City Council Chamber
Merced Civic Center
2nd Floor
678 W. 18th Street
Merced, CA 95340
CITY OF MERCED
Minutes
City Council/Public Finance and
Economic Development
Authority/Parking Authority
6:00 PMWednesday, January 25, 2023
Merced Multicultural Arts Center Town Hall
A. CALL TO ORDER
Mayor SERRATTO called the Town Hall Meeting to order at 6:45 PM.
A.1. Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag
Mayor SERRATTO led the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag.
B. ROLL CALL
Mayor Matthew Serratto, Mayor Pro Tempore Bertha Perez, Council Member Jesse Ornelas, Council Member Sarah Boyle, Council Member Ronnie DeAnda, Council Member Shane Smith, and Council Member Fue Xiong
Present: 7 -
Absent: 0
C. OPENING COMMENTS
C.1. Matthew Serratto - Mayor
Mayor SERRATTO briefly explained the process and reasons the City Council holds yearly Town Hall Meetings.
All Council Members introduced themselves, welcomed the public, and thanked them all for attending.
D. PUBLIC COMMENT
Mr. SCOBLE, Representative of the DNA Group, Merced - thanked Council for approving the Spaghetti Acres making it historical designation and thanked Public Works and engineering for putting sidewalks in their neighborhood.
Sandra HAY, Merced - asked for an update on the Bear Creek bike paths safety, from Applegate park and Walmart.
Merced Resident, Merced - asked about funding and time frame of bike
January 25, 2023City Council/Public Finance and
Economic Development
Authority/Parking Authority
Minutes
path repairs.
Susan WALSH, Representative of the league of woman voters, Merced - spoke on the City assisting in improving the Merced County Elections, Bike Paths and Organic Waste in Merced, and getting involved in the education system.
Melody H, Merced - spoke on the issues of Downtown parking, the parking garage next to City Hall, and handicapped parking availability.
Merced Resident, Merced - emphasized the group of handicapped citizens needing assistance.
Jennifer MCQUEEN, CEO of Central Valley Pride, Merced - spoke on affordable housing, public restrooms, and the LGBTQ community expenses coming from donations or out-of-pocket, and asked to see more city support for this community.
Merced Resident, Merced - spoke on Adventure Playgrounds and having more accessible locations for children in Merced.
Pangcha VANG, Merced - spoke on reallocating funding from police, fire, administration, and economic development to fund flood relief for low-income families, add more funding to the affordable housing trust fund, creating a community displacement assessment, public bathrooms, youth wellness center in South Merced, and to invest 10 million to the Pride center.
John Ceccoli, Deputy Director HSA Housing of Merced County - spoke on Merced County’s attempt to house 100 children in 100 days and other attempts for affordable housing.
Merced Resident, Merced - spoke on the Senior Center being moved and to ensure there is a building that will function for their needs.
Cynthia Kelly, Merced - thanked Public Works and city staff for their response on the flood and spoke on placing the Measure C tax back on the ballot in 2024 due to the amount of important department staff being funded on this tax.
Victoria ESPINOZA, Merced - spoke on items spoken during this Town Hall, a Police Department incident involving an unhoused citizen, internal complaints in PD, and the decision to recall the letter sent to the Attorney General.
January 25, 2023City Council/Public Finance and
Economic Development
Authority/Parking Authority
Minutes
Rick WENDLING, Merced - spoke on the California funds, the amount of goods rising, and inflation hurting low-income families and retired individuals.
E. COUNCIL COMMENTS
Council Members gave brief a closing comment and thanked those in attendance for their input.
F. ADJOURNMENT
Clerk's Note: The Town Hall Meeting was adjourned at 8:01 PM.