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County service workers say the issues of safety, perceived lack of downtown events and homelessness resources have a large impact on local businesses. As part of BenitoLink’s listening sessions, a group of San Benito County service workers came together to provide insight on the most pressing challenges in their field and brainstormed plausible solutions.
It was hard for service workers to get the time off to attend the listening session, as some needed it to be in the daytime and others needed it at night.
Most of the participants work in and around downtown Hollister. They voiced great concern for the future of the area.
Several asked not to have their names included in the article—a first in our listening session reporting.
The safety of downtown business owners, their employees and customers was brought up multiple times during the session. One worker was asked if her primary concern was about homeless individuals around the downtown area. She said she was more worried about people who were violent or intending to commit crimes.
Participants said they felt there is a lack of social services within San Benito County, which contributes to youth being involved in criminal activity. Two participants mentioned a need for a recreation center and more family-friendly public events.
Linda Lampe, who runs the nonprofits My Father’s House and Hollister Community Outreach said, “Just the other day, three teenagers on bicycles surrounded us downtown, trying to roll in between us and separated us.” Others also said they too had witnessed rude and aggressive behavior by youth.
One possible solution that was brought up was using the empty KMart building with its large parking lot has come up in discussions as a potential new library, arts or youth center. This is the seventh Community Vision Listening Session in which the KMart building was mentioned as a potential resource and/or recreation hub.
The group also agreed that local youth need an outlet and more events would help families get involved in the downtown area. Several participants suggested activities would help to keep youth out of trouble and away from contributing to public safety concerns.
Several participants proposed better marketing for events already happening in Hollister. In some cases, they were not aware of popular annual family events like the outdoor movies hosted by Hollister Recreation.
Participants had a strong interest in seeing better use of downtown Hollister and San Juan Bautista for hosting more community gatherings and events. They said they didn’t like the idea of a quiet, dark downtown at night.
Participants shared their fear of an empty downtown, predicting boarded up buildings and fewer shops if action isn’t taken. They hope that the city government will listen to the needs of merchants and implement a social event, if not the bike rally, then any event that will benefit the local businesses.
They also said the city doesn’t pay attention to the small businesses downtown or encourage events. An employee of a small downtown business said her employer was unable to get any events approved by the city. She said he/she applied for several different events but was unsuccessful.
One Hollister resident said, “It is almost impossible for a business to get a permit and if they do, they usually take a very long time.”
The resident went on to say, “Gilroy will shut the streets downtown and put on events that encourage people to dine, shop and sip downtown. Hollister doesn’t do this.”
Gilroy’s attitude was compared to the Hollister city attitude about the former Hollister Biker Rally, which participants said “was a symbol of identity for San Benito County, Hollister specifically.” They also said that this event brought economic vitality for many local businesses in the area. They pointed out that businesses particularly around Johnny’s Bar made the better chunk of their annual income from this event. Participants said they hope for its revival.
A Hollister native and long-time downtown employee, Gloria Alvidrez said, “People are getting frustrated and angry because they’re not being heard. I hope Hollister City Council really does take this all in mind. They need to listen to the people and get involved with their community.”
Another challenge that was brought up by several participants was that there is a lack of resources to tackle homelessness and mental health issues in our community. In their view, the scarcity of such services remains a contributing factor to the safety concerns related to the homeless population, specifically in downtown Hollister. A young woman mentioned that this issue is creating an unsafe space for employees, as well as business patrons and pedestrians strolling downtown.
“It all goes back to safety,” said a former bartender and manager. “I used to be able to walk downtown without being afraid of getting punched in the face like one of my daughters did by a homeless [person].”
Participants suggested the county dedicate more services/resources to homelessness and mental health and even take after Lampe’s hard work in getting many off the street and providing daily basic needs like a shower and a hot meal.
Participants said they are hopeful that providing such resources will improve the quality of life for all residents. They said with more funding, the overall safety of the community would significantly improve.
The majority of the group either currently works or worked in the downtown Hollister area. They said managing the homeless population better is very important for businesses as well. Without a safe environment, businesses will fail and “downtown will be dead.”
“Nobody wants to shop, dine and sip in an unsafe environment,” said another employee of a downtown business.
Participants said it was important for them to be united. “It starts with one person. You get what you give out. We need to also be a part of that change,” said Alvidrez.
BenitoLink’s listening sessions are a continuation of those done by the Community Foundation for San Benito County. Several notable results followed the foundation’s 2011-12 listening sessions.
- The founding of BenitoLink, a nonprofit news organization serving the residents of San Benito County with local and regional news and information
- The REACH Parks Foundation, which has been central to the development of parks and walking trails in San Benito County
- The Community Foundation Women’s Fund, which has helped women with financial support and educational programs
- Local nonprofits such as the San Benito County Farm Bureau identified the need for leaders with a better understanding of agriculture, and worked to bring qualified team members into leadership positions
RSVPs to attend the listening sessions are required.
To RSVP, please fill out this form, or email corinnekappeler@benitolink.com.
The 2023 Vision San Benito County listening sessions are supported by the Calhoun/Christiano Family Fund and the Community Foundation for San Benito County. There is one listening sessions scheduled left for early 2024 on issues and solutions from the Spanish-speaking segments of the community. BenitoLink is reporting back the results in articles about each session.
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