Since taking office in 2022, I have been focused on making positive changes for Hollister. I am proud of the achievements the City Council and City Staff have made so far, and the relationships being built and collaboration that has taken place. Some of these accomplishments include:


Advocating for Change for Hollister
I have met with a number of state and federal legislators to bring awareness around the issues our city and county have been struggling with over housing, traffic and infrastructure. For the first time in many years, leaders of the Cities of Hollister, San Juan Bautista and San Benito County have joined together in collaboration to present a united front and share this message, and advocate for change and support for our community. The way to bring true change to our situation is through building relationships and telling our story. I have been working with state leaders, requesting a review of the large RHNA housing numbers assigned to Hollister, and advocating for a reduction of those housing numbers.


Proactive Planning of Priorities/Budget
I championed the convening of a Strategic Planning/Goal Setting Workshop for City Council to work with a planning consultant and City Staff and determine where to focus our time and energies, and to guide us in prioritizing our budget. Our top priorities identified from this workshop are similar to the priorities I have been focusing on: 1) Roads and Infrastructure; 2) Economic Growth/Budget and Finances; 3) Quality of Life/Public Safety; 4) Community Engagement, Communication & Transparency


Improving Efficiency at City Hall
Collaborating with City Council, City Manager and staff, city contracts are under review, and policies and procedures are being revamped to improve city operations. We have made upgrades to IT infrastructure and reduced the staff vacancy rate from 30% down to 15%. A building next door to the Post Office was purchased to provide additional space to house staff, and once remodeled it will become an efficient one-stop shop for residents and business owners seeking city services.

Roadway / Infrastructure Upgrades
A Road and Alleys Capital Improvement Project was approved and budgeted for earlier this year. The contractor has been selected and work should be underway in August. The project includes repaving of roadways, slurry seals to other roads, restoration of Ladd Lane/Southside Roads, as well as paving and stormwater work for three of our oldest alleyways: Wentz, Swope and Brown’s Alleys. Using $2.5 million of developer impact fees collected to maintain sewer infrastructure, we replaced two aging bioreactor membranes at the sewer plant. Upgrades and expansion efforts at the airport are underway, with a $3.2 million grant. Historic levels of grant funding have been sought and will help us as we continue infrastructure improvement efforts at the airport, replace water mains downtown, and expand broadband infrastructure.

Highway 25 Expansion
After no movement for many years, steps have been taken to advance Highway 25 expansion. As a member of the Council of Governments (COG), we have been working with our new COG Executive Director to get the Highway 25 Expansion Project moving forward again. Working collaboratively with CalTrans, COG was able to bring for the first time the entire California Transportation Commission (CTC) to visit San Benito County. The CTC decides which state highway projects receive funding priority. Having them visit and tour the county firsthand to experience our roadway issues was an important step as we move forward with a plan that will eventually come before them for funding. Additionally, Speaker Rivas appointed one of our own, Bob Tiffany, to sit on the CTC. As a former San Benito County Supervisor and COG member, Bob is well versed with Highway 25 and will provide good advocacy for us and rural counties like us. Workshops are underway to develop the Highway 25 plan, and a grant has been submitted to cover the cost of the Environmental Impact Report (EIR) which will need to be prepared.

Improvements to Quality of Life
Public safety staffing has increased with the addition of 5 new firefighters and 6 police officers. Cameras have been placed at public parks and also Shotspotter/Gunshot detection equipment to improve the police department’s ability to fight crime. Upgrades have been made to several existing local parks, as well as planning for a new park. This has included the renaming and upgrade of the softball field at Vista Park Hill to the Anthony deSclafani Junior Giants Park, as well as upgrades to the BBQ area. The pickleball/tennis courts at Dunne Park have been resurfaced and there are plans to redo Dunne Park Clubhouse. Recently, a design was unveiled for the new Cesar Chavez Park which will be located next to Firestation 2.

Communication, Transparency & Engagement
I feel very strongly about communication and have worked hard to make improvements since taking office. I created a City Council Highlights report with key actions from each council meeting which I share on social media. I have pressed to ensure all community meetings are held in person and on zoom, to provide the broadest access for residents to participate. In fact, I used my discretionary funds to pay for the cost of a community meeting for residents of Ladd Lane/Southside so they would finally be able to give input to the city regarding the work that had been done to the roads, since they were not consulted prior to installation. I have participated in town hall events, spoken at Rotary, Elks and other clubs, given talks at local schools and have hosted discussions with several Girl Scout troops and 4-H. I have also made an effort to respond to the rampant misinformation being intentionally distributed to the community, taking the time to share factual information and answer questions of residents to keep them informed.

I would love to hear from you regarding your concerns and desires for our city. Please feel free to contact me:  [email protected]