This community opinion was contributed by Jillian Wilson. The opinions expressed do not necessarily represent BenitoLink or other affiliated contributors. Lea este artículo en español aquí.
I attended the City Council meeting on March 3rd with the intention of encouraging the current Council to improve the permitting process for small, local businesses. Due to a lengthy agenda and large group of people planning to speak, the mayor announced that the public comment time limit would be reduced from three minutes to one minute per speaker to allow “every voice to be heard.” I’m sorry, but I don’t feel like my voice was heard.
I am not a business owner, but I am a long-time resident of Hollister and as such I am deeply invested in my community. I would love to spend more of my money locally. I don’t want to have to travel outside my own community or shop online because of a lack of options here in Hollister. I support the local businesses here as much as possible and I’d love to see more variety in the retail stores, services, and restaurants in town.
For the past few years, it’s appeared that things may be changing for the better. Hollister is starting to bring in more chain stores and restaurants. But most exciting, at least to me, are the small, local businesses starting to pop up all over town–one of my favorites being Calavera Coffee and Retail Shop. And I know I’m not the only one who absolutely loves Calavera. So, you can imagine our collective shock and sadness when the announcement of their imminent closure hit social media. As I continued reading Calavera’s statement, I was disappointed but not surprised to learn that issues with the city’s permitting process was a major factor in their decision to close.
I’m not blaming the current city council, or even the previous council. If you’ve lived in Hollister for any amount of time, you know that this is a chronic and persistent problem going back decades. I’m not pointing fingers; I’m asking for solutions. I’m asking the current city council to once and for all figure out why the permitting process is so convoluted, cumbersome, and costly. Why are we draining the resources of small businesses before they even open their doors? Who benefits from that approach? Certainly not the community! Certainly not the taxpayers! Certainly not the business owners who bring so much to the city and community of Hollister!
I’m not pointing fingers; I am asking the council to find solutions that move us forward in a positive manner that supports local businesses. I want to see this community prosper and live up to the amazing potential we must be a cultural destination for tourists and locals alike, with unique shopping and dining experiences that only small, local businesses can provide. In the coming years, we are going to need our community connections more than ever. We are going to need spaces where we can gather, where we can connect, where we can support each other. We do not need another Starbucks. We need more businesses like Calavera Coffee!
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