Civic Issues
Topics getting the most attention in San Benito County public meetings, ranked by how frequently they are discussed.
4 issues in development
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.
Allium Solar and Storage project permitting delay
Longroad Energy says its Allium project application, deemed complete in August 2025, has gone 14 months without progress due in part to the BESS moratorium. The developer asked the county to allow the CEQA process to continue while approvals stay frozen — but the commission couldn't act because the topic wasn't on the agenda.
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.