Civic Issues
Topics getting the most attention in San Benito County public meetings, ranked by how frequently they are discussed.
5 issues in development with high priority
Homelessness down 57% in county count
The January 2026 count found 267 people experiencing homelessness versus 621 in 2024, but officials cautioned the riverbed cleanup scattered encampments and made counting harder, and all remaining chronically homeless individuals were unsheltered.
Hippo Harvest facility landscaping
A major new leafy greens facility brings jobs and road improvements to a busy commuter corridor, but commissioners faulted a $50,000 road fee as far too low and rewrote conditions to require $180,000 for turn lanes plus right-of-way dedications.
Annexation tax-sharing agreement with Hollister under scrutiny
An attorney asked the Board to agendize the long-delayed city-county tax-sharing agreement for the Rigetti Chapel Road annexation, which the city approved months ago.
Lands of Lee affordable housing
The plan for 30 deed-restricted junior ADUs in a 141-lot subdivision stalled over whether owners actually must rent them to low-income households. Supervisors tabled it to check the litigation settlement before deciding.
Housing element certification and high school district Builder's Remedy application
The state certified the county's housing element on February 3, unlocking grant money — but the high school district filed a Builder's Remedy proposal days earlier for 1,000 homes plus 100,000 square feet of commercial space on its Best Road site, which the county must process.