Too much, too technical, too little time to understand it.

That’s how residents reacted to the long-awaited draft of the Environmental Impact Report for the proposed Wal-Mart Distribution Center during Monday’ night’s Merced City Council meeting.

They said the 1,100-page draft was too technical for the average person to be able to understand and make an informed written comment by the April 27 deadline.

The draft EIR — which analyzes the impact of the proposed 1 million square foot warehouse on Merced’s environment, — was made available to the public on Feb. 25 by Merced city staff, starting a 60-day public comment period.

But there were more questions than comments for Merced leaders this week.
Won’t the Merced City Council members, themselves, need more than 60 days to thoroughly comprehend the report?

Will the city arrange any public informational meetings to explain the report in less technical language?

Will at least the most significant portions of the English-language report be translated to give Spanish and Hmong residents of southeast Merced, where the Center would be located, a chance to understand it and comment?

During the council meeting, Tom Grave, who asked for an extension of time to 120 days for the public’s written comments, explained that it would take two hours every day for the entire 60 days just to read the report.

Rod Webster of Merced complained, “The draft EIR is available, but there are no more hard copies of the appendices.”

He said he understood that the appendices were available online, but it would drive him crazy to try to download and scroll through that much information on his computer.

In one hand, he held the appendices, which he said he had borrowed from someone who had been able to get one, and the booklet was almost as thick as the draft EIR which he held in his other hand.

Webster shared his belief that some of the most significant points were contained in the appendices.

About the technicality of the report, he said, “It’s very technical. It requires background reading to make an informed comment.”

He proposed that at the very least, the Executive Summary and Significant Impacts sections of the report should be translated into Spanish and Hmong, and there should be public meetings with translators so that the residents in the area to be affected by the Center could comprehend the impact on their lives and be able to comment.

There was no item on the agenda for consideration, and the Merced City Council members did not respond to the residents’ pleas during the meeting.

As it stands now, residents’ written comments made by April 27th will be sent to the firm which authored the report. After the firm responds to each and every comment, it will release the final EIR.

Then there will be public hearings, some involving the Planning Commission.
The final event will be the vote of the Merced City Council which will approve or deny the Center’s construction.

Members of the public who wish to read the Wal-Mart Distribution Center draft EIR and appendices can go online to www.cityofmerced.org.

The report is also available at the Merced County Public Library at 2100 O Street.
City Hall offers printed copies at a cost, and free CD’s.

Those wishing to make a written comment to be included in the public record must provide their full name and address. The comments can be e-mailed to espinosak@cityofmerced.org, or faxed to (209) 725-8775 or mailed to Kim Espinosa, Planning Manager, City of Merced Planning Department, 678 W. 18th Street, Merced, Ca., 95340.

In other Merced City Council news,
Music of Merced Festival to be held April 25 on top floor of Downtown Parking Garage
By a unanimous vote, the Council honored the request of Rick Beckham, Director of the Music of Merced Festival, to use the city-owned parking structure at 19th and M Streets to hold the third annual concert, which will take place on April 25 from 9 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. The first two concerts were held in the Merced Downtown Theatre, but it is now closed for refurbishment.
According to Beckham, this year, there will be 34 bands playing on two stages.
100% of the proceeds after expenses will be used for the restoration of the Merced Downtown Theatre, which was originally constructed in 1931.
In support of the Festival, City Councilman James Sanders thanked Beckham for organizing the concert, and commented that some of the city’s local musicians have achieved national and international fame.
Tickets to the concert are available for purchase at the Multicultural Arts Center, Merced College, Aloha Floral and other sites.

Portion of E. Childs Ave. to be temporarily designated truck route
By a unanimous vote, the Council members adopted a motion to amend the Merced Municipal Code dealing with truck routes to allow a portion of E. Childs Avenue, from Highway 99 to the easterly city limits, to be designated a truck route for about one year. This will allow trucks from McLane Pacific to use that part of Childs Avenue until the Mission Avenue interchange is completed.

City Councilman William Spriggs’ trip to Washington, D.C. to lobby for transportation funds
City Councilman William Spriggs remarked that on Feb. 25 and 26, he traveled to Washington, D.C. with an eight-county group called Valley Voice to lobby for $1.5 billion to be included in the next Federal Transportation Bill.

He explained, “They have a ton of money to spend, and they’re just giddy as all get out.”
Councilman Spriggs said the money Valley Voice requested would be used for completion of Highway 99 to six lanes from Stockton to Bakersfield. The $1.5 billion would only cover a portion of the $6 billion needed, but if granted, could be re-authorized when the bill is renewed. He said, “Each bill goes for four to six years.”

He added, “We’ve already got $1 billion from Prop. 1B.”

About the response Valley Voice received, Councilman Spriggs said, “We got a very positive reception from Senator Barbara Boxer and Congressman James Oberstar.”

About whether their request will be granted, he said, “Getting this bill written is a two-year process. We won’t see any of these funds before 2010.”

About the eight-county Valley Voice, he explained, “Valley Voice is made up of the county councils of governments from Kern County to San Joaquin County. In Washington, they like the regional approach so you carry more clout going as a region.”

“Bobcat Attack” March 14th will help city with Public Works projects, graffiti
Yang Li, Commissioner of Municipal Relations, announced during the meeting that on March 14th from 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., UC Merced wants to bring 200 to 300 students into the city to address Public Works projects that need help. The work day is called Bobcat Attack. Councilman James Sanders told Li that he would coordinate with UC Merced so the students could help eradicate graffiti as one of the projects. Li asked organizations interested in “manpower” on that day to contact him at (408) 781-7898.
UC Merced asks Michelle Obama to attend commencementYi
During the meeting, Yang Li announced that UC Merced is attempting to bring President Obama’s wife, Michelle, to Merced for the commencement exercises of this year’s graduating class. He reported that 900 handwritten Valentine’s cards have been sent to her, and that the goal is 2,000. There is also a U-tube video campaign and a campaign to send her personalized written letters. Li believes her appearance at the commencement would be the “best gift” to students because in the past, when she was growing up in Chicago, she dealt with the problem of providing health care for people in low-income housing, and thus can identify with the problems experienced by residents of the Central Valley.

First High Speed Rail Scoping Hearing to be held on March 18th
During the meeting, it was announced that on March 18th, there will be a California High-Speed Rail Authority scoping meeting open to the public on a drop-in basis to discuss the first stage of construction, the line between Merced and Bakersfield. The meeting will be held from 3:00 to 7:00 p.m. at the Merced Community Senior Center at 755 W. 15th Street in Merced.