New Hollister City Council gets to business in first meeting

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On Dec. 17, the newly sworn-in Hollister City Council made committee appointments, and also approved travel expenses, for four of the five council members to attend The League of California Cities’ mayors and councilmembers academy in Sacramento. 

Both of these actions drew criticism from resident Elia Salinas, who accused the council of breaking the law by approving travel expenses for Councilmember Rolan Resendiz and appointing him to committees.

City Attorney Mary Lerner said it is up to the council to enforce the ordinance adopted by the majority of the previous council members. The ordinance in question makes Resendiz ineligible to be appointed to committees for one year. He was also stripped of his position as vice mayor, and had his right to travel expenses revoked for repeatedly violating the city’s code of conduct. 

Salinas said the city council needed to repeal the ordinance before appointing Resendiz to committees or approve any travel. Salinas consistently participates in public meetings and has unsuccessfully run for Hollister City Council and San Benito County Board of Supervisors.

Lerner said she discussed appointments with Mayor Roxanne Stepehens, but did not provide additional details.

“I do want to remind everyone that this code of conduct is self-enforcing and so I’m not going to share my advice here in public,” she said.

Salinas also criticized the City Council for having multiple items on the agenda in its first meeting.

“This has never happened before, where you make arrangements on the first day you get [sworn in],” she said.  

Over the years, agendas for meetings where there is a change of power have been limited to recognizing outgoing elected officials and swearing in new ones. 

Salinas said it appeared the council members also violated the Ralph M. Brown Act, which requires that public business be done in public and not behind closed doors. She said that council members met to “have a discussion on who is going to do what and who is going to approve what.” She did not provide evidence for that claim.

Stephens, Councilmember Rudy Picha, and Councilmember Priscilla de Anda did not immediately respond to BenitoLink’s request for comment.

The Ralph M. Brown Act is a state law that outlines the people’s right to attend and participate in public meetings of local government. It also defines the acceptable reasons that governing bodies can meet in private. It applies to elected officials who have “not yet assumed the duties of office.”

The law states that it is illegal for the majority of an elected board to communicate, directly or indirectly, or take action on any public business within its jurisdiction outside of public meetings.  

Oath of office

Three council members took the oath of office in front of family and friends. Stephens was elected as the Hollister Mayor for a two-year term. Rudy Picha and Priscilla de Anda were elected to represent District 1 and 4, respectively, for the next four years. Picha was appointed vice mayor. 

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