OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

Merced City Council Meeting: July 6, 2026 - Housing Fines, Parks Fees, High-Speed Rail Outreach, and Commission Appointments

City Council & Commissions — Monday, July 6, 2026
BodyMerced, California
SessionCity Council & Commissions
DateMonday, July 6, 2026
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 5:07:40

Transcript — Verbatim
0:02

Oh short, item eight closed session roll called present.

0:10

Harrison Smith.

0:12

Sean, Mayor Pro Temboil.

0:15

And Mayor Sarah.

0:21

And just for the record, we have no register of speakers for this item.

1:01:48

All right, good evening, everyone want to welcome everybody to the July sixth, two thousand twenty-six meeting of the Merced City Council.

1:01:54

We're going to begin with an invitation from Pastor Joel Dorman, Summit Church of Mercedes, and after that, Pastor Dorman, if you could be so kind at least in the Pledge of Allegiance, sir.

1:02:07

Let's pray.

1:02:09

Our Father in Heaven, we thank you for this beautiful day that you have made.

1:02:12

We thank you for the reprieve from the heat that we've had the past few days, and yes, we are still grateful, even though the heat is coming, for we are grateful in all circumstances, if for no other reason, the fact that summer doesn't last forever.

1:02:25

We thank you, uh, Lord, also that you have provided this form of government that we have to be engaged with.

1:02:30

We thank you for the two hundred and fifty years that you have blessed our nation with.

1:02:34

We think that even though we may disagree, we still have the freedom to disagree, and we can even express that forcefully.

1:02:41

We thank you for that.

1:02:42

We also pray your blessings on those who keep us safe.

1:02:45

Uh police, fire, rescue our military.

1:02:48

May you bless them, bless their families as they serve our communities, as they serve our nation.

1:02:53

And we thank you for our city council.

1:02:55

We thank you for the city employees and those people that work so hard to make our city a better place.

1:03:00

And may we all as citizens reflect uh the name of our city.

1:03:03

May we be people of mercy in the city of mercy.

1:03:06

In the name of Jesus, my Savior, I pray.

1:03:08

Amen.

1:03:12

I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible with liberty and justice for all.

1:03:31

Okay, agenda item D roll call, Councilmember DuPont.

1:03:35

Present.

1:03:37

Harris.

1:03:38

Smith.

1:03:38

Present.

1:03:39

Here.

1:03:40

Mayor Pro Tim Boyle.

1:03:41

Here, and Mayor Serrado.

1:03:42

Here.

1:03:43

Mayor, I'd like to remind the audience if that if they wish to address the city council, they may they must or they may submit a request to speak in one of the following ways.

1:03:52

Complete a green request to speak form available at the back of the council chamber and submit it to the deputy city clerk before the item is called, preferably before the meeting begins.

1:04:01

Scan the QR code corresponding to your preferred language, English, Mmong, or Spanish, located behind the seats in the council chamber and follow the instructions and submit a request or or submit a request to speak online by visiting public comment.city of Merced.gov and individuals participating virtually by phone must provide a valid phone number to so staff can identify the caller during the meeting.

1:04:24

Please be patient as this is a new process and there may be some disruptions or issues, the staff will do their best to ensure everyone gets an opportunity to speak.

1:04:40

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 will be posted on the city's website.

1:04:50

Material may be emailed to you.gov and any correspondence received after one PM will be distributed to the city council and retained for the official record.

1:05:00

Also for those audience members who wish to have Spanish among translation services, please let our interpreters know.

1:05:05

If you are participating virtually by phone, please indicate that as you register to speak.

1:06:54

His girlfriend Cynthia is standing in the back.

1:07:04

John now patrols the waters of Lake Yosemite, I understand.

1:07:19

I understand you have an interest in joining the student-led EMS Corps, and that ultimately you hope to become a pilot.

1:07:28

Brett was chosen or nominated, excuse me, by our Congressman Adam Gray.

1:07:48

And I brought up some notes, because I want to make sure I got this right.

1:07:51

Okay, so he just recently graduated from Merced High with a GPA 4.1.

