Merced Planning Commission Meeting – May 20, 2026
Merced Planning Commission Meeting – May 20, 2026
The Merced Planning Commission held a regular meeting on May 20, 2026, at 6:00 PM in the City Council Chamber. The Commission acted on a continuation of a minor modification, pulled an annual Capital Improvement Program review, and voted to recommend a temporary moratorium on new food trucks in fixed locations due to concentration and land-use concerns. No public comments were received. The meeting adjourned at 6:24 PM.
Public Comments & Testimony
- No members of the public spoke during the public comment period or on any agenda item.
Discussion Items
- Item D.1 (26-440): Minor Modification and Environmental Review – Staff requested a continuation to June 3, 2026, for additional research. Without public comment, the Commission unanimously voted to continue the item to that date.
- Item E.1 (26-314): Annual Review of Five-Year Capital Improvement Program (2026-2031) – This item was pulled from the agenda and not discussed.
- Item E.2 (26-435): Recommendation to City Council for a Temporary Moratorium on Food Trucks in Fixed Locations – Staff presented a resolution to recommend the City Council adopt an urgency ordinance under Government Code Section 65858. The presentation highlighted that 34 food truck entitlements have been approved (26 single-use, 8 multi-use), with 18 concentrated within a 2.5-mile radius downtown, raising concerns about land-use compatibility, traffic, noise, and equitable distribution. Commissioners expressed support for the moratorium, noting the need to study the issue and align with the General Plan. Commissioner Ochoa suggested potential code changes such as a “use-it-or-lose-it” provision, limiting downtown locations, pay requirements similar to PBIDs, and tying entitlements to specific vendors and vehicles. After discussion, the Commission voted unanimously (4–0, with Commissioner Swigger absent excused) to adopt the resolution recommending the Council adopt an urgency ordinance and direct staff to prepare comprehensive amendments to Merced Municipal Code Chapter 20.44.020.
Key Outcomes
- Item D.1 continued to the June 3, 2026, Planning Commission meeting.
- Item E.1 pulled from the agenda; no action taken.
- Item E.2 approved – The Commission adopted a resolution recommending the City Council adopt an urgency ordinance establishing a temporary moratorium on new food truck fixed-location approvals. The initial moratorium would last 45 days, with potential extensions up to 10 months and 15 days. Staff will bring a draft amended ordinance back to the Planning Commission for review.
- Upcoming meetings announced: June 1 (City Council), June 3 (Planning Commission – CIP, continued item, vacation request), and a joint study session on the General Plan update on Tuesday, May 21, 2026, at 6:00 PM.
Meeting Transcript
I call to order this meeting of the planning commission for May 20th, 2026. I now ask for a moment of silence. Commissioner Ocho, would you please lead us in the Pledge of Allegiance? We now move on to roll call. Kayla. Commissioner Smith. Here. Present. Swigger. Absent excused. Ochoa. Present. Gregg's. Present. And Chairperson Gonzalez. Present. Thank you, Kayla. We have a quorum. Kayla would now read information about how the public may participate in the meeting. Members of the audience who wish to address the planning commission are requested to complete a speaker card available at the podium at the back of the council chamber. Please submit the completed card to the clerk before the item is called, preferably before the meeting begins. I would like to briefly go over the process of submitting comments to the planning commission. Please submit your public comment to the planning commission electronically no later than 1 p.m. on the day of the meeting. Comments received before the deadline will be sent to the planning commission and will be part of the record and mentioned as part of the public comment portion of the agenda. Material may be emailed to planning web at city of Merced.gov and should be limited to 300 words or less. Please specify which portion of the agenda you are commenting on. For example, oral communications or an item number. Your comments will be presented to the planning commission at the appropriate time. Any correspondence received after 1 p.m. will be distributed to the planning commission and retained for the official record. TV video or go to the plan or listen to planning the commission meeting live. Go to the city's website, www.city of Reset.gov. YouTube or Comcast Public Access Channel 96. Thank you, Kayla. We now move on to item C, public comment. Members of the public who wish to speak on any matter not listed on the agenda may speak during this portion of the meeting and will be allotted three minutes. State law prohibits the planning commission from acting at this meeting on any matter raised during the public comment period. Members of the public who wish to speak on a matter that is listed on the agenda will be called upon to speak during the discussion of that item. Kayla, do we have any requests to speak? No. Is there anyone in the House that would wish to speak? Hearing and seeing none. We now move on to item D, which is public hearings. Members of the public who wish to speak on public hearings listed on the agenda will be heard when the public hearing is opened, except on public hearing items previously heard and closed to public comment. After the public has commented, the item is closed to further public comment and brought to the commission for discussion and action. Further comment will not be received unless requested by the commission. We do have an item on public hearings, which is item D1, 26-440. Minor modification. Are there any consent items?
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