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Record of Proceedings

Merced City Council Town Hall January 14, 2026: Community Concerns and Updates

City Council & Commissions — Wednesday, January 14, 2026
BodyMerced, California
SessionCity Council & Commissions
DateWednesday, January 14, 2026
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 1:32:16

Original source
Transcript — VerbatimClick a timed line to jump · ⧉ to share it
0:04

We'll begin with a pledge of allegiance.

0:06

If everybody could please stand and I'll lead us in the pledge.

0:12

I pledge allegiance to the flag.

0:14

United States of America.

0:19

One nation.

0:20

Under God.

0:26

Thank you, Rick.

0:29

Jennifer, roll call.

0:32

Okay, agenda item C roll call.

0:34

Councilmember DuPont.

0:35

Present.

0:35

Tao.

0:36

President.

0:37

Harris.

0:38

President.

0:38

Smith.

0:39

President.

0:39

Zhang?

0:40

Here.

0:40

Mayor Pro Tem Boyle?

0:41

Here.

0:42

And Mayor Serratto.

0:43

Here.

0:44

Agenda item D, opening comments.

0:46

Thank you, Jennifer.

0:47

Again, as I said earlier, I want to welcome everybody to our third and final town hall of 2026.

0:51

This is an important part of what we do here in the city in terms of outreach, in terms of hearing uh what you have to say and really uh trying to keep a a close uh eye on our community and really have the pulse of what's going on.

1:04

So we welcome all comments tonight.

1:06

I will begin by introducing our council members and then our city department heads that as well, and then after that we'll take your input.

1:12

So I'll start uh on my right with uh Mayor Pro Tim Boyle.

1:16

Thank you, Mayor.

1:17

Thank you, everyone, for coming tonight to our last town hall, and I look forward to the comments that you uh bring forward.

1:24

Good evening, Darren DuPont, uh City Councilmember for District 1, Southeast Merced.

1:29

Uh again, some familiar faces, so thank you again for coming to our town halls.

1:33

Look forward to uh a good discussion tonight.

1:38

Good evening, everyone, Council Mayor Fuijon, representing District Six.

1:41

Um, as always, um love to hear uh feedback and uh what you all have to say.

1:48

Good evening, Mike Harris, Councilmember District Three.

1:51

Thanks for coming out tonight, and we're very interested in what you have to say.

1:57

Good evening, Shane Smith, District 4, El Capitan Dad.

2:01

Welcome to our annual small enough to be a first name basis town hall.

2:04

Thank you for being here.

2:06

Good evening, uh Ying Pao Tao, representing uh for Council for District 2.

2:13

Mr.

2:13

McBride will turn over to our city manager, Scott McBride, to uh talk about his team at City Hall.

2:19

All right, thank you, Mayor, Councilmembers.

2:21

Uh the city is well represented tonight.

2:24

Uh I think we're outnumbering the public by about three to one.

2:27

Uh if we can get everyone who is a city employee to raise your hand, please.

2:33

All right.

2:33

I think you can see we got a few in the back, police representing over here.

2:37

We got public works, engineering, planning, city manager's office, uh finance, parks, community services, housing, uh I know we got city attorney's office, we got city clerk, we got IT, we got everybody here.

2:51

If we've got an issue that we can't talk about tonight, I don't know what it would be.

2:55

I'm just gonna be honest with you.

2:57

So uh we're happy to be here, happy to support the council, happy to support the community.

3:01

Uh appreciate the robust communication.

3:04

Uh one thing I want to point out too is uh although this is important for the council, it's important for us as well.

3:09

Often we'll we'll hear things, and we're not gonna wait for two, three weeks or budget to try to like resolve issues.

3:16

Uh as issues came up last night, this morning we're talking about them.

3:20

Uh last week I heard about things, the next day we're talking about them.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Engineering And Infrastructure██████████████████████████26%
Public Works████████████████16%
High Speed Rail███████████11%
Public Safety█████████9%
Procedural████████8%
Urban Planning██████6%
Transportation Safety██████6%
Economic Development█████5%
Parks and Recreation█████5%
Summary of Proceedings

Merced City Council Town Hall – January 14, 2026

The City of Merced held its third and final town hall of 2026 on January 14, 2026, from 6:00 PM to approximately 8:00 PM at El Capitan High School Theater. The meeting featured public comments on a range of issues including graffiti, high-speed rail, pedestrian safety, infrastructure, and development. Council members and department heads provided responses and updates.