1:07:56

He was on the varsity football and track team, the president of the Digital Wellness Club.

1:08:01

He attended Merced College during his senior year and became a registered EMT.

1:08:07

Brett, our city is proud of you.

1:08:09

I'm proud of you.

1:08:10

I wish you all the best of luck.

1:08:12

What you just did took a lot of courage, particularly in this world we live in.

1:08:15

And I want you to know that not just your mom and dad, but this entire city is behind you.

1:08:20

So whatever challenges, I know you got it.

1:08:21

All right.

1:08:22

Congratulations.

1:08:28

Evening, everybody, my name is Cartha Prasad here on behalf of Congressman Adam Gray, and for once I'm not here to speak on a whole bunch of legislative stuff.

1:08:34

I'm here to talk about Brett's achievements today because holy moly, as as Councilman Smith uh mentioned, uh the Congressman utilizes a committee of uh community leaders to help him select uh who we want to send to any of the service academies.

1:08:47

And we want to be we want to be real sure that we're sending our best and brightest.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Procedural██████████████████████████████████████38%
Transportation Safety████████████12%
Public Safety████████8%
Public Engagement████████8%
Parks and Recreation████████8%
Economic Development███████7%
Affordable Housing██████6%
Housing Code Enforcement████4%
Community Engagement██2%
Summary of Proceedings

Merced City Council Meeting: July 6, 2026

The Merced City Council met on Monday, July 6, 2026, at 6:00 PM in the City Council Chamber. The meeting included a closed session at 5:00 PM, regular session with consent calendar, two public hearings, action items, and business items. Key decisions included adopting updated fines for repeat housing code violators, approving new parks and recreation fees, authorizing outreach on High-Speed Rail, and making appointments to multiple commissions. The meeting adjourned at approximately 10:30 PM.

Consent Calendar

  • Approved the consent calendar as a block, with items I-4 (Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory minutes), I-5 (bulletproof vests), I-6 (emergency response drone systems), and I-17 (Public Works parts and supplies) pulled for separate consideration.
  • I-5 and I-6 were approved together: purchase of bulletproof vests from Angel Armor not-to-exceed $61,830.40 (grant-funded) and a 4-year agreement with Motorola Solutions for BRINC drone systems not-to-exceed $479,993.99 (opioid settlement funds). Councilmember Zhang voted no on both.
  • I-4 (Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory minutes) was received and filed unanimously.
  • I-17 was approved with recusals: Councilmembers Smith and DuPont recused from sub-items L (Central Valley Trucking), DuPont from AQ (McAuley Motors) and BN (Schoettler Tire). The remaining sub-items were approved. Sub-items L, AQ, and BN were voted on separately with recusals; all passed.
  • Other consent items (I-1 through I-16, minus pulled items) were approved unanimously.

Public Comments & Testimony

  • Public Comment (non-agenda): Vincent Hamill proposed a public-private partnership for transit services (Stagecoach Private Transport). Megan Aponte invited the community to the inaugural Paws on Patrol Fun Run on October 17, 2026, at Lake Yosemite to support K-9 units. Supervisor Josh Pedroso thanked the city for downtown improvements and mentioned a bear naming announcement.
  • Public Hearing J1: Ashley Marie Suarez (in person) and Daisy Rommel Sacosta (remote) spoke in strong support of increased fines for repeat housing code violators. Suarez highlighted findings from public records requests showing recurring violations and long resolution times.
  • Public Hearing J2: No public speakers.
  • Action Item K1 (Opportunity Zones): No public speakers.
  • Business Item L1 (High-Speed Rail): No public speakers.
  • Business Item L2 (Bicycle Safety): Joe Brucea spoke in favor of school-based bike safety education programs and referenced other cities’ models.
  • Commission Appointments: Miranda Griswold spoke in support of her application to the Arts and Culture Commission.

