City of Merced Town Hall Goals & Priorities Survey 504 Total ..., Schemes and Mind Maps of Business

Download City of Merced Town Hall Goals & Priorities Survey 504 Total ... and more Schemes and Mind Maps Business in PDF only on Docsity! City of Merced Town Hall Goals & Priorities Survey 504 Total Responses 24:27 Average time to complete 1. Full Name - 471 Responses 2. Email address - 454 Responses 3. Phone Number – 428 Responses 4. Home Address – 426 Responses 5. Your City District District 1 41 District 2 23 District 3 50 District 4 99 District 5 50 District 6 111 Outside City Limits 32 Not Sure 62 6. The Merced City Council develops Goals & Priorities annually to guide budget development. Please indicate for each of the City of Merced's current Goals & Priorities it's importance to you from "Not At All Important" to "Very Important" Not At All Important Somewhat Important Important Fairly Important Very Important No Opinion Staffing Youth Programs City Beautification Local Streets Future Planning Economic Development Downtown Regional Transportation Sustainability Housing/Homelessness Community Wellness Agency Partnerships 7. City Staffing is tied directly to providing services to the community. Please indicate importance of fulfilling each service area staffing needs from "Not At All Important" to "Very Important". Not At All Important Somewhat Important Important Fairly Important Very Important No Opinion Police Department Code Enforcement Fire Department Parks and Greenspace Maintenance Street Improvements & Lighting Refuse Collection Water & Sewer Services Building Permits & Construction Parks & Recreation Services Economic Development (business & industrial) Airport Services Planning Services (code updates, entitlements) Affordable Housing Public Art Applegate Zoo District 3 Merced Youth Council Music Events District 4 Mini golf, water slides District 4 Model Rocket Launch Events (Family and Community friendly) District 4 Model Rocket Launch Events (Fun for all ages, even seniors). Consider researching about the Tripoli Rocketry Association and the National Association of Rocketry. They launch hobby rockets big and small, from the beginner boy/girl scout and families, to the experienced senior. District 3 More events like a Mini family Carnaval Not Sure More family camping at Lake Yosemite More Outdoor Recreation to create off season attraction for outdoor or enthusiasts who cannot reach Yosemite during the winter months District 6 More selection during farmers market District 6 More things for kids to do more sport options more parks!! District 6 More water activities/splash pads throughout our community. Also, we need much more outdoor sporting activities organized through North Merced like soccer practice fields and facilities. District 6 N/A District 2 N/A Outside City Limits N/a District 4 NA District 6 NA District 3 New bike trail , with the appropriate amount of space in south Merced. Near the airport possibly? District 5 No Not Sure NO District 6 No District 1 No District 3 No District 6 No District 6 No Not Sure No District 4 No District 6 No District 4 no Outside City Limits No District 6 No District 6 No Not Sure None None District 1 none that come to mind District 6 Not at this time. Not Sure Open camping at the Lake. Make a RV area and some families that are visiting the hospital have a place they can take their RV District 5 Open clean bathrooms in the parks. District 5 open up swimming pools , provide swimming class. District 4 Organized city hikes and biking events for varied ages. District 6 Outdoor Music District 4 Outdoor, non-electric workout space for all ages (https://calisthenics-parks.com/); outdoor eating space for food trucks (ie Spark Social SF http://sparksocialsf.com/) District 1 Park improvement. I know the playgrounds have been getting updated but what about the greenery? The rose garden at apple gate could be so much prettier. And the fountain should be restored. District 4 Park on gerard ave, by pioneer school that has been promised for 15 years District 6 Park upkeep and maintenance. We need new playground equipment and clean park. We need new types of parks and fun things for our kids to do! District 4 Performing Arts such as theater, dance, poetry. Not all kids do sports. Either provide programs to the city or help places like Playhouse Merced, dance studios, and the MAC to be able to provide such programs to more children. Not all children can afford these classes so let's find a way to help with that. District 3 Perhaps adding additional public parks to encourage our "tree city" beautification and public gatherings. Continuing finding agreements / volunteers to enlist the community in clean up of the parks, business areas, and other residential and public places that our large homeless community continues to inhabit and litter. District 6 Public tennis courts. Merced is severely lacking in this amenity. Merced college courts don't count and they have been shut down due to pandemic. There are so many youth and adults interested in tennis but really no outlet. District 6 Recreation center (Ex. See Camden Community Center https://www.sanjoseca.gov/Home/Components/FacilityDirectory/FacilityDirectory/26/2040) offering better/fun courses for all ages; such as, virtual fitness, learning language, learning to write fiction, and more. When safe, more courses in person. District 4 Recreation specifically for Senior Citizens and Disabled folks. District 5 Regional Skate Park District 2 Restore and maintain Historic Applegate Park please Not Sure restrooms at every park District 3 Rock climbing. Not Sure Safety at the parks and recreation area ie better lighting, no drug paraphernalia, no gang occurrences, no tagging. District 6 Senior Citizen focus too please. Our Seniors need programs and emotional and social well being support. District 4 Seniors neeed an exercise outlet too...perhaps a senior park...or improve one to include seniors... District 6 Splash Pad District 3 Study centers for youth that help with schooling and career services. Wellness programs that center around health and mental health. Youth and adult seminars that teach about budgeting, family planning, investing, and establishing good credit. District 4 Summer activities at neighborhood parks for children, especially teens. Not Sure Support for kids to attend ag education days, such as Farm2U Not Sure Swim lesson opportunities for kids and youth District 4 Tear down the old filthy restrooms in the parks. Put in port-a-potties with Han washing stavtions, hire local contractor to clean and service them then fired them if they do not do a good job. District 2 The movies in the park is definitely a program that should remain in regular business a lot of families really love that Not Sure they should be more school an more pranks around an make it cute an not only that what i think of merced District 5 Tree maintenance District 1 Water Park for kids District 1 Water park, Ice skating rink, Bowling Ally, and a community recreational athletics center. District 6 Water slide park, new bowling alley, indoor activities including laser tag Not Sure Waterpark. District 4 We need a brand new roller rink for kids. District 2 We need places and activities for kids that are available all the time instead of just scheduled events or classes. We need spaces and playgrounds that are shaded and can be used in the summer. The city should partner with projects like the Kids Discovery Station, a new children's museum in Merced, and organizations like UC Merced that can help provide entertainment and educational activities for children and families. District 5 Whole community events; like concert in the park (family friendly), wine strolls, community showcases of the above recreational groups. District 6 Why are people 18+ considered children ? These are adults District 4 With the city growing why not have another youth center, family activities so we can spend our own money here in our own town. Bowling, update the skating rink, update the zoo District 4 Yes, opening a community center in North Merced. District 6 Yes, out door workout areas. San Fransisco has a few and it’s a really interesting concept. District 6 Yosemite lake Outside City Limits Yosemite Lake District 3 youth engagement programs that relate to culturally appropriate; empowerment. Youth outreach for underprivileged children and adolescents to keep them busy and off the streets. There are not enough programs for these kids, instead they end up in that horrific continuation school in wardrobe where they are violated by parole officers and end up in the prison system. That school is the pipeline to the prison systems and so many of Merced youth end up in prison. Check the data these are facts! 10. The City Council takes pride in the beautification of Merced. Please indicate the importance to you of improving each City of Merced area from "Not At All Important" to "Very Important". Not At All Important Somewhat Important Important Fairly Important Very Important No Opinion City Parks Bike Paths Center Median Appearances Litter In General Public Art Sidewalks City Entryways Sub-Standard Property Abatement Neighborhood-specific Programs 11. The City Council uses the current Pavement Condition Survey to prioritize the reconstruction of roads throughout the City. In addition to regular maintenance, please rank the City of Merced areas in order of importance to you. Rank Options First choice Last choice 1. Streetlights replacements/brig… 2. Safe Routes to Schools 3. Sidewalk repairs 4. Regular traffic/pedestrian safety 5. Connecting regional projects, i… 6. Parsons Avenue Overpass or R … Not Sure Major road with potholes. Make Yosemite Ave 2 lanes in each direction for the whole length of the road from Hwy 59 to Lake Road. Not Sure Major roadways like Santa Fe, M Street, R street, G street, and Olive District 6 Many sidewalks that have been raised by tree roots that are a hazard to pedestrians. District 5 Meadows avenue District 1 Merced's South side needs a lot of attention. Road repair and replacement. A grocery store/shopping, walking paths and trails. HOMELESS!!!!!!!!!!! District 6 Merino Park is very dark at night and there is lots of kids who live in the area, some of the park lights work others don't. Maintenance on those would be great, and some of the lights that do work are very dim. District 1 Mission by Tyler st. District 3 Mistletoe abatement District 4 More bike/pedestrian paths. District 4 More law enforcement officers to enforce speed and traffic laws, assaults and robberies. Make parks and bike paths safe District 6 N/A District 2 N/A District 4 NA Outside City Limits na District 6 NA District 1 no District 6 No District 1 No District 6 No District 6 No District 6 No Not Sure No District 6 No Outside City Limits No District 6 No Not Sure None District 4 Not sure if there will be a place for this later in the survey, so though the following is not strictly related to pavement maintenance, I will include it here: Bear Creek, Rahilly Park, and all bike paths, along with regular (weekly?) clearing/ cleaning of homeless camps in these areas. Trash from homeless camps accumulates on the paths and the stench of urine is often noticeable on bike path underpasses. District 3 Older streets of Merced like 9th street District 1 olive, yosemite, r, g, and m need to be regularly resurfaced District 4 Our roads are some of the worse in the state District 3 Over and under crossings at R and V street District 3 Please add more light poles!!! District 6 Public parks cleaned up more and safer to be around as of now it’s more of a home for the homeless. District 4 Put new coats of paint to ALL the street separators and STOP signs painted on the ground. District 4 Ragsdale. Very minimal street lights. District 2 Redesign of downtown parking and Main Street traffic management District 3 Removal of roadway blockage on coffee Ave. Between pioneer and campus parkway District 6 Repair many rough city streets District 6 Repave roads and replace potholes. Hire contractors that do good work District 6 Residential areas without sidewalks District 4 Road surfacing on Yosemite Ave between Mannsioett and White Dove. Make 59 from Santa Fe Dr/West Olive Ave to W 16th St a 4 lane road with a trafic light at 59 an W 16th st. and a highway on ramp. District 1 Santa fe and Glenn ave by Hoover Middle School needs a SAFE way for students to cross that railroad. The current method of using the dirty under steps isn't ideal. District 3 Sidewalks on 23rd street between M street and R street District 5 Since R Street is a main thoroughfare up keep cleanliness and manicured shrubs/parkways, also the center where Ross and the landscape around the gas station on the corner of R and Olive always looks trashed!! District 2 South Merced District 3 Speed bumps in local communities and neighborhoods District 3 Speed bumps on 23rd St between Glen and G street. Right turn only on 23rd and G St. District 6 Street repair specifically Yosemite Ave at McKee District 3 Street repair. District 5 Street repairs