Merced City Council Meeting - October 19, 2026

The Merced City Council, sitting as the City Council, Public Finance and Economic Development Authority, Parking Authority, and Successor Agency, met on Monday, October 19, 2026, at 6:00 PM in the City Council Chamber, 678 W. 18th Street, Merced, after a closed session at 5:00 PM. Mayor Matthew Serrado presided, with Councilmembers DuPont, Tao, Harris, Smith, Jong, and Mayor Pro Tem Boyle present. No report was made out of closed session.

Consent Calendar

• The Council approved the consent calendar (Items I.1-I.3) unanimously after pulling Items I.4-I.6 for separate discussion. The request to pull I.4 also came from a public speaker.
• I.4 – Approved the First Amendment to the West Coast Arborists, Inc. agreement for tree pruning and removal services, not to exceed $413,000 annually, through June 30, 2028, with an option to extend through June 30, 2031. Public Works Director Ken Owen said the amendment corrects the annual-period terms; the City performs tree replacement in-house. Motion passed unanimously.
• I.5 – Awarded a bid to Ferro Automotive Group for twelve 2026-or-newer Chevrolet pickup trucks (three Colorado, five Silverado 2500HD, and four Silverado EV units) for a total of $627,128.61. Police vehicles in the item were described as budgeted replacements. Motion passed with Councilmember Jong voting no.
• I.6 – Awarded a bid to Razzari Ford for two 2027 Ford Explorer Active 100A RWD vehicles at $38,510.64 each ($77,021.28 total), replacing two MPD detective units. The bid was $17,330.62 lower than the only other bid and was the lowest fully compliant bid. Motion passed with Councilmember Jong voting no.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Steve Graham urged respect and responsibility, saying police officers should be treated with respect and that recent name-calling was a leadership issue.
• Aggie Freeman (Rotary E Club of Silicon Valley, speaking for the Merced Police K9 Association) described the October 17, 2026 Paws on Patrol event at Lake Yosemite with nearly 200 participants and emphasized community support for police morale.
• Matthew Moore expressed concern about police misconduct and called for cleaning up the department from the top down.
• Norma C reminded the public of the November 3 election date, same-day registration, and listed priorities such as affordability, healthcare, immigration reform, clean water/air, and wages.
• Sol Rivas (Valley Onward) and a YLI youth speaker invited the community to a Day of Unity for Immigrant Communities on October 28, 5-8 PM at Bob Hart Square, citing ICE-related fear and economic impact.

Additional public comments are noted under the relevant agenda items.

Action Items

• J.1 – 626 W. Main Street property sale – Staff presented three RFP proposals for the 2,500 sq ft city-owned parcel (APN 031-134-025): Porch on Main (Hopeton Properties, $25,000 purchase price), Merced Commons Plaza (626 W Main Street LLC, $65,000), and Main Street Valley Lane and parking improvements (ERE Construction, $25,000). Staff recommended Porch on Main, citing family-friendly design, jobs, capital investment, and business incubation. Council discussion addressed purchase-price proximity to the $55,000 appraisal, possible gating, and food-truck competition. The Council voted unanimously to select Porch on Main and authorize staff to negotiate a Purchase and Sale Agreement with Hopeton Properties, LLC.
• J.2 – Joint Powers Authority (JPA) with MCOE – City Manager Scott McBride and consultant Adam Bauer presented a proposed JPA with the Merced County Office of Education to finance infrastructure for the Virginia Smith Trust (VST) project. Councilmember Jong opposed, stating the structure prioritizes a charter school over tier-two infrastructure; Councilmember Smith supported it as a financing tool. The motion passed with Councilmember Jong voting no and Councilmember DuPont recusing himself.
• J.3 – 2026-2036 Parks, Recreation, and Open Space Master Plan – Director Chris Jensen reported that the plan was shaped by 500+ engagements, nearly 1,400 community comments, and 200+ open-house attendees. Norma C spoke in support and asked to elevate an indoor multi-generational recreation facility. Councilmember Smith voiced concern about fiscal feasibility but voted in support. The Council unanimously adopted Resolution 2026-67 approving the PROS Master Plan.
• J.4 – Glock pistol purchase – Chief Stanfield requested waiving competitive bidding for standardization and purchasing 120 GLOCK 45 Gen 5 pistols, holsters, and accessories from LC Action Police Supply for not more than $106,327.42. Councilmember Jong voted no; the motion otherwise passed.
• J.5 – Fahrens Park Maintenance District supplemental appropriation – The Council approved transferring up to $1,346 from the General Fund unreserved fund balance to Fund 4021 for assessment-balloting noticing costs. Staff outlined outreach through October-November, a December council resolution, January ballot mailing, and a March public hearing and ballot count. Previous balloting was 21.5% yes and 78.5% opposed. Motion passed unanimously.
• J.6 – Fire Department vehicle upfitting agreement – The Council approved waiving competitive bidding and a three-year, not-to-exceed $300,000 Services Agreement with Cooks Communications, Corp. for vehicle upfitting, plus a $171,180 supplemental appropriation ($155,619 plus 10% contingency) for current command and support vehicle outfitting. Motion passed unanimously.

Reports & Information Items

• K.1 – AB 481 Military Equipment Report and Crime Statistics – Chief Stanfield reviewed the required AB 481 military-equipment inventory, including drones, robots, an armored vehicle, rifles, and chemical agents, noting the full document is available on the departments transparency hub. He also presented five-year crime statistics: dispatch calls for service are at 112,000 and on pace to exceed 149,000-150,000; incidents at 61,000 are on pace to exceed 82,000; fatal collisions have dropped from 13 in 2024 to 2 so far in 2026; homicides total 9 this year after six in the first two months; complaints are down to 43 (32 unfounded); and current staffing is 94 officers. Chief Stanfield identified aging radio and computer-aided dispatch systems as major needs. Norma C asked about drone and robot use and youth crime data; Councilmember Jong requested future AB 481 reports include frequency-of-use data and funding/maintenance sources.
• K.2 – Public Art Program and Investment Report – Senior Management Analyst Jennifer Blackman reported that from FY 2021-22 through FY 2025-26 the city identified approximately $728,000 in public art-related budgets, of which about $279,000 was city-sponsored and $449,000 came from grants and outside sources; project-related payments totaled about $539,000. Roughly 62% of identified project budgets came from outside funding. The Council discussed whether the city should continue as the art procurer or shift to a patron model; an Arts and Culture Advisory Commission subcommittee is reviewing other municipalities models. Norma C asked for greater investment, a plan, and a finalized fair-pay policy for artists. Colton Dennis announced the California Arts Council is meeting in Merced.

Key Outcomes

• Approved consent calendar items and the three separately considered consent contracts (tree services, vehicle purchases) with votes as noted.
• Authorized negotiation of a Purchase and Sale Agreement with Hopeton Properties, LLC for 626 W. Main Street (unanimous).
• Approved moving forward with the MCOE JPA and document preparation (majority with one no and one recusal).
• Adopted Resolution 2026-67 accepting the 2026-2036 Parks, Recreation, and Open Space Master Plan (unanimous).
• Approved purchase of 120 Glock pistols from LC Action Police Supply (majority; Jong no).
• Approved $1,346 supplemental appropriation for Fahrens Park Maintenance District balloting noticing (unanimous).
• Approved three-year Cooks Communications vehicle-upfitting services agreement with $171,180 initial appropriation (unanimous).
• Received the AB 481 report and Public Art Program report as information items; directed future AB 481 reporting improvements.