Discussion Items

Public Hearing J1: Repeat Housing Code Violator Fines

  • City Attorney Craig Cornwell presented a proposed resolution updating the administrative citation schedule to include a $1,000 fine for placement on the repeat violator list and a $500 daily fine for uncured violations. He compared penalties from Fresno, Sacramento, Berkeley, and Long Beach.
  • Council discussion focused on the daily fine amount and the standard for abatement. Councilmember Smith proposed raising the daily fine to $1,000 after 30 days of non-compliance and changing the abatement standard from "good faith efforts" to "reasonably diligent efforts under the circumstances."
  • Councilmember Zhang moved to set the daily fine at $1,000 from the start, with the standard of "reasonably diligent efforts." The motion was seconded and passed unanimously (5-0). Resolution 2026-40 was adopted.

Public Hearing J2: Parks and Community Services Fee Schedule

  • Parks Director Chris Jensen presented proposed fees for Bob Hart Square (block rate: $150/hr for 1-2 hrs, $125/hr for 3-6 hrs, $100/hr for 7+ hrs; additional Canal Street overflow space at 25% of base rate), Fahrens Park Disc Golf Course (tournament fees: $200/1-day, $350/2-day, $400/3-day), and Merced Regional Sports Complex (CP42) (field rental, pickleball, parking fees, etc.).
  • Council asked about restroom requirements, calendar availability, and lighting hours. No public comments were received.
  • A motion to adopt Resolution 2026-39 passed unanimously.

Action Item K1: Opportunity Zone 2.0 Census Tracts

  • Economic Development Manager Amanda Williams proposed submitting four census tracts for state consideration: 06047001801 (Northeast Merced), 06047001301 and 06047001302 (Downtown West and East), and 06047001603 (South Merced).
  • Council debated the merits, particularly for Northeast Merced. Councilmember DuPont requested more data on existing opportunity zone impacts. Councilmember Smith expressed concern about diverting investment from needier areas.
  • Councilmember Harris moved to approve three tracts (Downtown East, Downtown West, South Merced) and table the Northeast tract for two weeks. The motion passed unanimously.

Business Item L1: High-Speed Rail Outreach

  • Deputy City Manager Frank Quintero provided a detailed update on the past 12 months of HSR activities, including the potential station relocation from downtown to Southeast Merced (Mission Avenue/Highway 99), loss of ACE and Amtrak service, and the 2026 business plan.
  • Council discussed the need for community engagement. Councilmember DuPont called for HSR CEO Ian Choudry to attend the August 3 council meeting and for HSR to hold town halls.
  • A motion to authorize creation of an Engage Merced module and pursue additional outreach (media briefings, op-eds, social media) and to work with HSR on town halls passed unanimously.

Business Item L2: Bicycle Safety

  • Mayor Serratto, Mayor Pro Tem Boyle, and Councilmember DuPont raised concerns about ride-outs, e-bike safety, and street takeovers. Police Chief Stanfield offered to bring recommendations to the Public Safety Subcommittee.
  • Councilmember Zhang advocated for infrastructure improvements and referred the item to the Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee. Council voted 4-1 (Zhang opposed) to send the matter to the Public Safety Committee.

Commission Appointments (Items L3-L10)

  • Arts & Culture Advisory Commission: District 1 and District 5 tabled to July 20; Bree Wolf appointed to District 2; Tommy Tran appointed to District 6; ex-officio members Anna Browning and Anahita Furuton appointed (Councilmember Harris as council ex-officio).
  • Bicycle & Pedestrian Advisory Commission: Dina Gonzalez reappointed to District 2; District 5 and 6 tabled; Craig Hamlin appointed as ex-officio; second ex-officio tabled.
  • Personnel Board: Alberto Escobedo appointed.
  • Planning Commission: Abel Menessis appointed to District 2; Anthony Gonzalez reappointed to District 5.
  • Recreation & Parks Commission: Amanda Estrada appointed to District 1; John Carlos appointed to District 3; District 4 tabled; Christopher Carter appointed to District 6.
  • Regional Airport Authority: Delvina Johnson reappointed; two vacancies tabled.
  • Tax Transparency Commission: Tabled due to no applicants.
  • Building & Housing Board of Appeals: Emily Souza appointed; second seat tabled.