District 5 street repairs District 6 Street repairs! District 1 street repairs. Not Sure Streets have degraded to a horrible level. What regular maintenance? District 2 Stretch Road Not Sure Survey should be conducted replace and repair the worst effected areas and go from there District 1 The Beachwood area District 1 The country roads: (in Southwest Merced) Mission Ave and Tyler Road are horrible. Pot holes everywhere. It's not safe to drive on these roads, and what makes it less safe, is that these roads are narrow, leaving little room for emergency situations. These roads connect parts of Southwest Merced to schools such as Farmdale Elementary, and Alicia Reyes. These are also regularly traveled roads for folks to get to HWY 59 going towards Los Banos, and to access Martin Luther King Jr. Way. Also, the highway (99 N) exit ramp for R St, and V St. are very unsafe for pedestrians and cars that are walking/traveling on R St. Most cars exit off that ramp at high speeds when there is a green light. There are always pedestrians and homeless people walking back and forth on R St. as you come off of the exit ramp. Something has to be done to slow down cars coming off that exit ramp. Lets prevent another accident. There has been one too many. Also, when will the city put a crosswalk for Golden Valley High School students who live across the street from GVHS on Child's Ave? GVHS has been there since 1996, and it's now 2021 - 25 years later, and still no crosswalk or cross guard. There are many students who walk across Child's Ave (from the GVHS parking lot - theatre side) and they do so with no crosswalk. It is unorganized and unsafe. Everyone is trying to get somewhere; parents are picking up kids and need to enter/exit school parking lot, while students are walking on foot trying to get home. There needs to be a crosswalk or a cross guard there (right where the parking lot is) to allow a safer transition from school to home, and from home to school. District 3 The intersection of K St and 21st street has a two-way stop sign. The intersection is often busy and not safe for pedestrians as it is frequented by foot traffic. Going back to a four-way stop sign intersection would be much safer, as it is is close proximity to an elementary school. District 3 The intersection on Vst. Something has to be done about the flow of traffic. That has to be the worst intersection in Merced. There is always accidents. My wife was just involved in a hit and run at that intersection. District 5 The not wide enough section on 59 and olive by the creek. District 1 The pot holes need to filled Not Sure The road on Childs Avenue from Towers to Campus Parkway is very narrow on one side a lot of pot holes District 6 The roads Not Sure There are a lot of terrible roads, unfortunately many are part of the county. By the way, someone spelled litter wrong in question 10. District 6 Traffic control District 4 Traffic enforcement on streets near schools, never see traffic enforcement anymore. Not Sure Trail expansion and maintenance, cleaning of bear creek District 5 Tree Trimming District 6 Trees-When we moved here many years ago Merced was a certified tree city USA District 3 V St. District 3 V street in south Merced has heavy traffic and the sidewalks aren't the safest nor the crosswalks for pedestrians and even some cars, specifically on 8th and V st. District 4 We shouldn't have to rely on volunteers to keep up with that trash problem. If we are going to rely on volunteers, then, perhaps that can be better organized and make it more enjoyable with more recognition for efforts. District 5 Would love to see regular/weekly path maintenance reinstated. Blowing debris off the paths for safer biking and pet walking. All the tunnels and paths are in need presently. Not Sure Yes crossing over railroad track make it smooth and wide for bike and wheelchairs. Roof repairs help and fence plus plumbing for and especially seniors District 4 Yosemite Ave, McKee District 4 Yosemite Avenue repaving between G and McKee; City Sewer Capacity; bicycle lanes. Also overgrown shrubs in City strips that encroach on sidewalks should be cut back and maintained to allow pedestrians to safely walk and see around them especially if bicycles continue to be allowed to use sidewalks instead of streets. 13. Planning for the future needs of the City is important to the City Council. Please rank these areas in order of importance to you. Rank Options First choice Last choice 1. Additional Fire Stations (N and E Merced) 2. Sewer Master Plan to support growth 3. Upgraded Park Restrooms 4. New Police Station 5. Rebranding Merced Neighborhoods 6. Providing for Infill Development 7. Quiet Zones along the BNSF and UP railroads 8. Providing services to the areas just outside… 9. Updating the Public Facilities Fee Program… 10. Updating the Sign Code Ordinance District 2 Stop the sprawl! Turning Merced into another sprawling mess like Fresno and Modesto is not differentiating this community nor is it solving the air quality problem in the region. Focus on quality architectural infill; concrete and asphalt do not make for a livable region that bakes at 40C in the summer. Where is the Downtown Rail Terminal in the Future Planning vision? Other visionaries see Merced having Altamont Corridor Express (ACE), Amtrak San Joaquin and California High Speed Rail trains intersecting and terminating here; why is this not being visualized? ...consult with Architect Bjark Ingels, Bjark Ingels Group. Think grand...think Union Station Los Angeles magnificent. This place wants to be the Gateway to Yosemite...partner with your State and Federal partners to re-connect Merced with Yosemite...massive tourism opportunity. Merced Mall redevelopment-dismal landuse design. Look to concepts like Santa Clara Square as a solution for that property that will address the housing problem. District 4 There is a need for additional staff for Code Enforcers. Not Sure These are all important topics. However, without a master plan for economic development of stable industry, all above items are worthless District 4 Through incentives Down Town Main St. store fronts should not be vacant. Merced should be a shopping and tourist stop as the Gateway to Yosemite. District 3 Try to bring to the children’s hospital and revive to the downtown. District 4 Upgrading disc golf park as it is becoming more popular for disc golfers around the valley. District 5 Upgrading park restrooms is important but not until the homelessness issue is dealt with (who destroys the bathrooms). We cant put the cart in front of the horse. District 3 walkable paths to Mereced County with plenty of new trees planted District 2 We all want our community to look and be better, definitely hoping we stop stepping on our own tails, and put funds into the community now. District 4 what the heck is wrong with the current police station? It’s central, looks nice, and is already fairly large. District 2 What’s wrong with the police station in place right now? District 3 Working with schools to learn about needs for safe routes to school. District 6 You cannot provide alternate options to be prioritised without explaining what the options actually mean? E.g what does infill development mean to a lay person? 15. The City Council is committed to supporting the Economic Development of Merced. Please rank the below areas in order of importance to you. Rank Options First choice Last choice 1. Small Business support 2. Commercial Development (retail, hotel, & rest…) 3. Merced Mall 4. Industrial development 5. Workforce training & development 6. Tourism and travel, i.e. Yosemite 7. Airport service expansion 16. What businesses would you like to see come to Merced? 373 Responses Your City District Response District 6 1. Galaxy Theater IMax (like Riverbank) 2. The Olive Garden 3. Ten Pin Fun Center 4. California Pizza Kitchen 5. Cracker Barrel District 6 A bowling alley Buffalo Wild Wings And a Chili’s District 1 A newer roller rink or bowling alley. Family friendly entertainment. No more starbucks, tire stores or dollar stores. District 4 A nice restaurant... all we have is Branding Iron (they are great). No more Dollar type stores, Mexican Tai, Chinese restaurants, no more car washes, District 3 Affordable Eco-friendly grocery with the ability to bring refillable containers. TJMAXX, HomeGoods, Marshall’s, Trader Joe’s, Lululemon Not Sure Ag businesses District 6 Aldi, ChicFilA, a Children's Museum or similar District 4 Amazon distribution site, civil engineering, medical school, medical supplies, bowling alley, clothing outlets District 6 Amazon warehouse, Kaiser hospital, Walmart warehouse, Restaurants BJ Brewery, Lazy dog restaurant, Texas Roadhouse , Cheesecake Factory, FedX at castle base, Los Angeles port at Castle base District 5 Another GROCERY Store in North Merced. College students overload the RALEY’S shopping center District 1 Anything but tire shops, Starbucks, and dollar stores District 6 Anything that’s is not a tire shop or Starbucks. District 4 Apple, Amazon, pottery barn, Trader Joe’s District 6 Apple, chic-fila, District 4 Arby's, Whole Foods, Sprouts District 4 Art business District 2 At this point anything other than tire shops. Not Sure B.J.'S BREWHOUSE, APPLE STORE, VICTORIA'S SECRET, OLD NAVY. District 1 Bass pro shop John's incredible Boomers Texas road house Fuddruckers District 4 Bass Pro Shops, Korean BBQ Best Buy, more department stores, restaurants with bar/restaurant atmosphere. District 6 Better places to eat. John incredible pizza, BJs Something Family Friendly District 4 Better restaurant options along with proper training for staffing. NO MORE fast food! District 4 Better restaurants, family recreation businesses, the Mall, technology stores, boutique small businesses, nurseries & sustainable or "green" companies. District 6 Better variety of restaurants and retail. District 5 BJ Resturant, Mods Pizza, Trader Joe’s, dick sporting goods, Bass Pro Shop, Kirklands, Sams Club, Home Goods. District 4 BJ`s Restaurant, Trader Joe's, Sprouts, Old Navey, a tap room for Dust Bowl Brewing, any micro brew. District 4 BJ’s Brewhouse, Cheesecake Factory, Trader Joe’s, Bass Pro Shops, Boomers, Water Park, John’s Incredible Pizza, Outlets, Tahoe Joe’s District 5 BJ’s Restaurant, Olive Garden, Chili’s, Red Robin, Victoria Secret, Nike store. District 6 BJ’s, BWW, Outback, Whole Foods, Chicfila, Olive Garden, PF Chengs, better grocery stores, more retail like Ulta, Homegoods, TJ Max, Kirklands, Macy’s District 4 BJs brew house , cabelas, Ruth’s Chris District 6 BJs brewery, Chili's, Texas RoadHouse District 6 BJs Restaurant & Brewhouse, Boomers Mini Golf/Go Carts, Buffalo Wild Wings, Old Navy, Drive In Movie Theater, Macy's, Apple Store, Water Slides Dave & Busters, Dicks Sporting Goods, Texas Roadhouse,Trader Joe's, BevMo TJ Max, IKEA=good for college students, The PLANK like in Oakland Jack London Square, Keiser Permanente. Please NO MORE Tireshops, car washes, dollar stores, coffee shops. We need nite life and entertainment options. Distribution centers to provide jobs wayfair/amazon etc. District 6 BJ's, Cheesecake Factory, District 6 BJs, Tahoe Joes, Jamz 209(they wanted to build here but chose Los Banos due to some politics..sigh), Olive Garden, TJ Maxx, Burlington Coat Factory, Dicks Sporting Goods, Marshalls, BevMo, Safeway, Nob Hill, WinnCo, Boot Barn, District 6 Bjs, Trader Joe’s, chili’s, weinerschnitzel District 1 Boomers, funworks, funtopia, Johns incredible pizza, Chuck E. Cheese District 4 Boomers. Dave and busters. Arby's. Wienerschnitzel. District 4 Bowling alley District 3 Bowling alley, community center, open market/mercado with family entertainment District 3 Bowling alleys, Johns incredible pizza, family entertainment places, things of that nature. District 1 Buffalo Wild Wings Dicks Sporting Goods Bowling Alley District 2 Buffalo Wild Wings, Olive Garden, Red lobster, Macy’s District 6 Buffalo wild wings, outback steakhouse, benihana, cheesecake factory, chick-fil-a, ono hawaiian, johnny rockets, tommy's, KBBQ, mediterranean food, peruvian food Trader joe's, whole foods, old navy, apple store, bowling alley, renovate the roller rink, renovate the trampoline place Mental health facilities Possibly too ambitious: Ikea, Dave and busters, concert venue/convention center, renovate/expand the zoo Not Sure Buffet style restaurants, Traders Joe, No more 99 cents stores. District 4 Businesses with jobs. Amazon, Chewy, Wineries. District 5 Cabelas sporting goods Not Sure Chic fi la, bring back Red Lobster 😁😁 Private Day care centers/ afterschool enrichment Fabric/ textiles/sewing machine industry Horse Riding academy Baseball/softball/soccer/ skateboard park facility Not Sure Chic fil a habit Red Robin Not Sure Chic fil a, Arby's, Kaiser offices, scrubs n beyond, Torrid, Amazon liquidation site. Outside City Limits Chic Fil A, TJ Maxx, Hollister, American Eagle, BJ’s Brewery, Poke Bowl District 6 Chic fil’a District 4 ChickfilA, Whole Foods, Old Navy, Olive Garden, Hotel in North Merced, Cheesecake Factory, and Kid Friendly businesses. District 