City Council rescinds resolution protecting Hollister Fire positions

HOLLISTER, Calif. (KION-TV) -- The Hollister City Council has voted to rescinds a resolution that would protect Hollister Fire staff from potential layoffs.

The 4-1 decision was made at Tuesday's city council meeting after the city decided to eliminate a termination notice between San Benito County Fire Protection Services and the city of San Juan Bautista.

"Unfortunately, the cost of overspending is later. You have to make some difficult decisions," Hollister Mayor Roxanne Stephens said. "That does not mean that we will be laying off or terminating. It does means, however, we need to have all options on the table."

Councilmember Rudy Picha spoke about his own difficulty of voting on the rescind prior to his vote.

"The last thing I want to do is reduce the headcount of the fire department that potentially saved my life knowing what's going on down there in L.A.," Picha said.

Councilmember Dolores Morales was the sole "No" vote on the decision.

"I'm not in favor of this resolution," Morales said. "I stand with our firefighters and I think our community should speak up and unless we have an agreement with the county that they are paying their fair share, then we should hold off this resolution," Morales said.