Politics

Gilroy's only overnight homeless shelter closed on March 31 and is slated to reopen in December. Now, the hundreds who used the shelter each day this year may have no other legal—or secure—place to sleep in town.

The General Plan Advisory Committee, tasked with revamping Gilroy’s vision and guiding principles over the next two decades through the General Plan, will be holding a public workshop April 2. Members of the public who participate will have a chance to share their own ideas about Gilroy’s future with City officials at 6:30 p.m. at Eliot Elementary School.

City Council has scheduled a special meeting next week and the items on the agenda will be closed to the public, as they involve union contract negotiations.

The Gilroy City Council is adding teeth and toughening up Gilroy's sign ordinance to include a ban on a wide variety of signage, from prohibiting A-frame signs thoughout the city – including downtown – to axing costumed sign waving human advertisers on public property.

On the heels of a letter sent by City Council and the Cities Association of Santa Clara County, Assemblyman Luis Alejo recently met with local officials and listened to concerns about a double-digit increase in crime in Gilroy associated with Assembly Bill 109 – the Public Safety Realignment Act.

The City Council has hammered out their overarching goals over the next five years through nearly 15 hours of discussion at its annual retreat facilitated by a Florida-based consulting firm. No. 1: financial stability, followed by revamping downtown.

The commander of the Hollister-Gilroy Area of the California Highway Patrol, Capt. Allen Stallman, has retired. There was a celebration of his distinguished career of more than 25 years of service on Feb. 21 at the “Old City Hall” in Gilroy, according to an announcement from the CHP. A representative from Assemblyman Luis Alejo’s Office, Jaiver Gomez, was in attendance to present Stallman with an assembly resolution signed by Alejo and State Sen. Bill Monning. From the CHP’s Coastal Division, Chief Reggie Chappelle presented Stallman with his retirement certificate, and Assistant Chief Scott Howland presented him with his retired captain’s badge. He served as the commander of the Hollister-Gilroy CHP area for approximately two years. According to the CHP, under his command the Senior Volunteer program was implemented and the CHP has begun presenting the Age Well Drive Smart classes for Senior Drivers.   

City Council voted to form a committee to look for an in-house attorney Feb. 24 – a sea change from its position since the early 1990s of using the City’s contracted legal firm, San Jose-based Berliner Cohen.