4 Chick-fil-A, Whole Food's, Trader Joe's, Dave & Buster's, Red Robin, Brazilian Muscle Bowl, Amazon Distribution Center. District 3 Chick-Fil-A, Yardhouse, and things for families and our youth(we desperately need it!) like bowling or arcades, activity and art centers. Not Sure Chick-fil-a,weinerscnizel District 4 Chick-fil-A. Logan's Roadhouse. Doghouse Grill. Crumbl. Great Wolf Lodge. Buffalo Wild Wings. District 4 Chik fil a District 6 Chik fil a Coffee bean District 1 Chik fil a , indoor go kart racing "mb2 racing" District 5 Chik Fil A and Weiner Schnitzel please. District 4 Chik fil A District 4 Chik fil A! Habit, Trader Joe’s, chili’s, Red Robin, islands, bass pro shops, dicks sporting goods District 4 Chik Fil A, Bass Pro, Trader Joe’s, habit burger (went to Atwater instead??), brewery, chili’s, and bowling alley/family entertainment! District 6 Chik fil a, bowling alley, Dave and Busters, Trader Joe’s, Whole Foods, Top Golf, Olive Garden, Red Lobster, Sprouts, Habit Burger, Shake Shack, Old Navy, Dicks Sporting Goods, IMAX theatre, Drive In District 3 Chik fil A, Buffalo Wild Wings District 1 Chik fil a, morphe, BJ restaurant, Red Robin, Olive Garden, Home town Buffet, Macy’s District 4 Chik fil-a, cattlemans, another in n out, District 4 Chik-Fil-A, 2nd InNOut, Old Navy, Ulta, bookstores, laser tag, District 6 Chik-fil-a, More Dutch Bros, Old Navy, Victorias Secret, less tire shops District 3 Childcare--we can't grow without more infant care and early education resources for employees District 6 Chili’s, the habit, Ono hawaian BBQ, Trader Joe’s, Olive garden Not Sure Chili’s, Home Goods District 3 Craker barrel, rain Forrest Cafe, johns incredible pizza District 3 Daiso. I believe this business will do well in Merced as we are a diverse community. Daiso is a budget friendly store and quite popular in big cities located in Sacramento, Bay Area, and LA Area counties. Daiso will attract people of all age groups and social economic backgrounds. It may even attract customers from other cities such as Atwater, Winton, Turlock, Modesto, Fresno, Madera, Chowchilla, Los Banos, Gustine, etc. District 4 Dave & busters, Olive Garden, Pink, American Eagle, Torrid, Texas Roadhouse, Boomers, Waterpark Not Sure Dave and busters District 1 Dave and busters, red lobster, olive garden, chuck e cheese, District 4 Dick’s Sporting Goods, Olive Garden, Bass Pro Shop, Buffalo Wild Wings, Chili’s, more Bars downtown, Old Navy, Best Buy, iHop, Whole Foods, ono Hawaiian Barbecue, Shake Shack, Trader Joe’s, Rally’s, Arby’s, Chick Fil-A, Office Depot, Dunkin Donuts, Krispy Kreme, Macy’s, Cinnabon, Apple, Bowling Alley, Kirkland, Farmer Brothers, Yogurt Mill, MicroCenter. Dave and Busters. Not Sure Dicks sporting goods and another in-n-our location. Outside City Limits Diverse amount of restaurants (chain/more locally owned), businesses that provide entertainment for young adult/college population as well as entertainment for all age groups. District 3 Downtown nightclub District 6 Dunkin’ Donuts, TJ Maxx, Marshalls, Home Goods, Kirklands, Old Navy, BJ’s Brewhouse, Buffalo Wild Wings, Mr. Pickles, Firehouse Subs, World Market. District 4 Dustbowl; BJ's Brewhouse; 234 Bistro; Macys and other department stores; large industrial to create jobs. District 2 Entertainment: Bowling, TopGolf, IMAX theatre, drive in theatre, minor league team for baseball or soccer Food: Chik-Fil-A, BJ’s, Buffalo Wild Wings, Raisin Cane’s, Cheesecake Factory, Retail: Calvin Klein, NikeFactory, Adidas, Puma, New Balance, Apple Store, Best Buy, Grocery Store: Vons, Whole Foods, Trader Joe’s, Sprouts District 5 Everything that’s in Modesto or Fresno to people aren’t traveling out of town to shop District 5 Expand North Merced area to include new restaurants, District 4 Expanded restaurant/bar options District 3 Family business like Chucky Cheese. And clothing stores. District 3 Family friendly businesses like Rock n Jump District 5 Family fun businesses District 4 Family recreation FOOD!!!! Variety of places to eat. We have two Applebee’s within 10min of eachother. That’s bogus. Red Robin, BJs, chick fil a, Dunkin’ Donuts, Cheesecake Factory. NO MORE TIRE SHOPS OR CAR WASHES PLEASE FOR THR LOVE OF GOD Also would LOVE a Trader Joe’s. Lots of people would love one. District 1 For Restaurants a Habit Grill and olive garden. District 6 Galaxy luxury movie theater, winco, johns incredible pizza, Boomers/Funworks Not Sure Good restaurants and friends/family entertainment. Not Sure grocery stores in south merced, healthier eating options District 6 Habit burger, Açai bowl place, pokey place, A nice night club, Korean barbecue place, Macy’s, Express, Apple Store, bowling alley, Benihana’s, BevMo, icicle, Express, urban outfitters, American eagle, District 4 Hawaiian BBQ, gym/workout places District 4 Hawaiin Food, Olive Garden, Victoria Secret, Red Lobster I, as well as many other people that I know, drive an hour to Fresno often just for Hawaiin food. I always see people comment "Hawaiin food" on any posts where they ask Merced what we need next. I love L&L Hawaiin BBQ, but any place would be great! Outside City Limits Higher end eateries District 4 Higher end shopping / restaurants. District 2 Hmong community and cultural center with a Hmong history museuem District 6 Home good stores, dining options, kids activity centers s/a Chuck e Cheese. Not Sure Home Goods, Trader Joe's, Kirklands, BevMo, Pottery Barn/Williams Sonoma (wishful thinking) District 4 How about an entertainment venue like a dance club for the kids.... making merced a business hub for fedex like businesses for distribution points...it makes no sense for packages to go from sacramento to stockton to tracy before it gets here... Outside City Limits How about working on keeping business in Merced. Not Sure I do not care what businesses come to Merced specifically. If we had stable industry with above average incomes earned, the people of Merced would create a demand for better options of Retail Stores and Resturants. Its sad when our best choice to buy clothing is a toss up between Target and Kohls. District 4 I think the south side of town (south of 99 between G to V) really should be the target for development, especially grocery stores. It would also be nice to see a few higher-end department stores in town, such as a small-scale (satellite?) Macy’s. I was excited about the mall renovation until I learned that one of the anchor stores is going to be a place that sells clothing for around $5.00. Please, please, please no more dollar stores. More variety for grocery shopping is also needed. District 2 I would like to see new fast food restaurants, as well as new retail stores. For example, I think Merced would benefit from a Chick-Fil-A or Rally’s. I think we could also use some more grocery stores around town. Most of them are on Olive ave. District 1 I'd like to see many parts of Merced stay green and stay as farmland. We need to keep a healthy balance. Putting up buildings after buildings is not the answer. Buildings do not make a city more beautiful nor attractive. Clean air, upgraded and clean bathrooms for our parks, a diverse population, with a diverse employment force, and fixing up buildings, streets, and the infrastructure that already exists in Merced, is what will make our city enjoyable for all. District 4 I'd like to see Red Lobster and Hacienda 2. District 6 IKEA and Trader Joe’s Not Sure Ikea, chick-fil-a, Ono Hawaiian, Super Walmart or Super Target, dd's Discounts, Marshall's, TJ Maxx, BJ's Brewhouse, John's Incredible, Dave & Busters, Not Sure Information Technology District 2 Jersey mikes subs, Trader Joe's, District 6 Korean BBQ restaurant, Chick fil a, Hot pot restaurant, Trader Joe's, art supply store like Blick, would be nice to have a grocery store that had produce that was solely farmer grown produce from the local farmers in Merced county. District 6 Korean BBQ Chick-Fil-a Buffalo Wild Wings Sportsman Warehouse Dick’s Sporting Goods Larger department stores, i.e. macys District 3 Lazy Dogs, Buffalo Wild Wings, Dave & Busters District 6 Level Up Barcade, Trader Joe’s District 5 Look at Turlock and what they have done to turn it into a major shopping area. We have a corridor of exposure that must be utilized. District 5 Macy, Nordstrom, The Outback Restaurant, Victoria's Secret District 4 Macy’s District 1 Macy’s, Chick Fil a , Sprouts, District 5 Markets: Sprouts Farmer's Market (Supermarket), Ranch 99 (Asian Supermarket Chain); Food: 85C Bakery Cafe, Jollibee, IHOP, Arby's; Other: Dave & Busters, Daiso, IKEA, Small independent businesses (local restaurants, local artisans, etc.) and eco-friendly/sustainable stores District 5 Merced need entertainment for kids like Chuck E. Cheese johns incredible pizza we need more variety of restaurants bj brewery Buffalo Wild Wings famous Dave’s Red Robin chick-fil-a Olive Garden also more retail stores old navy marshalls Kirkland’s District 6 Merced needs to fill in the basics before wasting energy trying to get high-end names like Trader Joe's. Basically every business along the freeway in Turlock should have a home in Merced - Old Navy, Dick's Sporting Goods, Red Robin, Olive Garden, etc.. Bass Pro Shop would also be a fantastic magnet if we really can get one. I would also love to see the mall incorporate entertainment options like a bowling alley and have Buffalo Wild Wings (or another sports-bar type restaurant) take over the Hometown Buffet building. Ten Pin (also in Turlock) would do amazing if it was attached to the mall (or even went across R St and replaced the permanently-closed In-Shape). And of course, a Chick-Fil-A somewhere by the freeway would be huge. Not Sure MOD Pizza or Pieology Pizza, a bakery that makes breads, roll, croissants, etc. A hotel near the hospital. Some gas stations north of Olive, but not another expensive Chevron Safeway grocery store. District 6 Modern Animal, Torrid, Spencer's Gifts, Southwest airlines District 1 More activity for the youth Not Sure More art-related businesses Not Sure Some kind of family entertainment. Bowling alley etc District 3 Somewhere to shop other than Family Dollar and Dollar Stores, please. Whole town misses shopping like Gottschalks provided. Trader Joe's, Home Goods, some clothing shopping that's between Helen & Louise (high end) and uniform/work clothing, Kohl's, & Pennys (low end). There's no middle ground in Merced. District 5 Specifically: Trader Joe’s!!!! District 4 Sports center that can host big events District 2 Stop the chain stores we are importing from other places' suburbs. We need to nurture the small businesses and trades that will distinguish Merced from the surrounding towns. Distinctiveness is valuable. Not Sure Stop wasting money on Merced Mall. Nobody is going to drive across the city to go to a mediocre mall. Chick-fil-a, wienershnitzel, Dairyqueen, Cool hand Luke's, Trader Joe's. Bay area building owners have raised rent and made restaurants close. District 6 Support for small business and specialty stores. We aren't big enough for Trader Joe type stores and we don't need any more chain restaurants. Bring in industrial development because they pay better wages and benefits unlike fast food and general unskilled labor type jobs. Lets get this town and county off welfare and into jobs that pay decent District 6 Tech businesses like Google, Adobe, Ebay, etc..businesses offering good paying jobs. Also retail stores like Homegoods or TJMAXX, not another 99 cent or dollar store. Good movie theater like AMC. District 3 Tech companies of any kind. Distribution centers and manufacturing. A water park would be great. District 6 Texas Roadhouse, Chik’Fil-A, Habit District 2 The new business we need in the Merced Area are WHOLE FOODS,TRADER JOES, SPROUTS MARKET we need more organic store options. No more Starbucks coffee District 4 There are an excessive amount of businesses such as grocery stores and restaurants where you just go out and spend money. We need more industrial jobs where both ordinary everyday citizens of Merced and Merced's college & university students can benefit from. More technological businesses like Bitwise Industries are also highly desired. District 6 Those that offer more than entry level low wage jobs. Winco, Trader Joe’s, Olive Garden, new roller rink, bowling alley, miniature golf, rock climbing and rappelling, pottery / stained glass studios and the like. Not Sure To Livingston theatre. Bowling. Senior space for crafts and fun and Disabled. District 6 Trade Joe's, chick fil a District 4 Trader joe, John’s incredible pizza, bowling alley, improved or new skating rink, miniature golf, anything other thanStarbucks, dollar stores and tire shops. Keep our money within our city. I shouldn’t have to travel just to have variety of restaurants, family fun and shopping. Atwater and Turlock are building for the last few years, Merced is so far behind! The slew of Starbucks, tire shops and dollar store is not bringing new developments. District 4 trader joe’s District 6 Trader Joe’s District 6 Trader Joe’s District 6 Trader Joe’s