📘 MERCED COUNTY CEDS 2025–2030 (FULLY REBUILT WITH ALL CITIES)

A Dual-Engine, Countywide Strategy Grounded in Working-Class Stability

UC Merced + Castle Commerce Center + Rural Corridor + AFSCME + Community Stabilization

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Merced County is not one town. It is an interdependent rural region made up of:

• Los Banos

• Dos Palos

• Livingston

• Delhi

• Winton

• Atwater

• Gustine

• Franklin–Beachwood

• Planada

• Le Grand

• Merced City

Any economic plan centered solely on UC Merced or Castle is structurally incomplete.

This CEDS treats Merced County as what it truly is:

A working-class, agricultural, multilingual, multi-town ecosystem where every community must grow — not just the college town and not just the industrial hub.

PILLAR 1 — COMMUNITY STABILIZATION FIRST (COUNTYWIDE)

Economic development must begin with stabilizing the communities that already exist.

1. Behavioral Health System (BHRS) Overhaul

Every city and rural town receives:

• Mobile crisis response

• Community paramedicine

• Local stabilization sites (Los Banos, Livingston, Winton, Gustine)

• Psychiatric tech pipeline

• School-based crisis navigation

• Cultural/linguistic outreach teams

2. Countywide Housing Stabilization

Housing tied to local wages, not Bay Area AMI.

• Rent protections in Los Banos, Livingston, Delhi, Gustine

• Workforce housing near major job centers

• Community Land Trust expansion in Winton, Planada

• Anti-speculation protections

3. Infrastructure Before Annexation

• South Merced grocery access

• Sidewalks, drainage, and lighting in Delhi, Winton, Le Grand, Gustine

• Broadband expansion for Eastside & Westside

• Transit connectivity for all cities

PILLAR 2 — UC MERCED AS AN ENGINE OF OPPORTUNITY (NOT DISPLACEMENT)

1. Countywide Talent Pipeline

A learning ladder for ALL cities:

• Merced College → UC Merced transfer bridge

• Adult education pipeline (Delhi, Livingston, Los Banos, Atwater, Gustine)

• Paid research apprenticeships

• Non-degree microcredentials

• Telepresence classrooms for rural towns (including Gustine & Dos Palos)

2. Rural Research Applications

UC Merced research expands into:

• water systems

• climate resilience

• agriculture

• health equity

• renewable energy

• rural STEM

• small-town planning (Delhi, Gustine, Winton, Planada)

3. UC MERCED + AFSCME “Economic Stability Compact”

• Local hiring priority

• Training ladders

• Wage floors tied to cost of living

• UC–AFSCME workforce council (countywide representation including Gustine)

• “Rural Respect” campaign

PILLAR 3 — CASTLE COMMERCE CENTER AS A COUNTY INDUSTRIAL HUB

Castle must serve:

✔ Los Banos workforce
✔ Livingston/Delhi workforce
✔ Winton/Atwater workforce
✔ Gustine/Dos Palos workforce
✔ Veterans
✔ Returning citizens
✔ Merced City workforce

1. Advanced Manufacturing + Ag-Tech

• EV components

• Agricultural automation

• Cold-chain logistics

• Drone-supported agriculture

• Aerospace maintenance

2. Countywide Workforce Pipelines

Merced College + AFSCME + UC + Castle employers create:

• CDL programs in Los Banos & Gustine

• Manufacturing training in Livingston

• Aviation tech in Atwater

• Robotics pathways tied to UC Merced

• Rural tech certifications (Gustine, Dos Palos, Delhi, Winton)

3. Castle–Community Benefit Agreements

All companies at Castle must:

• hire Merced County residents first

• pay wage floors

• help fund BHRS

• adopt anti-displacement zoning

• support apprenticeships in ALL cities

PILLAR 4 — AGRICULTURE + SCIENCE = MERCED’S ECONOMIC NICHE

1. Westside Innovation Hub (Los Banos + Dos Palos + Gustine)

• water innovation

• precision ag labs

• dairy & cattle-tech (Gustine is a dairy hub)

• Valley Rail logistics

2. Livingston–Delhi Labor Corridor

• meat-processing modernization

• worker safety innovation

• multilingual certifications (Spanish, Punjabi, Portuguese)

• school-to-apprenticeship programs

3. Eastside Resilience District (Planada–Le Grand–Winton)

• flood mitigation

• climate adaptation

• rural entrepreneurship

• mobile BHRS

PILLAR 5 — SMALL BUSINESS & IMMIGRANT ECONOMY PROTECTION

1. Legacy Business Protection Zones

Targeted for:

• Livingston

• Merced south side

• Los Banos

• Winton

• Planada

• Gustine downtown

2. Micro-Grants + Licensing Support

For entrepreneurs of:

• Latino

• Punjabi

• Portuguese

• Hmong

• Yemeni

• Oaxacan

• Azorean/Portuguese dairy community in Gustine

3. Local First Procurement

UC Merced, Castle, County, and all Cities adopt:

• local vendor preference

• small business contracting targets

PILLAR 6 — COUNTY-WIDE TRANSPORTATION CONNECTIVITY

✔ Westside express shuttle (Los Banos, Dos Palos, Gustine)
✔ Industrial corridor transit (Livingston–Delhi–Atwater–Castle)
✔ UC Merced–Castle–Merced City circulator
✔ Rural microtransit for Winton, Le Grand, Planada, Gustine

PILLAR 7 — TRANSPARENCY, ACCOUNTABILITY & LOCAL CONTROL

1. Public Land Ownership Maps

Countywide parcel transparency.

2. Annual BHRS Audit

Civil Grand Jury + OAC partnership.

3. Community Stability Impact Reports

Required for:

• annexations

• rezoning

• UC expansions

• Castle deals

4. Countywide CEDS Advisory Council

Includes residents from:

• Los Banos

• Livingston

• Delhi

• Planada

• Winton

• Atwater

• Gustine

• Merced City

Not developers.
Not consultants.
Actual community representation.

FINAL STATEMENT

This rebuilt, fully integrated CEDS plan rejects the idea that one city grows while others are left behind. Instead:

• UC Merced becomes a partner

• Castle becomes a working-class ladder

• AFSCME becomes a stabilizer

• ALL cities — including Atwater, Dos Palos, Gustine, Livingston, Los Banos, Delhi, Winton, Planada, Le Grand, Franklin–Beachwood, and Merced City — receive equal planning attention

• Small businesses are protected

• Housing matches local wages

• BHRS stabilizes the people

• Growth becomes inclusive, not extractive

This is economic development for an entire county — not a chosen few.