Fire Protection District negotiations end in Hollister

HOLLISTER, Calif. (KION) - Hollister's City Council is moving on from negotiations with the city of San Juan Bautista and San Benito County over a joint fire protection district.

This comes after discussions with San Benito County supervisors came to a standstill following the supervisors' April 22nd meeting. Supervisors dissolved their ad-hoc committee negotiating the contract and denied Hollister's proposed terms for the new contract.

A feasibility study for a new fire district is being worked on. An ad-hoc committee working to create that district has met twice since that April 22nd meeting.

The county and San Juan Bautista are now recommending hiring a fire chief, whether interim or permanent, to help build that new district.

Despite those steps, the county says it would be willing to discuss another new proposal from Hollister. Yet, the council decided to dissolve an ad-hoc committee negotiating the contract.

Hollister's City Manager David Mirrione must prepare a presentation on the financial impacts to the city due to losing the income from that fire protection contract, and the city manager said that presentation could be given on June 5th.

Former Hollister mayor Mia Casey spoke at the meeting, saying she was disappointed that the county decided to walk away from negotiations. Casey pointed out that supervisors had money that they could have put toward the new contract, but instead decided to put it toward the new fire district.

The current Fire Services Contract is set to end on December 20th, 2025.