District 6 Trader Joe’s District 4 Trader Joe’s District 1 Trader Joe’s Not Sure Trader Joe’s District 5 Trader Joe’s District 1 Trader Joe’s Bj’s Brewhouse Chick-fil-a Brewery Not Sure Trader Joe’s Shake shack Whole Foods Sprouts Hawaiian bbq Poke establishment Tj maxx Home goods District 5 Trader Joe’s and Chic-Fil-A Not Sure Trader Joe’s and chik fil a, better shopping and more small local business Not Sure Trader Joe’s or a food co-op store with a wide variety of selection, old navy, Firestone/ dog house grill, District 6 Trader Joe’s Whole Foods Safeway everything Turlock has. Less Starbucks tire shops and dollar stores District 5 trader joe’s raising canes chick fil a Not Sure Trader Joe’s! District 5 Trader Joe’s!! We need organic resources. Poke bowl restaurant!! More family outings such as: - ice skating -drive in theaters -fun centers that include, golfing/putput, laser tag, arcades. Ect. Similarly to a johns incredible but more affordable. District 3 TRADER JOE’s!!! We need low cost, healthy food options!!!!!! It needs to be located in the lower income areas of town (no further north than 27th st) so it’s within walking distance for the people in town who need it District 4 Trader Joe’s, A Bulk Store ( refill, zero waste store) District 5 Trader Joe’s, a variety of cultural restaurants, gastro pub type of restaurant District 6 Trader Joe’s, Best Buy (I understand it is slated, but we must ensure that happens), Sprouts (more diverse grocery store options), REI or Dick’s Sporting Goods (Big 5 is far too low end) District 4 Trader Joe’s, cheesecake factory, a poke restaurant, dim sum, hawaiian food, korean bbq, whole foods Not Sure Trader Joe’s, chick fil a District 5 Trader Joe’s, Chick-fil-a District 4 Trader Joe’s, Chick-Fil-A, BJ’s brewhouse, Whole Foods. More businesses and food options in general. Outside City Limits Trader Joe’s, Chick-fil-A, Rubio’s, Yard House, Baja Fresh, Ike’s sandwich, Mr. Pickles, Olive Garden in the former Home Town Buffet building. Home Goods and Bass Pro. District 4 Trader Joe’s, H&M, Jacks Urban Eats, BJ’s District 4 Trader Joe’s, health food stores and restaurants such as tender greens and urban plates. Restaurants and bars like La Mo from Turlock and coffee shops. Area with outdoor seating and lighting. IMPORTANT: opportunities to go dancing (Latin, salsa, bachata, etch. District 6 Trader Joe’s, Home Goods, Ulta, World Market, IKEA, Outback, The Habit, Macy’s, H&M, TJMaxx, District 3 Trader Joe’s, Outback Steakhouse, pieology, Not Sure Trader Joe’s, REI, Peet’s, District 4 Trader Joe’s, Sprouts, Macy’s, Dick’s Sporting Goods, clothing stores, shoe stores, larger chain restaurants, Ten Pen bowling, miniature golf District 1 Trader Joe’s, The Habit, Firestone Brewery, Philz Coffee, Best Buy, Cabela’s, Nordstrom Rack, Homegoods, District 5 Trader Joe’s, Tj Maxx, Homegoods, Cheesecake Factory, REI District 5 Trader Joe’s, tjmaxx, Sourdough Sandwich, Red Robin, Bowling Alley, Sprouts, bring back Cinema Cafe Trader Joe’s, Whole Foods, or Sprouts District 5 Trader Joe’s, Winco, Sprouts, Chick Fil A District 6 Trader Joe’s. Chick fil’a, family restaurants District 6 Trader Joe’s. Red Robin. Chic-Fil-A. BJ’s Brewhouse. Dave & Busters. Old Navy. District 4 Trader Joe’s. Whole Foods. Macy’s. District 4 Trader Joes Not Sure Trader Joe's District 3 Trader Joe's District 4 Trader Joe's District 4 Trader Joe's Not Sure Trader Joes District 6 Trader Joe's District 3 Trader Joe's District 4 Trader Joe's Outside City Limits Trader Joes and/or Sprouts Farmers Market, Ulta Beauty District 4 Trader Joes Dick's Sporting Goods Banana Republic Yogurt Mill Jack's Urban Eats District 5 Trader joes Ikea Bass pro shop Fish market and restaurant Whole foods Sprouts Outlet stores District 4 Trader Joe's!! District 4 Trader Joe's!!! It would also be really nice to have a permanent marketplace where local small farmers/ranchers, artisans, etc could market their products in a pop-up fashion. Not just a parking lot but an open space designed for shopping and visiting, eating and drinking (plaza type of space). District 6 Trader Joe's!!!! (Most important) Whole Foods Joe and the Juice Macy's Eataly Locally Owned Fine Dining Restaurants District 4 Trader Joe's, Chick Fil-A, John's Incredible Pizza, Arby's, ULTA, Bevmo, more like Turlock, who's done it right. NO MORE CAR WASHES, TIRE SHOPS! Not Sure Trader Joe's, Olive Garden District 6 Trader Joe's, Total Wine or Bev Mo, Old Navy. District 6 Trader Joe's, Aldi's, BevMo!, Outback Steakhouse, Best Buy, Cheesecake Factory, Dave and Busters District 4 Trader Joes, another quality Grocery store, more full service restaurants District 6 Trader Joes, Butterfish, The Broilers, Sequoia Brewing Company, Chick-fil-A, more sushi restaurants, Toddler Play Zones, family fun centers, ULTA Not Sure Trader Joes, Dust Bowl Brewery/Restaurant, Whole Foods, Apple Store District 6 Trader Joes, Fun works, no more Starbucks, tires shops, dollar stores. District 4 Trader Joe's, Home Goods, Buffalo Wild Wings, Texas Roadhouse, Ono's Hawaiian BBQ, WinCo, Marshalls, family entertainment, more food options! District 2 Better parks and a convention center, Olive Garden Not Sure Boxing learning to drive learning to drive public works machine for future jobs for youth and anybody that is willing to work. Not Sure Carnival Park rides for kid. Water shooting from ground. District 4 Castle AFB!!!!!! District 6 Check out other city's Economic Development departments to see what they are doing, both before and during Covid epidemic; such as, San Jose, CA. can also learn from their mistakes. District 2 Child’s and Canal should have a grocery store. The fact that there hasn’t been anything done to help put a grocery store there is disrespectful to South Mercedians. Smart & Final is not enough. An empty lot with so much potential. I’m rooting for you guys District 4 Cleaner streets, lots, businesses, removal of homeless camps, and holding businesses and lot/land owners accountable for lot appearance. District 3 Cleaning up downtown--there's not enough lighting; people live illegally in the allies; vandalism and theft is horrific; it's not safe; buildings are boarded up but you can hardly blame them because if they're not, their windows are broken. Great that there are some renovated structures, but the lack of security downtown and the phenomenal amount of foot traffic at all hours of the day, makes it a really crappy place to have a business, reside, or own an investment property. District 6 Computer science technology, medical training (RN) programs District 6 Corner of Gst and Bellevue District 5 Covid 19 has crushed the small business. The City needs to take a major lead in assistance for these current and future business in every way they can. Outside City Limits Developing the corner of Yosemite Ave and G St. into entertainment and dining for the UC students. Some type of wholesome activity like a rec center that offers ping pong, pool, rock climbing and trampolines. Also some type of night life with adult beverages and dancing. District 5 Downtown District 6 Downtown adding a nightclub District 4 Downtown desperately needs to be rehabilitated. There are so many run-down buildings in the downtown area that can be revamped and made attractive for businesses. District 3 Downtown Merced District 3 Downtown revitalization with an active association. (Visalia, Clovis, Kingsburg, Exeter) District 5 downtown shops Not Sure Expansion of parks and rec to connect trail system to Yosemite that will promote eco tourism District 3 Extend silicon valley industries to Merced District 6 Fire department District 4 Food trucks are quickly becoming popular especially with drive-thru lines being so long due to covid, they are a small business that require specialized developement District 1 For future economic development, I'd like to see Merced create spaces where local artists feel that they can thrive. Where they don't have to move out of Merced to show-off and display their work and talents. I think Merced under-utilizes local talents. I'd like to see Merced use more clean energy, improve air quality, and protect natural habitats. I'd also like to see Merced expand opportunities for growth in the Sciences. Perhaps use local talents to bring in, or build a professional and powerful telescope - right here in our city, that can be used by everyone and anyone in the community, to observe stars and the night sky. Maybe local leaders and professionals can get NASA to bring some of their programs here, to help evoke interests and develop the minds of our youth. We must plant the seed now. When considering our economic future, we must always always, put our youth at the forefront. District 3 Fun Activities like bowling, laser tag, pizza parlors, and skating. District 2 Get clear on what this place is to be...what is the brand? Gateway to Yosemite - absolutely! Target hospitality, arts and research as the economic catalysts-not fast food joints and tire shops. Bring in more of the arts: designate a region downtown for artistic trades: metal work, glass work design, leather goods, clothing design...think Allied Arts Guild, Menlo Park. The University of California is a gift from the gods for this town, much like Castle Air Force Base once was. People are leaving the Bay Area in droves to find a quieter place to be and live...look to Davis and San Luis Obispo as your models. Mindfully scrutinize the new developments coming in...some of these apartment and housing projects look more like Daly City than Santa Barbara. District 3 Get rid of payday lenders please District 1 High Speed Rail. Voters passed the bill TWICE!! We have the 4th largest economy of the world, a single state, yet we don’t have a transportation system that demonstrates that. District 4 Hire economic developers that can get things done with supportive City staff thay can attract business. District 2 Hmong community and cultural center with a Hmong history museuem Not Sure Increasing jobs for the community and resources to encourage education. Not Sure It would be amazing to have a small Google or Apple campus. Not as large as what they have in Silicon Valley, but something that would be beneficial to both the companies and the city. Bitwise is already building a campus downtown- more of that please! Not Sure Jobs to sustain our UC and JC Merced students. District 1 Lake Yosemite area should be utilized as water fun park District 4 Less tire shops and Starbucks. MORE VARIETY! District 4 Live entertainment/theater arts District 4 Local engineering company, local road management and construction co. To keep jobs in merced District 5 Main street District 6 Mental Health Services!!!!!!! District 2 Merced is on the path to becoming a university city since UC Merced is here. Developing businesses that support students would be very valuable. Perhaps consultations with university cities like Davis and others would be helpful. Not Sure Merced should look back in their history books of industry that has had an interest that we have kicked to the curb. We have a population of hard working nice people.... not necessarily Hight Tech. Stable, year round employment will again, create a demand for retail business that we do not have. District 5 Mission Ave , large retail development would be great similar to River park or Turlock. District 4 Mission Campus Parkway District 3 More entertainment for the city. District 1 More Ev charging stations. Downtown and the Mall are great areas for EV chargers. District 6 More family entertainment options. Bowling alley, laser tag, etc. Not Sure More help with small business start ups and education District 4 More schools District 2 N/a District 6 NA District 6 Need more support in Agriculture programs training . Like with FFA program at the high school . District 6 New restaurants is very important for the economy of Merced District 1 no District 6 No District 6 No Not Sure No District 6 No Outside City Limits No District 6 No District 3 No more car washes and tire stores. District 4 NO more dollar stores! Not Sure None District 1 Not sure District 6 Not sure if its considered economic development but the city should consider upgrading the public library. Have more options available for the public to interact like how San Francisco library does; have job resume building skills classes, computer classes, writing classes, have a larger section in the art and Theater section, with more plays, scripts, music scores, etc, there's not much currently the Merced Library offers in that department. District 3 Offer more walking spaces without bikes District 5 Olive and hwy 59 Not Sure Olive ave- Sante fe and 59. widen 59 between 16th and olive ave Fix the intersection on 16th and 59. Make a turning lane. District 4 Outdoor venues for food trucks, entertainment and outdoor venues, District 2 Parsons cross town 4 lane road to cross the creek and railroad tracks District 5 Please build a health food store in Merced! District 6 Please consider activities for all ages. District 3 Cleaning up the alleys--there are so many folks living/working