A welcome Wednesday and Red Phone is waiting to hear from local
residents on the state of affairs in San Benito County.
A welcome Wednesday and Red Phone is waiting to hear from local residents on the state of affairs in San Benito County. Warm weather made you weary? Local politics heating up? Got a question that needs an answer? Call the Red Phone and express yourself in the local newspaper. The Red Phone; read it, love it, use it. Keep questions and comments brief and all calls must have a name and phone number for verification purposes only, not for publication. Random personal attacks will not be published. Dial-up the Red Phone at 831-635-9219 or e-mail re******@fr***********.com
Pruning problem, revisited
Readers will remember a Red Phone caller from last week distraught over a lack of tree maintenance occurring in her neighborhood. The caller questioned why the city of Hollister wasn’t keeping up on pruning local trees and bushes. Building and Grounds Supervisor for the city of Hollister Rene Jimenez said a big part of the problem stems from layoffs of employees in his department as part of citywide budget cuts. That answer didn’t hold much water when the same caller responded to Red Phone’s investigation.
“Thank you Red Phone for the tree pruning predicament insight in the July issue of the Free Lance,” she said. “I think the problem has everything to do with the system and nothing to do with a lack of resources. Mr. Rene Jimenez said they’re out there putting out fires and they’re down a few people, (that) is no excuse to deviate from the plan in place. Also, the department hasn’t been down personnel for four years which is how long it has been since section 2 has seen anyone. The statement Mr. Jimenez made about waiting until the council decides what to do is senseless. Mr. Jimenez, you and your crew have a job to do regardless of staffing size and council decisions. Former City Manager George Lewis helped you and your department get out of a hole and because you chose to deviate from your own plan, you’re right back in a deeper hole.”
Jimenez said, last week, the pruning problem was from the loss of eight staff members in the tree maintenance department. He said the short staff has set the department behind and that they were pretty much “just putting out fires right now until the city gives more people to help out.” Normal circumstances would have the entire city maintained once every three months on a rotating schedule throughout the year.
