Chapter 5--Public Services and Facilities

The goals and policies contained in this chapter address the provision of public services and facilities necessary to meet the demands of Merced’s residents now and in the future. The General Plan postulates what facilities may be needed or desired in the future. This includes looking for the most cost-effective and efficient ways of providing services as well as searching for alternative means of financing capital improvements.

A wide variety of public services and facilities are addressed in this chapter, including:

Fire and Police Protection;	Water
Wastewater	Storm Drainage/Flood Control
Solid Waste Disposal	Schools
Library and Cultural Services	Health and Justice Services

The location of fire facilities is a critical factor in providing adequate fire protection to the citizens of Merced. The time and distance that must be traveled to the scene of an emergency can determine whether fire suppression efforts will be successful. The goals, policies, and actions in this chapter address location criteria and distribution goals for new fire facilities.

Community-based policing aims to bring police officers into the neighborhoods they serve to increase citizen involvement and to try to deter criminal activity before it starts. This chapter includes policies designed to implement these concepts.

The Merced Water Supply Plan has evaluated the City’s water needs through 2030 and suggested strategies for meeting those needs. In cooperation with the County and Merced Irrigation District, the City will develop conservation and recharge efforts to stabilize the region’s aquifer.

The provision of adequate wastewater facilities to serve the City’s new growth areas will require master planning for new collection facilities and expansion of the City’s treatment plant. These issues as well as the promotion of uses for reclaimed water are addressed in the policies in this chapter.

The master planning of facilities for managing and disposing of storm water run-off will be mandated as the City’s population reaches 100,000. Working with the County and MID, the City will support a regional approach to addressing this mandate. The policies in this chapter address the above efforts as well as designing multi-use (storm drainage, groundwater recharge, flood control, and recreation/open space) facilities.

State law mandates that the amount of solid waste deposited in landfills be reduced significantly in the coming years. The City is committed to working with the County to promote source reduction, material recovery, and recycling programs while at the same time reducing impacts from disposal facilities on City residents.

As the City grows, new school facilities will need to be provided. Although the responsibility for providing these facilities resides with the school districts, it is in the City’s interest to make sure that schools are adequately sized, centrally located to the populations they serve, and adequately served by infrastructure. The goals and policies in this chapter address desired school location criteria, the collection of school impact fees, and the cooperative planning of higher educational facilities.

Library and cultural facilities are essential to maintaining Merced’s high quality of life. The City supports these services by planning for new facilities, exploring long-term financing options, encouraging joint use of facilities, and promoting public access to information technology.

Government and health-related facilities also provide essential public services which will need to be expanded as the City grows. The policies in this chapter encourage the central location of major government facilities in the downtown area and convenient access to health-related facilities for all of Merced’s citizens.

Other highlights of the Public Services and Facilities Chapter include:

Descriptions of current and future services and facilities provided by the City and others, such as fire and police protection, water, wastewater disposal, storm drainage/flood control, solid waste, schools, and cultural facilities;

Goals and policies regarding the maintenance and improvement of Merced’s infrastructure, the cost-effective provision of public services, and requiring new development to provide or pay for its fair share of public improvements; and,

A discussion of proposed strategies for financing public facilities.

Chapter 5--Public Services and Facilities

Goal Area P-1: Public Services & Facilities

GOALS

Maintenance and Improvement of Merced's Existing Infrastructure

New Development Which Includes a Full Complement of Infrastructure and Public Facilities

Efficient and Cost-Effective Public Service Delivery

POLICIES

P-1.1 Provide adequate public infrastructure and services to meet the needs of future development.

P-1.2 Utilize existing infrastructure and public service capacities to the maximum extent possible and provide for the logical, timely, and economically efficient extension of infrastructure and services where necessary.

P-1.3 Require new development to provide or pay for its fair share of public facility and infrastructure improvements.

Goal Area P-2: Police & Fire Protection

GOAL

A Community Reasonably Safe From Crime and Fire

POLICY

P-2.1 Maintain sufficient public protection equipment and personnel to serve the City's needs.

Goal Area P-3: Water

GOAL

An Adequate Water Source, Distribution, and Treatment System in Merced

POLICIES

P-3.1 Ensure that adequate water supply can be provided within the City's service area, concurrent with service expansion and population growth.

P-3.2 In cooperation with the County and the Merced Irrigation District, work to stabilize the region’s aquifer.

Goal Area P-4: Wastewater

GOAL

An Adequate Wastewater Collection, Treatment, and Disposal System in Merced

POLICIES

P-4.1 Provide adequate wastewater collection, treatment, and disposal capacity for projected future needs.

P-4.2 Consider the use of reclaimed water to reduce non-potable water demands whenever practical.

Goal Area P-5: Storm Drainage

GOAL

An Adequate Storm Drainage Collection and Disposal System in Merced

POLICIES

P-5.1 Provide effective storm drainage facilities for future development.

P-5.2 Integrate drainage facilities with bike paths, sidewalks, recreation facilities, agricultural activities, groundwater recharge, and landscaping.

Goal Area P-6: Solid Waste

GOAL

Solid Waste Management Services That Accommodate the Local Population Without Causing Significant Damage to Environmental Resources

POLICIES

P-6.1 Establish programs to recover recyclable materials and energy from solid wastes generated within the City.

P-6.2 Minimize the potential impacts of waste collection, transportation, and disposal facilities upon the residents of Merced.

Goal Area P-7: Schools

GOAL

Adequate School Facilities for All Students in the Merced Urban Area

POLICIES

P-7.1 Cooperate with Merced Area School Districts to provide elementary, intermediate, and high school sites that are centrally located to the populations they serve and adequate to serve community growth.

P-7.2 Support higher educational opportunities.

Goal Area P-8: Cultural & Community Services

GOAL

Support for Cultural and Community Services that Improve and Maintain the Quality of Life for the Residents of Merced

POLICIES

P-8.1 Support the cultural and health-related needs of the community by incorporating such facilities and services in development and redevelopment proposals.

P-8.2 Promote consolidation of complementary or support services to avoid duplication of programs.

P-8.3 Work with others to study innovative ways of delivering library services at the neighborhood level to promote community education and provide a focus for community activity and cultural development.