illegally. Adding lighting in the alleys and parking lots. Security cameras--the amount of vandalism done to downtown businesses (occupied and vacant) is a regular issue with no resolution. Makes folks do not wish to occupy commercial space downtown. There is presently no visible police force. What happened to foot patrols and bike patrols? It's a curse to own a downtown rental. They're impossible to manage or own as the break-ins are seemingly uncontrollabe--or at least not easily managed by the police and definitely not by residents. District 5 Consider ANGLE PARKING also called diagonal parking for downtown gives more available parking. District 6 Consider types and placement of businesses/organizations allowed to open. Organizations which attract and service homeless are important but should not be in downtown area for obvious reasons. Work to open atleast one large center in downtown area that houses many businesses like a small mall for interesting boutiques. District 4 Consistently in how downtown storefronts appear - accountability for maintenance around storefronts, buildings and regular maintenance of trashcans, lighting and Sidewalks District 2 Creating a safe/ entertaining space that pulls in UCM students, resolving homeless situation, making west Main more appealing. District 6 Dealing with the homeless problem would help a lot. When I worked downtown, people would some a urinate on our windows, even knowing we were right there watching them. Downtown feels dirty. Not Sure Dedicated space for the Merced Certified Farmers Market... or upgrade and maintain the parking lot and surrounding landscape areas in the 16th & Canal Parking lot. District 4 Develop policies that attract more customers and businesses. Not Sure Do not allow homeless to just set up tents on city sidewalks. It was so bad when I drove through downtown Sacramento last weekend. I couldn't believe how many tents were on the sidewalk between and in front of closed businesses. Not Sure Don't focus just on downtown and base the city off of it. It proves that your stuck in the old ways. District 3 Downtown is often occupied by homeless individuals, free meals and public shower/bathroom stations should be considered as most businesses do not allow public bathroom usage to the homeless. District 1 EV chargers Not Sure Events that encourage engagement when new businesses open, like El Capitan, etc. District 4 Expansion of outdoor dining onto Main Street, allowing for Farmers Markets/cultural events Merced previously had year ago on weeknights. Family friendly events/music concerts where Main Street can be closed to traffic. District 4 Farmers market District 4 Foot traffic is vital for many downtown business, sanitation and clean walk ways should be paramount to attract potential customers to the area District 5 Fun family events and activities like ART HOP; Would like some pedestrian-friendly areas, and entertainment like live music (Example: Santana Row in San Jose) District 4 Get rid of homeless District 3 Handicapped Parking District 3 Have the small Markets stands back. District 5 having a reason to go downtown District 4 Holding events that center on music and food can't go wrong. Chilli cook-off cops vs. fire. Jazz and breakfast buffet in the summer time at Bob Hart Square. Food trucks with a dance competition. Another idea is kind of like a "shark tank" concept with local business entrepreneurs as judges, not an event, but a process to help people who want to start a small business get feedback and possibly financial advice or support. Let the master gardeners do planters. District 4 Holding large developers accountable by making them pay their fair share of taxes. District 1 HOMELESS PROBLEM!!!!!!!!!!!! District 4 Homeless/grafitti, District 2 I have no clue Not Sure I like the diagonal parking idea. District 5 I think a model for downtown development is San Luis Obispo. Look at them and do what they are doing. Not need to reinvent the wheel. Not Sure I would like to see more police walking the neighborhoods. District 4 If people do not feel safe they will not go downtown - I know I don't! District 3 if you add housing downtown, it’s need to be affordable for the average resident of merced who makes 40k per year. downtown does NOT need to gentrified by adding expensive housing District 5 If you could collaborate between local building owners and local artists, you could paint walls downtown to attract tourism. Look at LA as an example--people go to specific parts of town to take pictures for Instagram, Facebook, etc. This is such a CHEAP way to drive business to the area. Why are we not doing this?! District 4 Incentivizing building owners to improve their buildings that are old/run-down and attract businesses to those buildings. Downtown merced is currently not an attractive place to be nor is it an area to be proud of. Not Sure Just more events District 6 Keep the streets and sidewalks clean and safe. Police presence should be noticeable. Trash clean up should be daily. Parking is a problem. I took my 86 year old mother to the book store at 11am on Tuesday February 9. We had to park behind the building and walk around. Trash everywhere! District 6 Let outside money come in and push local money out . That’s how I feel about down town . District 4 Making downtown Merced more pedestrian friendly. Limiting vehicle traffic through MLK to M on 17th Making downtown nicer in general. The surrounding area is so ghetto looking. And Main Street reflects that Not Sure Mental/medical help for the homeless in downtown. Law enforcement dealing with prostitution (arresting customers and providing social services to sex workers) District 2 Merced will be a metropolitan area by 2070-2100. Start planning for long term, not just for your term. UC Merced will she’ll shift Bay Area peopl away and bring them here as more companies will be built and brought here. Be sure to allow skyrises and huge parking garages in downtown area. Don’t be afraid to think outside the box. I’m rooting for you guys District 4 More advertising of small and new businesses downtown in the mail. I would also like to see the return of Cinema Cafe. I really enjoyed Cinema Cafe and their staff. District 2 More attractions and family activities District 5 more downtown festivals that encourage diversity and inclusivity and maybe with Merced centered focus. District 4 More family friendly events during week. Farmers market. District 4 More family-oriented businesses/events Outside City Limits More local events/activities District 6 More night life District 6 More places for people to go dancing after covid is over, like a salsa place that also is a restaurant during the day, perhaps more bars and eatery's to attract more of the UC and Merced college students to hang out on the weekends. Maybe consider putting a local brewery in downtown, definitely more community events would be great in the future. District 6 More police presence. Not Sure More spaces and opportunities for vendor events District 3 More spaces like Bob Hart Square for events Not Sure Musical and dance activities for community participation. District 3 night markets and less liquor stores District 1 no District 1 No District 6 No District 6 No Not Sure No Outside City Limits No District 6 No District 6 No District 1 Not only police presence but actual law and order. District 6 Not that I can think of at the moment. District 5 People don't feel safe downtown so they don't go. I love the proposed idea of expanding Bob Heart Square, but if it is overtaken by homeless individuals it wont matter how nice it is no one will go. More people have to feel safe going downtown to turn the tides and fill it with families/people and fun. District 4 Performance spaces that can be rented out for all kinds of performances. Merced Theater is too expensive, so that, basically leaves the MAC. We need more. District 4 Please refer to previous submission because suggestions may fall in multiple categories District 5 possibly making downtown closed to traffic so businesses can expand onto the street and get more business bringing more people to the farmers market small business vendor fair? Not Sure Public Art Not Sure Public space green micro gardens/parks on down town rooftops. District 1 Quarterly vendor fairs and live music in bob hart square District 3 Remove “blight-generating” businesses and organizations. District 4 remove the homeless population who wander/sleep downtown District 4 Rennovating the downtown housing area to bring in more home owners and to reestablish our downtown area. Transition our downtown houses into a newer/upgraded development, creating a change in environment. This is a sacred area for Mercedians. We should buy, remodel and sell houses to clean up the downtown area and make it a desired location in Merced. These homes are beautiful and sacred, but are being rundown by rentals and overall bringing down the value of our downtown area. This should be the future priority of Merced. This transition will make our downtown one of the best in the country. District 4 Repair/replace buildings that are substandard and those that continue to have asbestos. District 4 Require commercial property owners to clean up their Properties! Especially when vacant. Put In place beautification requirements- like no orange and pink painted buildings allowed! District 1 Safety in the parking lots of downtown. District 6 Safety. I refuse to shop or eat downtown because it does not feel safe. Not Sure Solution for homeless in downtown merced District 3 Sports Bar District 4 String Main Street trees with lights year round. Brighten up the street and create ambiance. University in Palo Alto, B Street San Mateo, San Pedro Square San Jose, North Beach SF. It would be great for the city and folks would feel safer walking around. District 6 Support and attract local business to come to Downtown to make it look nice and presentable. District 4 Tax penalties for owners of vacant buildings to encourage leases District 2 The city should consider closing down Main Street for traffic and giving incentives to restaurants and other entertainment focused businesses to open there. Not Sure The ones already added District 1 The sidewalks and front porch of all businesses in downtown Merced need a deep cleaning from G St. all the way to R St. The sidewalks just seem so dirty. I would like to see the City of Merced consider all of 'Main St.' as part of "Downtown.' When I walk through downtown on Main St. I feel like the city only focuses on the 'middle' part of downtown (the area between M St. and Martin Luther King Jr. Way) and that shouldn't be the case; it should be all of Main St. from G St. to R St. The whole downtown area. The boarded up buildings a disgrace and eyesore District 3 There are some businesses that don’t seem to fit into the downtown direction things seem to be going. How are those businesses going to be shepherded, supported during this development project? District 4 Trash receptacles down town should be replaced with entry only shoot type (bear proof) to stop homeless from dumpster diving and urinating while other people are trying to dine outside. Outside City Limits If we could have an Altamont Expressway, it would do wonders to connect us to the bay. District 4 improve the current freeway access and exits that exist in Merced and the business' in those locations, the MLK entrance/exit intersection is a horrid mess, the business 99 entrance/exit are in need of renovation, District 4 It is a long trip to get into the city from UC Merced. There should be a much quicker method of getting there. UC Merced has a lab space near Castle Air Museum called the UC Merced Castle Facilities. The only public method of getting there from the University is through a small school shuttle van that does not operate on weekends. Many of our projects are held there on weekends starting from 10 a.m., 2:30 p.m., (and 7pm on Fridays)., so having a method of getting there on the weekends would be greatly beneficial. Not Sure Merced to Atwater shopping center day trips Merced to Murphys or Columbia day trips Merced to Gilroy shopping Merced to SJN Cemetery visitation trips District 4 More bike paths that are integrated into regional transit. District 2 More bus stops for individuals that may not have a traditional method of transportation District 6 More flight selection District 1 More frequent buses to Atwater/Winton area. District 3 More Uber services, later buses, bike routes. District 1 no District 6 No District 1 No District 6 No District 6 No Not Sure No District 6 No Outside City Limits No District 6 No District 6 No Outside City Limits No high speed rail.. waste of tax payers money Not Sure No one rides amtrak why would they ride high wooed rail. How fiscally solvent are the current options now. if those are hemorrhaging money makes no sense to throw money at a dying horse. District 4 No. Not Sure None District 4 planned bicycle routes through town and connecting other cities. Showcase our recreational bike riding areas in the local county