A small group of concerned residents came to the Dos Palos Coffee Saloon on April 5 with hopes of speaking to Merced County District 5 Supervisor Scott Silveira about concerns regarding infrastructure and safety within their communities.
Silveira sat down early on a Saturday morning and passed out refreshments as he answered questions and shared resources with the community about current and future updates for District 5, which includes Dos Palos, South Dos Palos, Midway, the Dos Palos Y and Los Banos.
Gerald Giesel, a member of the Friends of the Los Banos Library and Los Banos resident of 44 years, began the meeting by addressing his fear about privatization and closure of public libraries in Merced County, including Los Banos and Dos Palos. As one of the county residents who has defended the county’s public libraries, Giesel wanted a clear answer about future public accessibility to library access for the district.
Silveira dispelled the rumor about the possible closure of libraries, saying it was misinformation and that the county is actually attempting to do the opposite. “As soon as the state senator was able to help get us that funding and that state library grant for a new Dos Palos library, we immediately started to get to work on it,” Silveira said. “Now, you see it’s two years later and it’s almost done.”
Although a library opening is beneficial, Silveira also stressed the importance of a bookmobile that would address smaller rural areas which have little to no library access.
Funding for all of the county services is a concern when it comes to areas like South Dos Palos, Midway and the Dos Palos Y because they are not big enough areas to be recognized at the state or federal level. Census data indicates that these areas are not incorporated areas — a legally recognized area under state law with a defined boundary and active government structure.
From the county’s perspective, Silveira said, “the pie is only so big.” Conversations around annexation could be a possible solution for recognition and access to more state or federal funding. “If the areas of South Dos Palos and Midway really want to be more than what they are, the conversation around annexation to the city of Dos Palos needs to start happening.”
Complaints came into Silveira’s office last month as residents from South Dos Palos and Midway were upset because they were excluded from voting for Measure S, a measure they had no say on because of the areas’ separation from Dos Palos.
Although annexation could be beneficial for the future, it still remains a controversial topic because of the history between South Dos Palos and Dos Palos. For this reason, the future of recognition for voting locally and for obtaining funding federally is up in the air.
Road safety was another concern for citizens as suggestions were made by California Rural Legal Assistance for infrastructure solutions and prioritizations. According to Merced County, it can cost upwards of $300,000 to repave one mile of roadway.
Silveira emphasized this statistic and suggested that on a local level utilizing the “See Quick Fix” app can help the city prioritize certain roadways. This app allows for data to be tracked on poor roads residents can make the county aware of. “The squeaky wheel gets the grease,” said Silveira.
There were also some roadway concerns brought up regarding the Vineyard Drive and Mercey Springs Road (SR165) roundabout in Los Banos. Residents believed that Caltrans has a one size fits all approach for a roundabout solution. Although roundabouts do slow down traffic, there are fears that it might create too much traffic and will create inaccessibility for pedestrians. Silveira agreed that this is an issue worth being addressed and looked into.
Among other updates from Silveira were the addition of cameras in the South Dos Palos park to prevent illegal dumping and the increased capacity for water treatment in Dos Palos. Last July was a concern for Dos Palos as the water shut down for three days amidst the summer heat.
Silveira said that the upgrade in water processing will make a difference. A barrier for Dos Palos, he said, is the lack of water for growth, which is why this upgrade is exciting.
As the meeting came to a close, Silveira shook everyone’s hand, and District 5 residents thanked him for his time.
