Merced City Council bans public camping. When will the new ordinance take effect?

Camping on public property in Merced will carry stricter penalties beginning Dec. 18 under a new ordinance approved by the City Council on Monday night.

The amended “Camping and Storage of Personal Property” ordinance sets fines and jail time for storing personal belongings and camping on streets, sidewalks, parks, parking lots and within 1,000 feet of a school. City-sponsored events are an exception.

“I can tell you from my personal email box that there’s overwhelming support in favor of this ordinance from the constituents who reached out to me,” Shane Smith, District 4 council member said before the vote. The district covers Northeast Merced.

Penalties for violating the new ordinance include fines of $50 first offense, $150 second offense within 12 months of the first offense and $300 for each additional violation within 12 months of a first offense. Repeat offenders also may be banned from certain areas for up to 30 days of a violation, charged with criminal trespassing and jailed for up to 30 days.

District 2 Council Member Ronnie De Anda and District 6 Council Member Fue Xiong voted against the ordinance. Xiong has opposed the ordinance since it was proposed in August. De Anda provided no comment.

“We need to address root causes rather than trying to be punitive with how we address our unhoused population,” Xiong said during a September council meeting.

Merced has the highest proportion of unhoused residents in the county, more than two-thirds, according to the 2024 Point-in-Time Count, and more than half or 55% of unsheltered individuals reported having no income.

The ordinance was first brought to council following the Supreme Court’s approval of Grants Pass in June. The ruling granted cities increased authority to regulate public encampments.

This story was originally published November 19, 2024 at 2:45 PM.