as well as our local commuter paths District 3 Safe bicycle trails District 5 student discount to the yarts bus District 1 Taxi and ride share areas specific to high traffic areas of Merced District 2 The bus system should be expanded and improved. We have a small city which is on its way to becoming a university city we need more frequent and expanded bus routes. District 4 The destinations available at the Merced Airport should be expanded. Being able to fly to two destinations is not enough. District 6 The only one that pertains to my family and I would guess most residents is the Campus loop and even that only UC people really have a need for it. That and people coming to the UC wont have to go through less desirable areas of town to get to campus. Forget the ACE train. Develop jobs here so people don't need to go to the bay to earn decent money. HSR if ever finished will be an obsolete embarrassment. District 2 There should be some direct bus transportation between UCM, MC, and downtown. If CatTracks doesn't do it, why can't The Bus do it? District 4 These are all high priorities! District 2 Try catching a bus from neighborhoods to connect with an Amtrak train; it is not convenient or realistic. Nothing about the Amtrak Station provides a hospitable "Gateway to Yosemite" user experience for domestic or world travelers passing through Merced to Yosemite. It is poorly landscaped, dreary apartments greet waiting passengers, gang graffiti on signs make it threatening and there is no cafe or safe appearing retail around for "guests" waiting for their train. Merced is announced by crew as a smoking stop...not the Gateway to Yosemite - quite an embarrassment for commuters detraining. District 6 Waist of money . Should be cashing in on yosimitie and ag tourism. District 4 We could use revamping airport services arriving and departing to and from Merced. District 4 We really need signs at bus stops. I am from the Bay Area, where almost everyone takes the bus. I came out here, and you can't even tell where a bus stop is unless you look it up. There's almost no one on the bus, and I assume it's because it's too complicated. I would take the bus 4 times a day in the bay area. Here, I have only done it 3 times total in 2 years. I would rather walk. Same with multiple other people here that I know from the bay area. We may not be able to afford benches, but signs would really make a difference. If more people took the bus, we could make a lot more money for the city as well. Not everyone has a phone to be able to look up routes. What if someone's phone is dead? They'd be lost. Not Sure What about air travel that has destinations that make sense and/or connicting flight availability. We have Castle Air Field just sitting idle. It could be a great place for an airline to assist with coming and going from Merced. Sacramento and LAX???? Las Vegas was great for connecting flights District 3 Who gives a f about the rail? Not Sure Widen 59 between 16th and olive. 59 being split is a problem. Re routing should be thought about. Make it easier to go from 99 to North Merced with multiple options. District 3 Widen Hwy 59 between 16th and Bellevue. 22. Adhering to the best practices for a sustainable community is a priority of the City Council. Please indicate the importance to you of improving a sustainable community from "Not At All Important" to "Very Important". Not At All Important Somewhat Important Important Fairly Important Very Important No Opinion Broadband/Wi-Fi access Water Conservation Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA) Flood Prevention Climate Action Plan 23. Are there any ways the City of Merced can make improvement towards increasing a sustainable community not listed above that should be? 71 Responses Your City District Response District 2 Actually make the environment and climate change a priority. Find ways to cut down on waste as a whole. And Implement them District 2 Anything we can do to make solar panels less ugly--especially on M Street. Outside City Limits Better ways in keeping the city clean would be great District 3 Campaign to encourage residents to bag their garbage properly before going into cans. This seems to be the source of a lot of litter. District 6 Community farm/garden? Not Sure Create strong regional economy and people of Merced would not have to travel (pollute, unnecessary traffic) to obtain things that they want that are not local. Not Sure Decrease the homeless destruction of city property District 4 Development of a compost program for residents District 2 Discourage excessive plastic and styrofoam use. Too many plastic bags leaving stores. Styrofoam is rampant as a take out carrier. Most responsible cities in California have been successful in having their merchants transition to paper bags and containers. Plastic is everywhere in this town...gutters, trees, streets, creeks, alleys... Awareness, do people know where their plastic bags go? Do they understand the watersheds in this region are connected to San Francisco Bay and the Pacific Ocean? Excessive traffic speed and noise (high frequency sound systems and modified muffler systems), train noise, highway noise do nothing to sustain the quality of health in this community. Stress due to noise correlation on Downtown and West Merced residents will most likely bear this out. For a small town, this place has a serious traffic flow problem which impacts clean air sustainability. Too many unsynchronized traffic lights. Excessive fast traffic on neighborhood streets (West 11th @ W Streets) impacts the sustainability of safe and quiet neighborhoods; it also negatively impacts the sustainability of property values. One way streets on V Street (south to Childs), R Street (north from Childs to Olive), Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Way (south to Childs) and G Street (north rom Childs to Olive) may improve traffic flow by eliminating left turns across lanes in the Old Town region (Bear Creek to Childs Avenue). Sustain air quality and ambient summer temperatures by reducing excessive concrete and asphalt and replacing with drought tolerant plantings and trees. The $5m Olive Avenue and CA59 project is a highly visible example of how concrete and asphalt does nothing to add to the sustainability of air quality...trees were cut down and replaced with concrete just to build out a longer NB 59 left turn lane, for cars to queue up in so they can further queue up waiting for the Burlington Northern Santa Fe trains to clear the "at grade' crossing. District 5 Education on dumping in our local waterways- especially to apartments that back up to creeks. Apartment property owners and management need to let tenants know they have free and low cost options. District 3 Encourage proper recycling by placing signs explaining/emphasizing how to recycle into green, blue, and grey bins. Not Sure Encourage recycling and aid in ways to reduce liter in our communities and water. District 6 Expand Lake Yosemite to hold triple the water. Make it a destination spot. Summer water park, hiking paths, horse trails, gravel rides, kayak SUP and more. District 3 Financial incentives to purchase solar panels. Not Sure Free pick of up of garbage and huge items so we can clean up Merced and free dump for items that can’t afford. District 3 Green Waste; recycling options for those that live in the county; composting Not Sure Help 24. The City Council annually plans for the development of Affordable Housing and partners to provides services to better serve those individuals experiencing homelessness within the City of Merced. Please indicate the importance to you the current projects from "Not At All Important" to "Very Important". Not At All Important Somewhat Important Important Fairly Important Very Important No Opinion Childs Ave. & B St. Project (119 units) Gateway Terrace II Project (50 units) Single-Family/Tri-Plex Opportunities First-time Home Buyer Education Program SB 2 Implementation Plan Renter Advocacy Program Regional Homeless Planning 25. Are there any areas housing and homelessness projects not listed above that should be? 79 Responses Your City District Response Not Sure 1. putting a roof over ones head is a must. 2. providing clean clothes and mental health and drug treatment must be made available in any program. 3. advocacy and follow up to ensure they are progressing forward Education, money management but even if we get them a roof a job, you still can’t afford to live on your own with the cost of living. Offer group housing, like dorms. 3. Trash and Blood\fecal waste is a concern with cleaning these camps up, how can we address it now to help the tax payer burden. should we offer dumpsters and needle collection? District 4 Adopting an inclusionary zoning policy District 3 Affordable housing for renters, inclusive zoning, rental assistance. District 4 Again, inclusionary housing and making sure housing projects and options are spread equitably around the city and no all lumped into one district. Not Sure Below market Rate housing percentages in all new multi family housing construction District 6 Better solutions for student housing so they aren't taking up valuable housing stock and preventing land lord price gouging. While a a collective of students can afford high rent, most Merced residents cannot. Merced has become a commuter city with little quality employment opportunities. Residents have to commute to the bay area to afford rents/mortgages. This sadly has given rise (pun intended merced city on the rise) to all the Tireshops/car washes/coffee shops etc. Quality high paying jobs keep people in the community = putting their money to work on improving their community bettering Quality of life. District 5 Cleanup efforts and enforcement of the "no camping" ordinance within city limits. District 4 Collecting liter. District 5 Condominiums projects would be a great addition to homes and apartments District 2 Controlling new build developments from manipulating housing market. New build developments dont even use local lenders, local agents, local title companies, local construction workers and others. Why isnt City of Merced implementing a rule where new builders have to use local workers. City of Merced is still one of the most affordable cities in California and it is being exploited by big companies such as Stonefield and Lennar. Not Sure Do not allow encampments anywhere within city limits. Clean them up promptly. District 4 Do not know some of the above. And what is SB 2. District 5 Drug and alcohol intervention programs District 2 Encouragement of ADAs was a thing for a while and then died. Many Merced properties are suitable. District 4 Enforcement of anti-panhandling, camping, trash heaps, refusal to use homeless centers, Mental Health Enforcement. District 6 Family Location Plan District 6 Get people jobs and off of welfare. I estimated that the per unit cost for the Childs Ave complex to come out to $350,000 per unit. That is more than a house in Merced. Waste of money to build these and then to pay the rent in perpetuity. Get people working and make welfare embarrassing again District 5 Get the homeless problem under control. District 5 Homeless advocacy is non-existent in Merced. A drop-in shower facility would help build the self-esteem lacking in many of the homeless, also being presentable would lessen the prejudice the Homeless deal with daily. A locker facility for the homeless's belongings would rid the burden of moving belongings from one place to the next and decrease the random stuff tossed to the ground. The relationship between the homeless, no matter gender, race, or mental health status, is met with indifference and hostility. The neglect of Merced's homeless population with mental illness is pathetic at best. I have interacted with many in my area, and I know one thing for sure, "You can build it, but they won't come inside." District 6 Homes that are a safe environment for single parents raising small children District 4 I am not sure where these are all located but the homeless planning is of interest to me as well as the projects that create affordable housing. I’d like to a high quality and affordable grocery planned for these areas. Not Sure I do not know what SB 2 is I would like to know the State's plans on homeless are. District 6 I ticked very important to all because homelessnes here is no joke, but please explain what they are. District 2 If your sick of the homeless rate find a tiny home or create a homeless village or just a place for them to feel safe. Covid 19 rocked them tooo... THEY ARE HUMAN AND THEY Deserve some courtesy. District 3 I'm not familiar with the first two listed. We need to find a way to help those needing housing, but not at the peril of the property owner. I see too many trashed houses by tenants who don't care and who face no repercussions for their damages. District 4 INCLUSIONARY ZONING needs to be a priority. Making sure that developers actually make units that are affordable for people who live below the poverty line. District 6 Inclusionary