Politics

Before they cleared out their desks, many of the city's 56

Residents of northwest Gilroy received an early Halloween scare

City Council will be holding a special meeting/study session Monday night to discuss planned unit development regulations and potential amendments to existing sign ordinances:

With Election Day less than two months away, city officials are asking the community for support of the “Quality of Life” sales tax measure on the ballot. Mayor Don Gage and City Administrator Tom Haglund spoke at the Gilroy Chamber of Commerce's Government Relations Committee meeting Sept. 12 and answered questions from the public.

Growing number of Miller Avenue residents opposing

More than two dozen organizations in Gilroy are among

Fire Division Chief Phil King, who alongside former Fire Division Chief Edward Bozzo sued the City of Gilroy for what they alleged was unpaid overtime and agreed to drop the lawsuit last month if the City paid some of their court costs, has retired from the ranks of the Gilroy Fire Department.

After working in Gilroy for more than seven years, Gilroy Fire Department Chief Dale Foster announced his retirement Thursday.   This time, Foster is determined to "retire for real," referring to his retirement from San Jose Fire Department in 2003 before his move to Gilroy.    "I’ll miss being involved in so many things relating to public safety, and I'll miss the people I’ve worked with and dealt with in this job," Foster said.    Foster, a Morgan Hill resident, said he loves the Gilroy community and plans to stay involved with all things Gilroy and Morgan Hill.    As for the fire department, Foster believes they'll be just fine without him.   "I think the fire department is on a good track right now, and I think the future is good for the the department and the City," he said.    In his retirement, Foster plans to travel, enjoy time with his wife and "basically do whatever I want."   Foster's last day with the department is August 17.    Foster graduated from Oregon State University, where he worked part-time at a fire station in Oregon while going to school. Foster said in 2005 that the experience sparked a love for firefighting that has lasted more than 30 years.   He joined San Jose Fire Department in 1972 after fulfilling his U.S. Navy reserve commitment and stayed there 32 years.   He rose through the ranks to engineer, then captain then in 1996 to battalion chief in, then to deputy chief, and finally, in 2000 to assistant chief.

Gilroy Mayor Don Gage is bullish about the new car business. He’s optimistic that if the city chips in for traffic improvements, new signs and beautification at and around the local auto mall, the city will get a bigger cut in sales tax revenue as the dealerships prosper from a boost in customers.

A county report says Gilroy police take the longest to respond to emergencies of any city in the area—but police and city officials say it’s likely that the report is wrong, even though the department is working to improve its slow response times.