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The Hollister City Council seeks to recoup $1.6 million from San Benito Foods for costs to remove sludge from its industrial wastewater treatment plant. The council also approved responses to the San Benito County Civil Grand Jury 2023-24 report.
On Aug. 20 the council approved in a 4-0 vote a change to the contract with Neil Jones Food Company, which owns San Benito Foods, for the operation and maintenance of certain facilities at the treatment plant, located near South Street and Summer Drive. The treatment plant has been a source of sewer waste-like odor issues on the west side of town for at least a decade.
Sludge, a mud-like product from the ponds where the tomato processing plant’s wastewater is stored, was a cause of odors in the area this spring, Public Works Director William Via told the City Council on Aug. 6. He also said San Benito Foods removed algae, applied dissolvable odor control blocks to the ponds and began using Bioxide to minimize odors. The city has also used Bioxide to reduce sewer smells on the west side.
According to the staff report in the agenda, San Benito Foods will pay the $1.6 million in two annual installments due by the end of October in 2024 and 2025.
Another change to the contract stipulates that the $1.6 million must be paid in full, including interest, before a lease extension for the treatment plant can be negotiated. The current five-year lease ends Dec. 31, 2026.
The changes were made without discussion as part of the consent items. Councilmember Dolores Morales was absent.
Also in a 4-0 vote, the council approved responses to the findings of the Civil Grand Jury, which found misconduct at City Council meetings and reluctance to cooperate among council members.
The Civil Grand Jury is convened annually and is made up of 19 citizens who are sworn to investigate the operations of various government departments and agencies.
In its response, the city states it agrees with one finding and “partially agrees and partially disagrees” with the other four findings. In its response, the council said it had already implemented many of the grand jury’s recommendations, including a code of conduct and ethics that details consequences for violations.
The City Council also notes that it has adopted and follows Rosenberg’s Rules of Order, which sets parliamentary procedures for public meetings.
Councilmember Tim Burns said the Civil Grand Jury found that City Council members may be discussing confidential information from closed sessions publicly, and asked if members could be removed from future closed session meetings for doing so.
City attorney Mary Lerner said she did not know if council members can be removed from closed sessions. She said she will look into it and other options.
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