Zoning, more housing for very low and low income residents Not Sure Increase in Mental health and Substance abuse services. District 5 Innovative options such as tiny home villages, and additional resources (another homeless shelter, adequate staffing and activities/programs at said shelters) District 6 It is important to consider programs for the homeless that allows for them to keep their pets. As I understand it many of them remain on the street rather than surrender their animals. Additionally they need to be required to attend a constructive program during the day that teaches them social responsibilities as well as budgeting and basic life skills, but provided with safe and clean places to reside in during the night. Accountability is tantamount. District 2 It should be illegal to camp on public streets District 4 Just the big mental health/addiction crisis of our modern times. Offerings of peer-to-peer counseling training in the city could lead to the formation of an army of knowledgeable helpers. There are so many people that would be great at this, it's like an untapped resource. This type of counseling can establish a sense of belonging within communities. Belonging is a powerful antidote. District 5 KEEP THEIR AREAS CLEAN. PROVIDE TRASH CAN/PICKUP AND PORTABLE TOILETS. District 4 Landlord assistance District 6 Look into programs that offer homeless work for pay; such as, area clean up, etc. District 3 Make sure the homeless from Sac and SF feel unwelcome and move alone down the 99? District 2 Mental Health and drug dependency Facilities and Services...the people on the streets are mentally ill and/or drug dependent and need to be taken off the streets so they can ultimately learn how to help themselves. SB Implementation Plan is meaningless without a definition...what is this? YouTube "The Fight for the Soul of Seattle" to fully understand the need to properly house people. District 6 Mental health is a bigger issue. We need more mental health support. Not Sure Merced Rescue Mission. We should look into giving residents precedence over homes in Merced and limit investors. District 4 More coordination between the city and UC Merced should be made. Students need more housing options, renting single family homes is not the answer. Having multiple students as renters in a residential neighborhood is not the ideal. Affordable apartments close to UC Merced need to be developed. Not Sure More ways to feed the homeless and maybe look at creating living areas where they can camp/live that provide trash services and restrooms. District 5 Need more low income housing District 2 Need multiple and ethnicly diverse organizations to provide these services and resources District 1 No District 1 No District 6 No District 6 No District 6 No Outside City Limits No District 6 No District 6 No District 1 no District 4 No. Not Sure None District 5 not many options were brought up to solve the homeless issue District 6 Obviously our homeless population is increasing, hopefully more housing opportunities for them will help. District 5 Please approve more apartments there are only going to be more UC students and they need housing and more importantly Mercedians need it too. They UC takes away and is raising rent prices District 3 Please clean up the homeless areas. These people need housing and all the trash is an eye sore! District 5 Presenting this to Merced College and University of Merced STUDENTS. District 4 Providing housing is important but providing means to reduce and increase homelessness in Merced is vital. District 3 Rehabilitation and mental health programs and treatment are a much needed service to homeless individuals. As well as childcare provided for families looking for employment opportunities. District 3 Safe ground temporary encampment with trash cans, portable restrooms & hand washing area. Limit number & ensure there’s a caseworker or housing manager. Not Sure Small units on home lots (granny units); mini home sites District 3 staff that reflects the population as well as service; yes, more affordable housing to be built to meet the demand of our poor communities. Stop accepting them into our community from larger cities District 1 The emotional and mental well-being of the homeless is equally important to finding a solution to their housing needs. Not Sure The homeless don't use the resources we have now. A homeless camp might help. They need to be held accountable and guided to be civil residents. District 1 The issue of homelessness is destroying Merced. In some areas it looks like a dump. We have to do better! It’s getting worse by the day. District 4 The projects that are planned now will not provide enough housing for Merced’s homeless, especially when one considers Merced County and not just the city. I’m not sure what the S2 Implementation Plan is, but if it is a plan that integrates homeless services (especially comprehensive mental health programs) along with housing options, then we definitely need such a plan. Really, without a solution to homelessness, Merced will continue to deteriorate. 28. Please feel free to include additional partners you’d like the City to pursue in the next fiscal year. 42 Responses Your City District Response District 3 A City of Merced x Merced Youth Council collaboration! District 4 Active Neighborhood Watch programs. Not Sure Amazon, Tesla, and Apple. District 2 Better/More hospitals please. District 5 Big brother/Big Sister program District 5 Building Healthy Communities, Young Leaders Institute, 99 Rootz District 3 Centro La Familia from Fresno would be an amazing partnership to help address several issues that our most vulnerable residents face. District 3 City should be partnering with schools for more than joint use recreational spaces. How about for internships/mentorships w high school students? District 3 Elderly programs for SEA communities Outside City Limits I would change out the School Youth Programs to the Sheriff's office, Merced Police Department, and or city of Merced Youth programs. The school youth programs and internships only cripple the youth that participates in them. I have seen much better developed and adjusted adults come out of programs ran by the sheriff's office, and the Police department than any programs ever ran by a school. Not Sure Inmate clean up crew. District 6 Job training District 6 Just a concern that too many homeless programs will attract more to Merced. Rather focus on helping citizens avoid becoming homeless, gang prevention, etc. District 3 Local media highlighting positive occurances within Merced. District 4 MCOE Arts development to help bring more arts related programs to our youth District 6 Mental Health Support!!!!!!!!!! District 6 Merced city schools used to have an adult education program. I used that often when I had employees who needed brush up on basic skills such as grammar and spelling. District 3 Merced College, Youth Council, community based organizations District 2 Merced Youth Soccer Association, the biggest non-profit organization in which serves the most people in the county. They help families maintain health lifestyles and shift kids away from potential harm. Just saying District 1 No Outside City Limits No District 6 No District 4 No. District 1 None District 6 None Not Sure None District 1 Non-Profit agencies that work directly with neighborhoods and residents, to support their needs. Not Sure Not sure what Schools: Joint-use Recreational space means, but I would like it to mean opening the high school swimming pools for lap swimming, limiting hours for "recreation/fun" use. District 4 Ok District 6 Our schools and colleges already offer pathways to job training. Not Sure Police programs for anybody that interested in law enforcement like forensics aviation etc. mechanics programs for people that wanna work for public works construction for public works etc. District 3 Programs provided to youths and adults on how to navigate their way in school on various ways to study in subjects. As people transition to higher education, some may not know how to be engaged in certain subjects. District 2 Racial ethnic equity and social justice, high quality cultural and linguistic services District 2 San Joaquin Joint Powers Authority California High Speed Rail There is a Rail link on the City website however, it is never updated. This is going to be a huge economic boast for this community, the public needs to be able to engage with it in an informed manner. Merced County does not appear to be cooperative Business Partner with the City of Merced. The County Administration building is poorly landscaped and downright dull. The Merced County Fairgrounds is completely out of date and adds nothing to the landscape...they need to contribute to the vibrancy and potential economic vitality of the county seat by looking more like an agricultural conference center. The adjacent property looks like a left over concentration camp. The north face of the historic Courthouse needs cleaning and painting...not too impressive for Amtrak passengers. District 5 TAKE CARE OF OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT District 4 Tech companies, green and sustainable companies, wildlife refuge partnerships District 2 The City does well at establishing community partnerships. District 6 The city should engage with local sports league to improve the quality of local fields and facilities. District 4 The terms used in this portion are so vague and ambiguous that it's difficult to answer any of these objectively. District 3 Union Labor Trades. Apprenticeship programs. District 5 Without the health of the public, nothing else will matter. Years ago, Merced identified the severe lack of health professionals and access to those professionals and yet absolutely nothing has been done to address this issue with sincerity. The word to new residents is, "You don't want to get sick here because it's likely you'll die? Not Sure Youth job training.. I work in HR and kids have zero life skills on taxes . W2, benefits, 401k. bring back what the public sector is not teaching our kids. ic merced is great but what about the JC. push vocational training to get those who aren’t the higher educated opportunities for career change. The local job climate doesn’t support these UC graduates, but it does for Jc students 29. How did you hear of our Virtual Town Hall? Social Media 374 Newspaper 1 Radio 3 Special Insert with Utility Bill 19 Other 29 30. Are there any additional areas that you’d like to bring to the City Council’s attention? 124 Responses Your City District Response District 4 ****Street repair is greatly needed on 27th street in front of Catholic Church. There are large chunks of asphalt that breaks off the road which leaves big potholes and asphalt clumps that are dangerous to maneuver around. District 6 *True diversity in Police Department. *Anonymous Code Enforcement Link. *community contests...Best Xmas display, best landscaped improvement, etc fostering keeping front yards maintained. *campaign to stop graffiti and tagging. Such as a Billboard stating the cost for graffiti clean up in one year and what City programs the $ could have been used for. Get citizens to understand how it affects them and perhaps more will report. Anonymous reporting line. Thanks for listening. District 2 16th street between T and V District 4 A better survey that allows people to fill in concerns, or Address the fiscal aspects of any of these things listed. You're just looking for an easy tabulation survey. District 4 A place where car enthusiasts can meet up and enjoy, take pride in their achievements. District 5 All entrances to merced look like hell. 99 is horrible not only to drive but it look like a slum. Its embarrassing to invite people to visit because no matter where the enter its a bad impression with the looks but also homeless hanging around. My out of town family think we live in a horrible place and beg us to move away District 6 All these ideas are for nothing if we can't talk some sense into the MCSD board and get the schools back open. The negative effects of these school closures will be felt for years to come. District 6 All you criminal politicians want is votes . Three things you need to focus on before anything else . 1 Safe streets from criminal activity’s 2 best education you can provide for our youth . Not just the standard for California. We need to be above standard . 