Citizen Advisory Focus Group Meeting on Merced General Plan Vision – May 27, 2026

The Citizen Advisory Focus Group (CAFG) held a regular meeting on May 27, 2026, at 2:00 PM (PDT) to discuss and refine the draft vision statement for the Merced 2050 General Plan. The meeting included public comment, approval of previous minutes, and a detailed workshop on the vision statement. Members provided extensive feedback to make the vision more inclusive, affirmative, and actionable.

Consent Calendar

• Minutes from February 25, 2026: Approved unanimously on a motion by Boyle, second by Greg. Roll call vote passed without opposition.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Norma Cardona: Urged the group to ensure the vision reflects environmental justice, tenant protections, and investment in disadvantaged communities. She emphasized that 14 census tracts in Merced are classified as environmental justice communities and that many units are at risk for lead-based paint exposure. She requested inclusion of tenant right of first refusal, lead paint removal, and support for local businesses over large corporations.
• Unnamed speaker: Described experiencing multiple hate crimes downtown and called for free public spaces, job creation for youth, and caution against expanding industrial and tech sectors that could lead to pollution or gentrification. He advocated changing language from "destination for talent and investment" to "location for talent and community investment" and adding "free" to public gathering spaces.
• Marilyn Sobel: Stated that Merced mainly benefits white, middle-class retirees and urged the vision to better address disadvantaged communities, linguistic diversity, and affordable housing. She noted the city's goal of 60-70% high-end housing and only 4-6% affordable housing, calling it unbalanced and out of compliance with state mandates.

Discussion Items

• Visioning Exercise (Item F1): Consultants Bretton Michael and Michael Gibbons presented a draft vision statement spanning three paragraphs. The statement emphasized Merced as a forefront city, downtown as a jewel, intentional growth, and quality of life. CAFG members offered extensive feedback:
  • Mr. Thomas: Criticized the passive "will continue" language and observational tone; urged a testable, actionable vision with new commitments. Suggested replacing "expanding industrial and technological sectors" with growing healthcare and education. Emphasized distributed growth, neighborhood amenities, and walkable communities.
  • Mr. Maxie: Proposed adding a sentence emphasizing youth and family quality of life, including recreation, education, and cultural sharing. Suggested adding "realistic" or "achievable" to growth language. Agreed to remove "continue" and use affirmative verbs.
  • Ms. Hirsch: Questioned the phrase "will continue to stand at the forefront" as contradictory; called for more emphasis on diversity and culture. Noted that Merced should not be just a rest stop to Yosemite.
  • Mr. Dennis: Wanted accessible arts citywide, not just downtown.
  • Mr. Gregor: Clarified the process: feedback from CAFG will be incorporated, then a revised draft goes to 30-day public review, then planning commission, then city council. Confirmed consensus on the direction.
  • Mr. Boyle (Mayor Pro Tem): Supported adding youth, safety, tourism, and connecting North and South Merced. Emphasized quality of life as the north star.
  • Mr. Max: Suggested adding "gateways" to the skyline sentence to improve first impressions. Also noted the need for realistic growth and community building.
  • Other members: Called for inclusion of free public spaces, arts investment, affordable housing, city responsibility in investment, and recognition of Merced as a regional anchor.
• Annual Attendance Report (Item F2): Reviewed and approved unanimously. Members were reminded to notify staff if unable to attend meetings.

Key Outcomes

• Vision Statement Revision: Consensus was reached to revise the draft vision statement based on all feedback. The consultant team will incorporate changes including removing "continue" language, adding emphasis on youth, safety, tourism, South Merced, gateways, equitable growth, local jobs, city investment, arts accessibility, and neighborhood amenities. The revised draft will be presented for public review (30-day period) before advancing to planning commission and city council (targeting September 2026).
• Annual Attendance Report: Approved unanimously.
• Next Steps: CAFG members with written suggestions were asked to submit them to planning staff. The group will likely review the revised vision before public release.