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Negotiations for countywide fire protection services appear to have gone up in smoke. At its May 6 meeting, the San Benito County Board of Supervisors approved job specifications for a fire chief as part of its efforts to create its own fire department.
That move followed the Hollister City Council’s decision to dissolve its fire services contract negotiating committee at its May 5 meeting.
The county fire chief’s annual salary would be between $178,000 and $236,000.
The supervisors also approved a hiring freeze amid budget concerns. The freeze includes exceptions for “critical” positions for the rest of the fiscal year, which runs through June.
Heini Ring, interim county administrative officer, said the fire chief will lead in the development of the plan to create a fire department.
Supervisor Angela Curro, who along with Supervisor Ignacio Velazquez is tasked with looking into creating the fire department, said she was hopeful discussions with Hollister can still take place, but the county needed to weigh other options.
“This is the only other alternative we have at this time,” she said, adding the county is also in discussions with Cal Fire, which provided services to unincorporated parts of the county before Hollister took over.
Hollister has provided fire protection services to San Benito County and San Juan Bautista since 2013. The current contract is set to end Dec. 20. The last offer by Hollister included a combined rate increase of $3.9 million for a total of $6.5 million, and a one-time payment of $1.3 million.
“We would always, always be able to collaborate with [the county] in the future,” Hollister Councilmember Rolan Resendiz said, a sentiment echoed by Councilmember Rudy Picha and Mayor Roxanne Stephens.
According to the current contract, the city of Hollister is scheduled to receive a total of $2.6 million in calendar year 2025 from both jurisdictions, and claims it is subsidizing services to its partners for about $4 million. Hollister’s budget for the 2024-25 fiscal year is $16 million.
Both the county and San Juan Bautista have said they cannot afford Hollister’s most recent offer.
Hollister City Manager David Mirrione said staff attempted to set up a meeting with the other jurisdictions’ committees to continue negotiations but the county dismantled its committee on April 22 and San Juan Bautista did not respond. Unlike the county, San Juan Bautista has a fire station and equipment. Both the county and San Juan Bautista have agreed to look at other options together.
The three jurisdictions partnered to conduct a countywide fire district feasibility study, which has been touted as a long-term solution. However, it has unofficially been put on hold.
Amid stalled negotiations for a new contract, San Benito County pulled its participation on April 22. Hollister and San Juan Bautista have not officially suspended their efforts.
Stephens and San Juan Bautista Mayor Leslie Jordan previously told BenitoLink it would be difficult to move forward with the study without the involvement of all three jurisdictions.
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