[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6279211,"mediaKeyId","2625274-67483b8a89a8bdc1eedb269e4706cbd1","parentId",2625274,"title","Hollister senior center seeks $10,000–$20,000 in matching funds to maintain Meals on Wheels, transportation services","audioSeconds",306,"startMs",1516000,"endMs",1822000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2625274-67483b8a89a8bdc1eedb269e4706cbd1&start=1516&end=1822","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2625274-67483b8a89a8bdc1eedb269e4706cbd1/thumbnail_1516000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6279211/San-Benito-County/California/Hollister-senior-center-seeks-1000020000-in-matching-funds-to-maintain-Meals-on-Wheels-transportation-services","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6279211-1d91cfec4b48d895bee85ef886f7e593/orig.mp4?Expires=1771193533&Signature=Gpq9kua1K32Il1z4YOvx~08bjpLAawMu9ZQrmkUj3wJfmlJk3~BPGhryZis7Nl99iCftmbdHTkSlMwYDAP8zLk2SSeSqZmCarXdDU7vLp1gWbx61K7Q80SUoNdiPN05GZxpY7fyVIUbbHbh9QBaKk7mQwi1Faad6B2DClA6Fc648wvXLRTZXbruvdq3U0uyBXQZOvfKcxGetP2hdxxitatZ0sMhDdp11Bap-Y2OI1AokxPqudydpyNxX985arz8oaOFePmrlmoLsaMB-~ShjrhAOZHUeifhOhNosGCoAg1MOkML2Mrgu539gNzv8flZxbdqDqkjcis9fXBoWDpPM6w__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","San Benito County, CA","date","2025-03-03T00:00:00Z","article","Jovones de Antonio, the senior center that operates out of the Pauline Valdivia Memorial Community Center, presented its services and a funding request Tuesday to the Hollister City Council. The center asked the council to consider $10,000–$20,000 in local funding to meet matching requirements for state and federal grants that support Meals on Wheels, specialized transportation and senior lunch programs.

“Meals on Wheels, we serve about 50 clients every day, Monday through Friday,” said Danny Barrera Jr., executive director of Jovones de Antonio, describing the center’s core programs and volunteer base. Barrera said the center also provides specialized transportation to medical appointments — in some cases as far as Stanford Medical Center — exercise classes and subsidized respite care hours for families.

Barrera told the council the center is celebrating its 50th anniversary and asked the city to adopt a proclamation for an anniversary celebration May 5 and a proclamation recognizing National Senior Citizens Day on Aug. 21. He also asked for $10,000 to $20,000 to meet matching‑grant obligations that would allow the center to maintain current services.

Members of the public — many of them center users and volunteers — spoke in support. “Meals on Wheels is not about food. Meals on Wheels is about a check‑in,” said Maria Spandry, a volunteer, describing the program as a critical welfare and social‑contact service for isolated seniors. Other speakers described reliable transportation to medical care, the center’s exercise and computer‑literacy classes, and volunteers who run bingo and social activities.

Council members praised the center’s work. Councilmember Pache urged residents to support Jovones de Antonio with donations; councilmembers said staff would follow up on the request and that the center’s programs were clearly contributing to residents’ quality of life.

No formal appropriation was made during the meeting; staff said the request would be considered in the city’s budget processes and that the council could consider proclamations and any direct contribution as part of future budget discussions.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Hollister City Council Regular Meeting - March 3, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","Jovones de Antonio (senior center) presented its 50th‑anniversary services to the council and requested $10,000–$20,000 to meet grant match requirements; multiple seniors and volunteers spoke in support.","taxTitle","San Benito County, California","taxId",26838,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6279216,"Council divides on councilmember travel, discretionary grants and policy changes; several items pulled from consent",397,4764000,5161000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2625274-67483b8a89a8bdc1eedb269e4706cbd1&start=4764&end=5161","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2625274-67483b8a89a8bdc1eedb269e4706cbd1/thumbnail_4764000.jpg","/articles/6279216/San-Benito-County/California/Council-divides-on-councilmember-travel-discretionary-grants-and-policy-changes-several-items-pulled-from-consent","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6279216-a793d32a2d1a01a498bcdc23ac7e7f78/orig.mp4?Expires=1771193533&Signature=FIfMHJidJfS12u2M3S-h5XUq19Mhl8hJiryuqUlYbutCsXd3ysy9C33XtoA~QjHFUBNnDa69hkLA4ZsY4l3HrhP9GWO6i8LYb2WqCtquTsRn-iFuMTjQXHw154o1oJ74tdQkIlCxRCmNs068rQJFgl4brN-8tjkgHoCNLhdbfqa0w~~LzsKi-o6pkSqNs9e6kJRUS7Xa0y~fW7~Tngxod-Q82mi~IP2~8xylCdUIzOSmuJ24FUUgMcIZSsnqE9NTveBldKg~Op~02FgPAgUvmqdkmAqbmVoSk5L~TwtUMHG~egNile7fx2dDt4JpPzr6~FggolwfPllXaWQg5VazAw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Hollister City Council members split Tuesday on several consent items that had been pulled for discussion, approving travel for one councilmember while arguing over the use of discretionary council funds and nonprofit contributions.

Council approved a request by Councilmember Morales to attend an upcoming League of California Cities policy meeting in March 2025 in Burbank. The motion to authorize travel passed 4-1; Councilmember Resendiz cast the lone dissent and urged the council to avoid travel while the city is reducing expenditures and holding a hiring freeze.

