The Merced City Council held a regular meeting on December 15, 2025, starting at 6:00 PM in the City Council Chamber. The agenda included the swearing-in of a new Council Member for District 2, a special presentation by UC Merced Chancellor Juan Muñoz, a consent calendar with several routine items, and three public hearings on speed limits, development impact fees, and parks and community services fees. The meeting also featured public comments from 10 speakers on various community topics.
City Engineer Jordan and a traffic consultant presented updates to a citywide speed study covering 237 segments. Of these, 86 were extended, 46 were classified as residential or business districts (allowing 25 mph posting), 5 as business districts, and 100 remained unchanged. Nine segments were proposed for a 5 mph increase. Council debated three specific segments:
Councilmember Harris moved to approve the study with modifications: keep North Bear Creek (M to G) and Mansinnette at current limits, and add Olive (R to M) to remain unchanged. The motion included a request for staff to restudy Mansinnette. Police Chief noted that without a valid speed survey, radar enforcement is currently impossible citywide; adopting the study would enable enforcement on compliant segments. The motion passed 4-2 (Councilmembers DuPont and Mayor Serato voting no).
Staff presented the AB 1600 compliance report for FY 2024/2025, detailing fee collections, expenditures, and project progress. The report showed 51 capital improvement projects totaling $111 million in design, construction, and closeout. Councilmember Smith moved to accept the report and adopt Resolution 2025-76. Passed unanimously.
Director Chris Jensen proposed updates to direct service fees (aiming for $5/hour from current $4/hour) and indirect service fees (field and facility rentals) to better recover costs. Key points:
Public speakers:
Council discussion: Councilmember Smith suggested a partnership model giving staff flexibility to reduce rates on a case-by-case basis. Councilmember DuPont noted that some co-sponsored events charge attendees, which amounts to double-dipping. City Manager McBride noted that street closures are currently underpriced and ordinance enforcement would make Bob Hart Square more attractive.
Motion to adopt the fee schedule (Resolution 2025-75) with an amendment to direct staff to develop a partnership model for rate flexibility. Passed 5-1 (Mayor Serato voting no).
Meeting adjourned at approximately 9:00 PM. Next meeting scheduled for January 2026.
Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. We apologize for starting a few minutes late. We had a busy closed session. We are welcoming everybody to the December 15th, 2025 meeting of the Mercedes City Council. We're going to begin with our call to order. Pastor Dorman is going to lead us in prayer with an invocation. And after that, I'm going to ask Mr. Muitau sitting there to lead us in the Pledge of Allegiance, if you could, sir. You can't bring 20 people and not. Let us pray. Our Father in Heaven, we thank you for the day that you have made. We thank you for this country, state, county, and city that we live in. We thank you most of all for the people that surround us every single day. People that maybe we don't know by first name or even last name. But fellow residents of our great city, and we're so grateful for them. We thank you for law enforcement and those who watch out for our safety. We thank you for the fire and rescue teams that again keep us safe at a time of year when uh our trees get dry and sometimes we get a little careless. We thank you also for our city government and what they do to better our city. We pray your blessings on them for their wisdom. We pray for our state, our country, and we also pray especially for the Jewish community as they continue to mourn the events that happen in Sydney, Australia. We pray for the events tonight at City Council. May you bless them. May you guide our words and actions in the name of Jesus, my Savior, I pray. Amen. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands. One nation under God and divisible with liberty and justice for all. Agenda item D, roll call, Councilmember DuPont. Present. Harris. President. Smith. Present. Zhang. Mayor Pro Tem Boyle. Here. And Mayor Serato. Here. Mayor, I'd like to remind the audience that if they wish to address the City Council, they must submit a green request of speak form located at the podium in the back of the chamber. Additionally, citizens can submit public comment to the city council electronically no later than 1 p.m. on the day of the meeting. Comments received before the deadline will be sent to the city council and will be part of the record and will be mentioned as part of the written petitions and communications portion of the agenda. And they will also be posted on the city's website. Material may be emailed to City Clerk at City of Merced.gov, and any correspondence received after 1 p.m. will be distributed to the city council and retained for the official record. Also, for those audience members who wish to hear the council meeting translated into Spanish hermong, please let our interpreters know. Good evening. In accordance with government code 54952.3, it is hereby announced that the city council sits either simultaneously or serially as a public financing and economic development authority, parking authority, and or successor agency to the redevelopment agency. City Council members receive a monthly stipend of $500 by charter for sitting as a city council. And the mayor receives an additional 100 each month as part of the adopted budget and resolution 2024-78. The public financing and economic development authority, parking authority, and successor agency to the redevelopment agency receive no compensation.