Call to Order & Opening Comments

  • Mayor Matthew Serratto welcomed attendees and described the town hall as an important outreach tool to hear from the community.
  • Each council member introduced themselves: Mayor Pro Tem Tim Boyle, Councilmembers Darren DuPont, Kevin Fujioka, Mike Harris, Shane Smith, and Ying Pao Tao.
  • City Manager Scott McBride introduced city staff present (police, public works, engineering, planning, finance, parks, housing, city attorney, city clerk, IT), noting they outnumbered the public about three to one.

Public Comments & Testimony

  • Julie (first speaker): Raised concerns about graffiti on the back side of a sound wall along Bear Creek near Walmart, noting the area is city property but difficult to access due to homeless encampments and height. Police Chief Wilson committed to addressing the issue with the graffiti abatement contractor and mentioned exploring a "Welcome to Merced" mural at that location (a suggestion echoed by Mayor Serratto).
  • Dan Holmes (retired transportation engineer, county resident for 52 years): Expressed support for moving the high-speed rail station to a location near Highway 99 and Campus Parkway, cheaper and less disruptive than downtown. Councilmembers Smith, Boyle, and Harris voiced support for further studying a Southeast Merced station.
  • Madeline Zhang (District 6, Bellevue Ranch resident): Called for immediate safety improvements on Bellevue Road between G Street and Lake Road, citing dangerous conditions for drivers, pedestrians, and cyclists. She noted a fatal incident in 2021 and urged action before planned UC Merced bike path improvements (slated for 2027-2028). City Manager McBride explained constraints: limited right-of-way, funding from a $3.2 million UC Merced grant requiring local match, and long-term solutions dependent on development. Councilmembers encouraged making the Bellevue bike path a regional priority.
  • Umberto Sandoval (Bellevue Ranch resident): Raised two issues: (1) sidewalk damage caused by new home developers – called for holding builders accountable, possibly through bonds; (2) enforcement of an ordinance against semi-trucks parking in residential neighborhoods (ordinance 10.28.290), requesting a time limit for repairs. Police Chief Wilson offered to enforce citations; City Manager said sidewalk damage after city acceptance is harder to address but the city can work with builders. Staff noted upcoming city standard updates (thickening sidewalks) to prevent future cracking.
  • Ron Cook (Merced Garden Club member): Asked if the city could help remove green waste after club pruning at the zoo parking lot. Also inquired about city tree removal/planting statistics. Juan (parks staff) confirmed statistics are tracked and offered to assist with waste removal.
  • Rick Wendling (District 6): Recommended dry ice for graffiti removal to avoid off-color paint patches. Expressed opposition to high-speed rail, called it a "boondoggle," and urged council to push back on state/federal spending priorities. He also noted sidewalk damage from maintenance trucks, not just new construction. Councilmembers responded that road funding is limited – full reconstruction costs $2.7 million per mile – and the city is prioritizing maintenance with new equipment (asphalt zipper, crackfill machine).
  • Keith Ensbinger (Citizens Advisory Committee, District 2): Encouraged council to engage with UC Merced surveys on high-speed rail station preferences and align timelines for community input.
  • Unnamed speaker (question on new construction near Target/Five Below): Frank (economic development) identified as Aspen Dental, with Pollo Campero, In-N-Out, Raising Cane's, and other tenants coming to the mall area.
  • Unnamed speaker (question on emergency services and train tracks): Voiced concern about ambulances stuck at G Street train tracks, especially with south Merced growth. Police and fire chiefs explained alternate routes, paramedic program expansion, and that current general plan does not include an undercrossing. Fire Chief reported that as of January 1, 2026, paramedics are at three stations (53, 51, 55), with plans for all stations by Q2 2026.
  • Unnamed speaker (request for central development website): Asked for a single online source to track all developments (Aspen Dental, Sears project, new fire station, parks). PIO Jen Flackman said Engage site is being updated; Frank (economic development) mentioned MercedFirst.com with QR code materials updated by late February/early March.

