FY 24-26 ADOPTED BUDGET

About the City (continued)

The City ’ s major facilities include the Police Station, three Fire Stations (one under construction), the Community and Cultural Center (CCC), the Centennial Recreational Center (CRC), the Outdoor Sports Center (OSC), the Dennis Kennedy Aquatics Center (AC), the Civic Center, the Morgan Hill Steve Tate Library, and the Corporation Yard. The City is a full - service City, providing police, fire, roads, water, and wastewater services for the local Community. The City manages 130 miles of roads and sidewalks. The City of Morgan Hill functions as the City ’ s water utility and supports approximately 12,900 residential, commercial, and industrial customers. The water system is operated through 16 groundwater wells, nine pumping stations, 10 reservoir sites, 23 pressure zones, and over 187 miles of distribution pipeline. The wastewater collection system includes 164 miles of sewer line that collects the City ’ s wastewater and routes it to the South County Regional Wastewater Authority ’ s (SCRWA) treatment facility in Gilroy. Education The Morgan Hill Unified School District (MHUSD) serves Morgan Hill, San Martin, and a small population in South San Jose and a student population of 8,500. MHUSD is comprised of six elementary schools, two elementary/middle schools (K - 8), one dual immersion magnet program (K - 8), two middle schools (6 - 8), two comprehensive high schools (9 - 12), one continuation high school, and a community adult school. There are two charter elementary/middle schools and several private schools. Many community colleges and universities are located within a 30 - minute drive, including Gavilan College, Evergreen College, San Jose City College, San Jose State University, and Santa Clara University. Morgan Hill ’ s History Prior to the arrival of Spanish expeditions en route from Mexico, peaceful tribes of Native Americans inhabited the lush Santa Clara Valley. Under Spanish and Mexican jurisdictions, instituted in 1778, a vast region that includes present day Morgan Hill was one of the most substantial Spanish land grants for nearly three - quarters of a century. In 1845 Martin Murphy, Sr. acquired 9,000 acres known as the Rancho Ojo de Aqua de la Coche. Murphy had been a leader of the first party of pioneers to cross the Sierra Nevada range at Truckee Pass, later to become the route for the Southern Pacific Railroad. The Murphy family made its home in the valley below El Toro Mountain. By 1870, Martin ’ s seven sons and daughters had managed to acquire more than 70,000 acres. In 1851 the youngest son, Daniel, married Maria Fisher, heiress to the neighboring 19,000 acre Rancho Laguna Seca. Diana, their daughter, secretly married Hiram Morgan Hill in 1882. When Daniel Murphy died, Diana inherited 4,500 acres of their original rancho in the shadow of El Toro.

GENERAL INFORMATION 32