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 PMThursday, February 9, 2023
Weaver Middle School Town Hall
A. CALL TO ORDER
Mayor SERRATTO called the Town Hall Meeting to order at 6:37 PM.
A.1. Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag
Mayor SERRATTO led the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag.
B. ROLL CALL
Clerk's Note: Mayor Pro Tempore PEREZ arrived to the Town Hall Meeting at 6:46 PM.
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 for attending.
D. PUBLIC COMMENT
Mike MURPHY, Merced - spoke on petitions to place the Measure C tax back on the ballot and the details of the new Measure C.
Allen BROOKS, NAACP, Merced - spoke on dedicating a master plan for Parks and Recreation Department services for youth this summer.
February 9, 2023City Council/Public Finance and
Economic Development
Authority/Parking Authority
Minutes
Louis SMITH, Merced - spoke on the benefits of completing the railroad on G St. and requested a Public Information contact for Merced County Association of Governments.
Ron COOK, Merced Walks, Merced - spoke on abandoned shopping carts and to update the business contact list on the City’s website.
Jim SANDERS, Merced - spoke on the shopping cart ordinance, thanked Mayor SERRATTO for his help during the flood, and expressed his support to switch Measure C to a citizen's Measure.
Steven GRAHAM, Merced - spoke on placing the Measure C tax back on the ballot, asked for more details on the Highway 59 shutdown caused by CALTRANS, and details on the letter to the Attorney General.
Madeline HARRIS, Leadership Council for Justice and Accountability, Merced - spoke on the housing budget, funding source for youth jobs, assistance for low-income families, flood recovery, and reallocation assistance for properties that have been red-tagged.
Mackenna THORTON, Merced - expressed her concerns on homes not considered substandard, holding landlords accountable, asked the City for assistance on her living situation, and rental assistance for those affected by the floods.
Felipe, Merced - spoke on majority vote for Council and Mayor.
Rebecca MARTINEZ, Merced - expressed her concerns on affordable housing and funding for damages due to floods.
Julissa, Merced - spoke on funding for a youth guaranteed housing program.
Ale, Merced - expressed concerns on youth housing and asked for more details on the ARPA funding allocated for housing.
Rick WENDLING, Merced - requested for the meaning of “affordable” and the letter sent to the Attorney General.
Harry, Weaver Trustee, Merced - spoke on needing to expand land by Pioneer School, Canal expansion by Weaver or Golden Valley High School, and sidewalk to Golden Valley.
February 9, 2023City Council/Public Finance and
Economic Development
Authority/Parking Authority
Minutes
Priya LAKEREADY, Merced - asked about the ARPA funding and flooding effecting the budget, about cuts when ARPA money goes away, and if the UC Merced annexation will bring in money.
Joel KNOX, Golden Valley Neighborhood Association, Merced - spoke on the City’s response to the flood, the lack of preparedness, bicycle paths, and the speeding issues.
Pastor Caesar OCHOA, Merced - thanked the City for allocating funding to the Isaiah Project.
E. COUNCIL COMMENTS
Council Members gave a brief closing comment and thanked those in attendance for their input.
F. ADJOURNMENT
Clerk's Note: The Town Hall Meeting was adjourned at 8:09 PM.