3 smooth roads . If you can’t do all three of these basic needs to our community you need to resign and let someone who can in . Thank you and good luck District 6 Allow police dept to conduct trainings for outside agencies to create revenue for the city Not Sure As a resident of merced county for 30 years now. What we really need is more jobs. District 3 Better support from the Police station District 3 Caring for trees in our neighborhoods District 6 Cheaper Permit fees District 4 City and County should work together to have better and bigger facilities and volunteer opportunities for the Animal Shelter, as well as a catch-and-release program for feral cats and rescues for homeless dogs to help reduce overpopulation in our town/county. Outside City Limits City employee wages are an area of great concern. I have been working for Merced PD for 16 years and haven’t had a take home raise in 13 years. City of Merced needs to value their employees and show them they are appreciated. District 2 Community garden ? Not Sure COVID recovery. There are/will be many things the city needs to address once the pandemic has subsided. I have been disappointed that Covid is not an ongoing agenda item for the council’s meetings. We should be addressing present concerns and planning for future restoration. District 5 Create an Incentive or City Tax Break for 3 years for additional Merced Police APPLICATIONS. Not Sure I live across from Elmer Murchie Park located on the block of Bancroft and Arrowood. There are two lit basketball hoops. These hoops remain lit all evening and individuals use the court at all hours of the late night and early morning hours. This is greatly disturbing our sleep. Along with the noise from the bouncing basketballs, there seems to be an affinity for most late night and early morning visitors to play loud music from their cars. The easiest first step could be to post park hours and shut off lights to basketball court after 10pm in accordance with noise ordinances. Also, the surface could be repaved with a sound absorbing material. Please feel free to contact me with any questions or comments. District 3 I sincerely wish a true effort would be put into making downtown safe. It's really not. It's scary to walk during the day. It's terrifying at night. The alleys are not only dirty, but so much illegal activity occurs there. Meaningful police presence has started and stopped numerous times and no long term solution has ever materialized. The newly remodeled buildings are beautiful, but they are a very small part of downtown. Residential and commercial spaces are not safe. Security cameras? More police presence? Truly cleaning up the area--not just smacking fines on property owners, but opening gates and seeing what's happening behind them, is critical. Arrest criminals. Move homeless elsewhere. Give our downtown a chance. I LOVE working downtown for the proximity to City Hall, banks, post office, but I hate the consequences. There's no point in replacing broken glass because it just happens repeatedly and no serious police action is taken. There is so much potential to make downtown a wonderful place to live and work. Currently, I see no true effort at making that a reality. District 4 I think there should be a focus on Merced's disc golf course since it is neglected by the city and the disc golf community has to take care of it themselves. District 3 I think we need to focus more on what the community needs for our families and youth. They need safe spaces and places to grow if we want things to get better here! It’s not all about the money from tourists. Focus on the people who are HERE now. District 3 I would love to see a TNR program I know the SPCA has such a program, but I feel Merced needs another one with as many strays & unwanted animals I see on the street-maybe more Animal control officers-more hours for the officers animals run free 24/7 not 8am to 4pm District 4 I’m concerned about the size and road proximity of the complex under construction at East Yosemite Ave and Lake Rd. It is going to be a traffic nightmare from the start and a ghetto within a few years. Money spoke. Residents were ignored. District 4 In order to encourage our citizens to shop locally, we must bring desired businesses and opportunities to our community. District 1 It would be nice to have a Disc Golf Course added to the new South side park. This is a sport gaining in popularity and is very popular in college towns. It will also bring tournaments to Merced which will bring in revenue. the course will pay for it self. District 6 Ive been in Merced 6 years. The city could be beautiful and safe but the gangs and homeless and general lack of resident responsibility and pride keep that from happening. People toss their trash and have no respect for common areas. Lets work to bring the pride level back and I think civic engagment like wht the mayor is doing right now is a good start. So more advertising of city clean ups and lets get schools and youth groups involved District 2 Just be better, think about the citizen in EVERY district. I want better for us all here..and I want our environment to be something that I can be proud of. Not Sure Just know many residents from Mariposa travel to Merced/Atwater for shopping needs. We might not be residents of Merced but we help alot with the businesses we visit. District 5 Just overall cleanliness... District 3 Keep up the good fight. It will be worth it, current and future Mercedian's appreciate it. District 6 Keeping existing bike trails safe-such as bear creek. District 3 Keeping public safety fully funded District 6 Kids need to back to school! Homeless population is out of control Not Sure Let's all focus on kindness, and respect for others, as we improve our city! District 4 Looking into more job training/vocational schools to bring here so the people can get some sort of trade to start working. Four year schools are not for everyone. More people would start a career if we had more options here in town. District 4 Make Main St. a destination by filling every storefront. Trash receptacles are scavenged by homeless. Replacing them with "bear proof" shoot in, one way, receptacles would solve this problem and beautify as well. District 6 Merced needs business growth. We can’t understand how Turlock & Atwater have added so many great businesses & restaurants & Merced has not! District 6 Mercy (Cormorant Dr) people park, smoke, burnout, race, run the stop sign, and dump their litter. District 6 More city police Department personnel District 6 More cleaning up of homeless encampments with long term housing solutions More funding for Fire. More Fire Stations in the north/east. District 6 More restaurants that are sit down. Being able to fill in the space on Yosemite and G with restaurants. Bring a Safeway or another grocery store. Outside City Limits Motel on 16th street, Franklin/Beachwood Area, Bike Paths, Homelessness, Litter all throughout the City and overall the whole city needs improvement. District 4 Need more police patrolling neighborhoods across Merced at all times. We almost never see police in Ragsdale and wish we saw more! District 1 no District 1 No District 6 No District 6 No Outside City Limits No District 6 No District 5 No District 6 No District 1 Not at this time District 1 Not enough marked crosswalks or stop signs along G or MLK, south of 15th Street. District 5 now where in any of these questions do you address the homeless Animal problem. The Merced SPCA has a local TNR program that is endorsed universally. TNR means TRAP NEUTER RETURN. The city needs to recognize the severity of this problem especially with homeless and wild cats. Killing them is not the answer. You will never solve the problem that way. Spay and neuter is the solution. A TNR Program can led to over a 70% decline in animal control cat intake therefore saving Merced thousands and thousands of dollars. If you can't look at this problem from a moral responsibility stance, then please at least look at it as a Financial one. District 6 OPEN THE SCHOOLS, THESE KIDS NEEDS TO GO BACK TO SCHOOL! This should be our priority! District 4 Our city's trees. Is there a way to make sure that residents water city trees? Or, could the city water the trees that are neglected. I've seen some lovely young trees wither away when all they needed was regular watering. Calling it in is a cumbersome way to get it done. District 6 Please be considerate of the communities you plan to build in and please provide more mental health support! District 5 Please bring a Chik fil a or a Weiner schnitzel to the corner of Yosemite and G District 3 Please do not put a new park off beachwood! That park will get graffitied so fast! District 4 Please do something to fix the homeless problem in Merced. There are way too many people wondering the streets who have drug problems and mental issues. People don't go downtown because of this. Also, give us places to shop for clothes, furniture, antiques, so we don't have to leave town to do this. Please put more effort in to making the hwy 99 off-ramp areas more inviting for travelers. If I'm a traveler and I take one of our off-ramps, I'm probably not going to want to stop and stay for very long, in fact I might just skip it and go on to the next town. District 5 Please help reduce train horns in city limits. District 4 Please make our kids and youth your priority. Let’s invest in their (our) future. Please adapt programs that have data to support that they work. And consider the unique demographics of our region. Make programs and activities accessible to all regardless of income, language or background. Please use more than one means to outreach and get the word out. No everyone has social media. Consider tv programming, mailing flyers, word of mouth, billboards... us partnerships with school districts, public health, county programs, etc. Not Sure Put a chik-fil-a!! District 6 Retention...need to focus on compensating our employees so we quite losing them to other agencies. This is costing us time and money as a City. We need to somehow create a longevity incentive so our employees are more willing to work here for 30, 35, or 40 years. We need to stop losing our highly trained employees to other organizations which leaves us footing the bill to train another candidate. District 6 Signs on Olive that lead to UC or MJC need to be redone. Also, trash accumulation around city needs attention. District 5 small businesses are struggling at a time like this both downtown, in their homes, and at the farmers market. i think bringing more attention to them and allowing them a time for people to support them would help them a lot District 3 staffing and police officers that reflect population; create a police accountability team; services in HMONG. Not Sure Stop being stuck in your old ways. Yes, we don't want to be a Small San Jose and continue to be a farm town. Turlock and Atwater have proven that it's still possible. Cities across the world were build off of the railroad, then highways. We need that revenue. Nobody is going to drive 15 minutes fighting threw traffic to go to baskin to Robbins while their traveling on 99. People come from around the world to go to Yosemite and the exit to Merced (140), their greeted by homeless and drive threw a not pleasant view of what they think is Merced. Think about making Belleview a "Express way" or small highway that circles the city Outside City Limits Stop project room key. This has brought in a new element. Have you not noticed increased shootings, heroin overdoses, prostitution and child trafficking directly tied to the influx caused by project room key. Wake up it is ruining our town and endangering our children. Wake up. There are dozens of people who have been btought to our town by this project. Wake up. District 1 Students walk along Childs Ave. to Golden Valley High School year after year in the dirt near a recently increased speed limit area. We need sidewalks. I’ve been here over 10years and they still walk too close to traffic for comfort. District 1 Support to businesses that are near neighborhoods, like Family Dollar and Joey's Recycling on Yosemite Parkway, to help with issues that arise from the clientele, such as sleeping in vehicles/loitering/camping out on the properties and creating litter/graffiti that the businesses have to deal with. These businesses also have vehicle entryways from E 21st street, which causes gridlock and weekly car accidents. There should either be medians to prevent cross-traffic turning or have the entries completely blocked off so that access can only be from Yosemite Parkway. District 3 Supporting Non profit arts organizations District 5 Survey did not ask questions regarding healthcare. Would like more health care (Kaiser and/or Sutter) and we need more providers in the area for all types of health (physical & mental). We also need affordable grocery stores in the areas that are considered food deserts (South Merced). District 4 The amount of money that goes into the police is ridiculous. That money could be better spent on any number of projects to improve our city as the police do not make me or many others feel any safer or better served. District 5 The dog park. The side for the big dogs needs to be reseeded. I realize that donations made this park happen but the city accepted it and has to take responsibility and put out the money to take care of if. Not Sure The harsh chemicals that are used in the water. I own a new home with new pipes and it is clear that there are way too many harsh chemicals in the water. District 3 The trash throughout the city is horrible. The garbage collectors need to step it up. They should be picking up trash around the clock.