Council then debated two discretionary grants pulled from consent. The first request sought authorization for Councilmember Morales to use up to $25,650 from her discretionary allocation to support a Rapid Action Network led by LULAC (League of United Latin American Citizens) and partner organizations. Council discussion focused on the city’s tight budget, the origin and oversight of discretionary funds and whether the request duplicated existing community resources. According to the roll-call result recorded at the meeting, the action on the LULAC request was decided by a 3-2 vote (recorded in the minutes as three in favor, two opposed).

The second pulled item asked the council to approve a two‑year contribution to United Way of San Benito County of up to $5,000 per fiscal year. After debate about long‑standing relationships with the United Way and the city’s budget pressures, the council approved the contribution by a 3-2 vote.

Later in the meeting councilmembers also approved two related policy actions:

- A motion to rescind the city’s discretionary funds policy entirely. After discussion about the fund’s original intent for small, traffic‑study‑related uses and concerns about appearance of impropriety, the council voted 5-0 to eliminate the policy.

- A separately introduced set of technical amendments linking any future discretionary allocation to the city’s reserve level and adding a prohibition on using discretionary funds within six months of a municipal election. Those clarifying edits were considered in the broader conversation and staff said they will implement policy changes consistent with the council’s direction.

Public speakers urged fiscal caution. Several residents who had attended earlier discussions about the general plan told council members to lead by example during the city’s fiscal recovery; others supported the LULAC and United Way requests as important services for immigrants and residents in need.

Council staff said the city would treat future discretionary allocations cautiously and that any re‑established program would adhere to the new limits tying disbursements to reserve levels and election timing.","Council approved a travel request and voted on two discretionary grant uses; after public debate about budget constraints, members also moved to rescind the discretionary-funds policy.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6279222,"Hollister council rescinds 2040 general plan after referendum, will revert to earlier plan",1649,5723000,7372000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2625274-67483b8a89a8bdc1eedb269e4706cbd1&start=5723&end=7372","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2625274-67483b8a89a8bdc1eedb269e4706cbd1/thumbnail_5723000.jpg","/articles/6279222/San-Benito-County/California/Hollister-council-rescinds-2040-general-plan-after-referendum-will-revert-to-earlier-plan","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6279222-014fc7d5ffb35445a8c7d47358a52c2a/orig.mp4?Expires=1771193533&Signature=LteaqkyQZoCC5q6U3KEH~PA4hXvBziA95PpTmRHTy43mETcRdYpsbtqwZ8b6TLeKeUGO6~tBkhCrrA5Ha-chvK-pCVtNzAhLR4NHHZAXqVH0tk4d8ZuXLG-cL1K-U6eYd1XQ0eJzzFyw89VT4LHImrI0qqCDBjR1RjWEaGJppNXjifMAjm3Qs5LdT4gahy-DbrieiUUZHe~Idb2K6K~hC8h6YJJDbKMXisib0LsHZW0eqkl0KNeLiO0lJwlLRT-CHN7B-YeMt~xpPQXNYo~rf3QlVzhPNSmyZlDYopA7sbJe4Kxl-uOUd7uIAMpMJqI~d99H~Sz9Js7FgAteiiQNxA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Hollister City Council voted unanimously Tuesday to rescind Resolution 2024-201, the version of the city’s 2040 general plan adopted in December 2024, after county election officials verified that referendum backers had submitted sufficient valid signatures to force voter review.

The rescission returns the city to the previously adopted general plan while staff prepares options for a new or revised plan to present to the council. City Clerk Jennifer Woodward told the council that the county registrar had verified the petition signatures earlier in the meeting.

“Because there were enough valid signatures, the decision now is what the council wants to do next — rescind the resolution, put the rescission on a future ballot or call a special election,” Woodward said during the staff report. Council members discussed costs and timing before moving to rescind.

In a roll-call vote taken after nearly three hours of public comment, the council approved a motion to repeal Resolution 2024-201. Councilmember Resendiz made the motion to rescind; Councilmember Deanda seconded. The motion passed 5-0.

The repeal was the culmination of a months‑long citizen campaign. Public speakers during the meeting urged the council to respect the will of voters, citing Measure A (a slow‑growth ballot measure the public passed in November) and concerns about infrastructure, traffic on Highway 25 and loss of agricultural land. “I support the referendum,” Fallon Gregg, a local resident, told the council. “Voters are frustrated and angry that their votes and voices are being ignored.”

City staff said any changes adopted during the December 2024 update are suspended while the prior plan remains in effect. City Planning Manager Eva Kelly told the council the city will need direction about whether to open for new annexation or general plan amendment applications; staff recommended pausing new submissions until the council defines a path forward. The council directed staff to return with options for proceeding with a revised plan and asked that pending applications be considered individually as needed.

Mayor Stevens thanked public organizers and council members for their participation and said the city will move quickly to develop a plan that reflects community input. The repeal takes immediate effect; if the council later places a replacement plan before voters, costs and timing will vary by election option the council may select.

The council did not set a new timeline for a revised general plan at Tuesday’s meeting. Staff said costs for an early special election would be considerably higher than consolidating a measure with a regularly scheduled statewide or municipal election.","After petitioners submitted more than the required signatures, the Hollister City Council voted unanimously to rescind Resolution 2024-201 and suspend the 2040 general plan; the city will operate under the prior general plan while staff prepares next steps.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Hollister senior center seeks $10,000–$20,000 in matching funds to maintain Meals on Wheels, transportation services

Council divides on councilmember travel, discretionary grants and policy changes; several items pulled from consent

Hollister council rescinds 2040 general plan after referendum, will revert to earlier plan