Key Outcomes

  • Resolution 2026-40 adopted: Updated administrative citation schedule for repeat housing code violators. Fines: $1,000 for listing; $1,000 per day after cure period expires; standard for abatement: "reasonably diligent efforts under the circumstances." (Unanimous)
  • Resolution 2026-39 adopted: New fee schedules for Bob Hart Square, Merced Open Air Theater, Fahrens Park Disc Golf Course, and Merced Regional Sports Complex (CP42). (Unanimous)
  • Opportunity Zone 2.0: Approved submission of three census tracts (Downtown East, Downtown West, South Merced) to GoBiz. Northeast tract tabled to July 20 meeting. (Unanimous)
  • High-Speed Rail Outreach: Authorized creation of an Engage Merced module and comprehensive outreach plan; directed staff to work with HSR on town halls. (Unanimous)
  • Bicycle Safety: Referred to Public Safety Subcommittee for recommendations. (4-1)
  • Appointments: See Discussion Items above for specific appointments.
  • Future Agenda Items: Councilmember Zhang requested discussion on changing commission meeting times (set for September 21). Mayor requested flood control update (set for September 7).

Meeting Transcript

Oh short, item eight closed session roll called present. Harrison Smith. Sean, Mayor Pro Temboil. And Mayor Sarah. And just for the record, we have no register of speakers for this item. All right, good evening, everyone want to welcome everybody to the July sixth, two thousand twenty-six meeting of the Merced City Council. We're going to begin with an invitation from Pastor Joel Dorman, Summit Church of Mercedes, and after that, Pastor Dorman, if you could be so kind at least in the Pledge of Allegiance, sir. Let's pray. Our Father in Heaven, we thank you for this beautiful day that you have made. We thank you for the reprieve from the heat that we've had the past few days, and yes, we are still grateful, even though the heat is coming, for we are grateful in all circumstances, if for no other reason, the fact that summer doesn't last forever. We thank you, uh, Lord, also that you have provided this form of government that we have to be engaged with. We thank you for the two hundred and fifty years that you have blessed our nation with. We think that even though we may disagree, we still have the freedom to disagree, and we can even express that forcefully. We thank you for that. We also pray your blessings on those who keep us safe. Uh police, fire, rescue our military. May you bless them, bless their families as they serve our communities, as they serve our nation. And we thank you for our city council. We thank you for the city employees and those people that work so hard to make our city a better place. And may we all as citizens reflect uh the name of our city. May we be people of mercy in the city of mercy. 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, indivisible with liberty and justice for all. Okay, agenda item D roll call, Councilmember DuPont. Present. Harris. Smith. Present. Here. Mayor Pro Tim Boyle. Here, and Mayor Serrado. Here. Mayor, I'd like to remind the audience if that if they wish to address the city council, they may they must or they may submit a request to speak in one of the following ways. Complete a green request to speak form available at the back of the council chamber and submit it to the deputy city clerk before the item is called, preferably before the meeting begins. Scan the QR code corresponding to your preferred language, English, Mmong, or Spanish, located behind the seats in the council chamber and follow the instructions and submit a request or or submit a request to speak online by visiting public comment.city of Merced.gov and individuals participating virtually by phone must provide a valid phone number to so staff can identify the caller during the meeting. Please be patient as this is a new process and there may be some disruptions or issues, the staff will do their best to ensure everyone gets an opportunity to speak. 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 will be posted on the city's website. Material may be emailed to you.gov and any correspondence received after one PM will be distributed to the city council and retained for the official record. Also for those audience members who wish to have Spanish among translation services, please let our interpreters know. If you are participating virtually by phone, please indicate that as you register to speak. His girlfriend Cynthia is standing in the back. John now patrols the waters of Lake Yosemite, I understand. I understand you have an interest in joining the student-led EMS Corps, and that ultimately you hope to become a pilot. Brett was chosen or nominated, excuse me, by our Congressman Adam Gray. And I brought up some notes, because I want to make sure I got this right. Okay, so he just recently graduated from Merced High with a GPA 4.1. He was on the varsity football and track team, the president of the Digital Wellness Club. He attended Merced College during his senior year and became a registered EMT. Brett, our city is proud of you.

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