Hollister · issues
Civic issues
Topics getting the most attention in Hollister public meetings, ranked by how frequently they come up.
Layoff notices and union negotiations
Three employees have already been released and about 25 more positions are slated for elimination. Union members warned that losing institutional knowledge and contracting out services would hurt accountability — the council heard them but hasn't formally ruled out layoffs.
Police department staffing crisis
Police sworn positions sit at a 19.23% vacancy rate and fire recruitment is struggling; the HR department is only 2.5 people. Morales wants quarterly reporting, and the city manager pledged recruitment overhauls and six new firefighters by December.
Building permit delays
The council quietly killed an ERP platform that couldn't be implemented after four years and about $250,000 a year, replacing it with simpler permit-assistance technology — praised as a win for efficiency.