Following up on a recommendation by Councilman Victor Gomez, the Hollister City Council voted 4-1 to take a "legislative recess" in July 2016, meaning all council and commission meetings that month will be canceled.
Councilman Karson Klauer cast the lone dissenting vote to the plan, saying he disagreed with it "for philosophical reasons, mostly. There's not a lot of other entities that get to take a month off when they want to."
He cited the example of a developer who needed to get city permission to commence on a project having to wait two months to do so because both the city planning commission and city council would be on recess. Klauer offered the alternative of canceling the first meeting of January and July every year, but that suggestion was not presented as a motion and was not voted upon.
Councilman Raymond Friend said of the July legislative recess, "I don't think it's a good idea; we signed up to work 12 months a year — why are we taking a month off?" then voted in favor of the policy.
The approved resolution said that some city staffers take administrative leave in July and "there will probably be a lack of business" during that time of year. The ordinance cancels the July 4 and July 18, 2016 council meetings along with the Airport, Parks and Recreation and Planning Commission meetings.