Discussion Items

  • Graffiti Abatement: Police Chief noted a $250,000 annual contract and successful use of blue light cameras; solar cameras have limitations due to weather. Councilmember Tao suggested a mural to deter tagging.
  • High-Speed Rail Station Location: Council discussed potential benefits of a Southeast Merced station (cheaper, faster, preserves downtown, connectivity to Yarts/UC Merced). Some speakers opposed high-speed rail altogether.
  • Bellevue Road Safety: Multiple speakers and council acknowledged the road's dangerous conditions. Staff noted it was a county road until annexed via AB 3312, and lacks right-of-way for a separated path. A $3.2 million grant secured by UC Merced plus $300,000 from Merced County Association of Governments is designated for temporary improvements; long-term solution requires development.
  • Sidewalk and Road Conditions: Council discussed lack of dedicated road funding, $20 million annual needs just to tread water, and progress on projects like Yosemite Avenue (expected completion within a week, weather permitting). Councilmember Tao emphasized reducing single-occupancy vehicles through transit investment.
  • Tree Canopy and Environmental Greenery: Parks staff confirmed tree inventory data is available; Ron Cook's garden club will be assisted with waste removal.

Key Outcomes

  • Graffiti on Bear Creek wall: Police Chief agreed to contact the graffiti abatement contractor (Adam Reed) the next day. City will explore a mural at that location.
  • Bellevue Road bike/pedestrian safety: Staff will continue seeking local match for the $3.2 million grant; council committed to pushing for regional priority designation. A temporary separated path is anticipated, with long-term path dependent on development.
  • Sidewalk damage enforcement: Staff will update city standards to require thicker sidewalks; will work with builders to repair damage. Ordinance update for semi-truck parking will be reviewed with city attorney.
  • Tree statistics: Parks staff will provide data to Ron Cook and council; Arbor Day proclamation will include tree canopy numbers.
  • Yosemite Avenue reconstruction: Asphalt paving expected to finish by end of next week (weather permitting); lanes will reopen.
  • Emergency services and train tracks: Chief Wilson noted alternate routes; paramedic expansion continues with goal of paramedics at all stations by Q2 2026.
  • Development website: City will enhance Engage page and update MercedFirst.com materials by late February.
  • Budget and strategic planning: Next step is council goals and priorities session on January 31, 2026 (public meeting), leading into budget discussions.

The meeting adjourned at approximately 8:00 PM.

Meeting Transcript

We'll begin with a pledge of allegiance. If everybody could please stand and I'll lead us in the pledge. I pledge allegiance to the flag. United States of America. One nation. Under God. Thank you, Rick. Jennifer, roll call. Okay, agenda item C roll call. Councilmember DuPont. Present. Tao. President. Harris. President. Smith. President. Zhang? Here. Mayor Pro Tem Boyle? Here. And Mayor Serratto. Here. Agenda item D, opening comments. Thank you, Jennifer. Again, as I said earlier, I want to welcome everybody to our third and final town hall of 2026. This is an important part of what we do here in the city in terms of outreach, in terms of hearing uh what you have to say and really uh trying to keep a a close uh eye on our community and really have the pulse of what's going on. So we welcome all comments tonight. I will begin by introducing our council members and then our city department heads that as well, and then after that we'll take your input. So I'll start uh on my right with uh Mayor Pro Tim Boyle. Thank you, Mayor. Thank you, everyone, for coming tonight to our last town hall, and I look forward to the comments that you uh bring forward. Good evening, Darren DuPont, uh City Councilmember for District 1, Southeast Merced. Uh again, some familiar faces, so thank you again for coming to our town halls. Look forward to uh a good discussion tonight. Good evening, everyone, Council Mayor Fuijon, representing District Six. Um, as always, um love to hear uh feedback and uh what you all have to say. Good evening, Mike Harris, Councilmember District Three. Thanks for coming out tonight, and we're very interested in what you have to say. Good evening, Shane Smith, District 4, El Capitan Dad. Welcome to our annual small enough to be a first name basis town hall. Thank you for being here. Good evening, uh Ying Pao Tao, representing uh for Council for District 2. Mr. McBride will turn over to our city manager, Scott McBride, to uh talk about his team at City Hall. All right, thank you, Mayor, Councilmembers. Uh the city is well represented tonight. Uh I think we're outnumbering the public by about three to one. Uh if we can get everyone who is a city employee to raise your hand, please. All right.

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