Merced City Council Meeting - May 18, 2026

The Merced City Council held its regular meeting on Monday, May 18, 2026, at 6:00 PM in the City Council Chamber. The meeting included special presentations, a ceremonial proclamation, public comments, consent calendar approvals, public hearings, discussion items on remote participation and energy efficiency, a budget review, and a council request to discuss upcoming birthday celebrations. Key actions included adopting an urgency ordinance extending a moratorium on street closures and approving a remote participation accommodation policy.

Consent Calendar

• Items J.1–J.4 were approved unanimously by motion (Boyle/DuPont). J.4 (Resolution 2026-22, Administrative Policy C-9 for remote participation accommodation) was pulled for separate consideration and passed unanimously after public comment.
• Item J.5 (Final Map for Bellevue Ranch North, Village 24A) could not be considered due to a lack of quorum after two council members recused themselves. The item will be rescheduled to a future meeting.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Glenn Gallman (District 6 resident, military retiree) highlighted Memorial Day and Mental Health Awareness Month, urging a community approach to reduce veteran suicide and noting a growing local coalition.
• Eli Sachs (registered nurse, bike advocate) criticized the city for not spending 20% of Measure V funds on bike/pedestrian safety, citing a crater on the Bear Creek bike path and adversarial treatment by the city engineer at BPAC meetings.
• Gloria Sandoval expressed concerns about global dangers, voting rights, and the budget process, urging the city to educate the public on potential impacts of federal policy changes.
• Steve Russos (Hlu Monk Center) thanked the city for supporting the May 9th Hmong American Day at Bob Hart Square and highlighted the event's success in reaching a broader audience.
• E.J. Lorenzi invited the council to a booster club function on May 27th and praised Bob Hart Square as the center of downtown.
• Joe Brasello (retired educator) requested a bike etiquette education program and better communication with citizens.
• Marcus Ariano (Tree House Tutoring) thanked the city for the Hmong American Day venue and urged council to consider event vibrancy in upcoming street closure legislation.
• Gino Kue advocated for community walks with council members to see issues firsthand and noted bike safety concerns.
• Aggie Freeman (District 6 community leader) criticized Councilmember Zhang for remaining seated during the Pledge of Allegiance, stating it showed disrespect to veterans and the flag.
• Letitia Luquet and Sheila Garcia (Harvest Time food ministry) presented a video and statistics about their food distribution program, serving 330 families every two weeks and recovering 50,000 pounds of food monthly.
• Gloria Valvinos (Downtown Merced Partnership/Visit Merced) supported extending the street closure moratorium timeline but urged continued consideration of events using parking structures to maintain downtown activation.
• Eli Torres (super flea organizer) advocated for allowing parking lot events, noting they can be successful without street closures, and offered to pay higher fees for maintenance.
• Ashley Marie Suarez (District 5 resident) opposed rigid cutoff times for public comment under SB 707, urging continuous acceptance of e-comments and maintenance of email options.
• Andrea Uribe (Leadership Council for Justice and Accountability) requested $350,000 for a South Merced community specific plan and $5 million for local street improvements in South Merced.

Discussion Items

• Project Update from RACE Communications (F.1): Jim Miller apologized for communication lapses and weather-related construction delays. He reported that half of nine sections are ready for final walkthrough, with restoration targeted by end of July, initial activation mid-to-late summer in downtown/west side, and substantial completion by end of December. Council members raised concerns about asphalt patches, sidewalk repairs, and signal damage at Olive and Austin Avenue.
• Merced Arts Festival Presentation (F.2): Patricia Pratt and Earvin Mendoza described a week-long festival starting May 18, featuring five large-scale murals, a photo exhibit, workshops, and a downtown takeover on May 23 with over 200 artists and 41 businesses. A documentary will premiere in September. Council commended the effort and community engagement.
• Merced Fire Department ALS Update and EMS Week Recognition (F.3): Battalion Chief Mickey Brunelli reported that since January 2025, the department has expanded Advanced Life Support to four stations, with two more coming soon to make all stations paramedic-staffed by mid-July 2026. In 2025, ALS was provided to over 1,500 patients; in 2026 (Jan–Apr) to over 1,000 patients with nearly 1,200 ALS interventions. Three paramedics were recognized for clinical excellence.
• Bike Month Proclamation (G.1): Carolina Moraz, chair of the Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Commission, accepted the proclamation. She emphasized clean transportation and ongoing city efforts.
• Street Closure Moratorium Extension (K.3): Staff presented concepts for a new ordinance focusing on the nature of events rather than street closures, including one-stop shopping, standardized fees, limiting parking structure use for events, and requiring events to use reservable city spaces when available. Council discussed parking lot usage, maintenance costs, and the need for nuance. The extension was supported unanimously.
• Remote Participation Process for SB 707 (L.1): Staff asked for direction on e-comment cutoff times and telephonic registration deadlines. Council members expressed varied views, with a rough consensus to not implement e-comments initially and to set the registration cutoff at the beginning of each agenda item. Formal action was delayed to the June 1 meeting.
• Energy Efficiency Upgrade Projects (L.2): Energy Systems Group presented a $14 million package of energy efficiency projects (lighting, HVAC, solar, battery storage, EV chargers, biogas generator) that would save $7.4 million over 20 years using Inflation Reduction Act grants and lease financing without general fund impact. Council directed staff to continue studying the proposal.
• FY 2026-27 Budget Review (L.3): Finance Officer Venus Rodriguez presented the city manager's recommended budget of $446.1 million, with a $1.3 million general fund shortfall. Staff proposed options to balance using reserve funds and transfers from trust 115. Public speakers requested funding for tenant protections, eviction defense, South Merced specific plan, and street improvements. Council members discussed priorities, community funding, and expressed support for a relocation program for displaced tenants.
• America's 250th and California's 175th Birthday (M.1): Mayor Pro Tempore Boyle suggested a mural showcasing Yosemite or state symbols, and festive decorations for downtown. Council supported a mural and flags, with staff to begin procurement and coordinate with community groups.

Key Outcomes

• Consent Calendar approved except J.5 (rescheduled).
• Resolution 2026-22 (Remote Accommodation Policy) adopted unanimously.
• Urgency Ordinance 2592 (Moratorium on Street Closure Encroachment Permits) extended for 10 months and 15 days, passed unanimously.
• Public Hearing K.1 (HUD Annual Action Plan) continued to June 1, 2026.
• Public Hearing K.2 (Self-storage facility) continued to June 1, 2026, due to lack of quorum.
• SB 707 Remote Participation direction: staff to prepare for a formal vote on June 1; current inclination is no e-comments and registration cutoff at start of each agenda item.
• Energy Efficiency Projects accepted; staff to continue feasibility work.
• Budget first hearing held; further hearings on June 1 and June 15.
• Birthday Celebrations staff directed to proceed with a mural and coordinate flag displays with the Boy Scouts and Sunrise Rotary.