dry season for farmers.
• Gomez announced he would become the new chairman of the Council of San Benito County Governments and the council would focus on transferring Highway 25 in downtown Hollister from the state to the city, as well as finding funds to help widen the highway in the near future.
