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With less than a week to go before City Manager David Mirrione steps down, the Hollister City Council has chosen longtime Salinas city administrator Jim Pia to serve as the interim while the search continues for a full-time leader.
At its Sept. 15 meeting, the City Council also received layout options for San Benito Street as part of a traffic mitigation study the city conducted. However, the council took no action as it’s waiting to complete its streets plan.
Pia, who retired in 2024 as the Salinas assistant city manager, will be paid $134.86 per hour with no benefits and is limited to working 960 hours per fiscal year. He is set to begin on Sept. 22 pending a background check.
Mirrione said Pia has 40 years’ experience in municipal service including 10 years as both the interim and assistant city manager for Salinas.
Councilmember Rolan Resendiz said he was impressed with Pia during the interview process.
“It shows how seasoned of a public servant you are and I’m looking forward to working with you,” Resendiz said.
Mayor Roxanne Stephens said she was also impressed with Pia’s answers in the interviews and his experience.
“You worked with some of our neighbors so we understand each other, and I think that was a big plus,” she said.
Pia said the city went through a “very thorough” and “efficient” process to select an interim city manager.
“I look forward to whether it’s three months, six months, or the entire time, rolling up my sleeves and working with you and in collaboration and partnership with many of the staff I already met,” he said.
Regarding San Benito Street, the city has been looking at ways to address speeding and safety on the stretch of between Nash Road and Hawkins Street.
Public Works Director William Via said staff recommends installing a center lane median, reducing the lane width to 11 feet, adding a continuous two-way left turning lane and installing raised medians and curb extensions at some intersections.
He said the layout is similar to the recently remodeled Memorial Drive.
Councilmember Rudy Picha said the suggested layout “makes a lot more sense on San Benito Street,” adding that Memorial Drive became safer for pedestrians with the new design.
Though the layout was presented to the council, Via recommended it not take action before the city completes its citywide streets plan, which is funded by a Safe Streets For All grant.
Via said the San Benito Street study would be reviewed as part of the Complete Streets Plan, which analyzes areas with high traffic, near schools, and vehicular and pedestrian conflicts. He said it will take about two years to complete the plan.
He said another reason to hold off on implementing the changes is the need to replace water and sewer pipes under San Benito Street, noting that it’s better to do both projects at once.
“We don’t currently have the funding courses for those projects,” he said. “By the time we get to Safe Streets For All done, hopefully we’ll have the funds to get all that work done.”
The city has dealt with numerous water leaks. BenitoLink previously reported the city recorded 39 main breaks between 2017 and 2020.
According to a staff report, in 2023 the City Council requested a traffic study, which identified excessive vehicle speeds and pedestrian safety concerns along the corridor.
In February, the council considered extending the project to South Street but the report did not include that additional block in the proposed design.
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