A recent injury at a longstanding homeless encampment on G Street sharpened calls for new, clearer management and faster action from Los Banos residents, councilmembers and staff at the May 21 City Council meeting.

Multiple public commenters described persistent trash, fires and safety problems at the encampment and urged the city to act. “The status quo is unacceptable,” a resident told the council during the public comment period. Other speakers described human waste, frequent fires that taxed firefighters and an environment that they said discouraged businesses and visitors.

City Manager Gary Breezy said the city will hold a community workshop next month to review the city’s response and gather public input. “I think we can pull that off very easily,” Breezy said, adding staff will replay prior briefings that outline the city’s outreach, sanitation and housing work. Breezy also said state funding announced by the governor for homelessness response is not currently flowing to the western side of Merced County, and staff will try to use nearby regional resources when possible.

Police and fire officials confirmed the departments responded to a recent serious incident at the encampment. The police chief said department personnel were affected by the event and that the woman who was injured is recovering and may be eligible for a respite bed in Merced when medically appropriate. The chief added that police and fire personnel would be out at the site to pick up debris in coming days.

Councilmembers and staff discussed the complex trade-offs of closing encampments. Breezy noted the governor has urged closures in some cases but emphasized a commonly cited caveat: “ensure that there are reasonably accessible locations within the jurisdiction where a person may lawfully sleep before you close an encampment.” He warned that closing an encampment also removes on-site bathrooms and services unless alternative shelter is available.

Separately, Breezy said the city is terminating a contract with a private vendor that placed portable units on a downtown lot and is seeking their removal. He said the city will press the company to remove the units and that the contract runs through June under current terms; staff will pursue other options if the company does not voluntarily remove them sooner.

No ordinance or emergency resolution was adopted at the meeting; councilmembers directed staff to schedule the public workshop and provide regular updates. Several councilmembers reiterated they want a defined, legally supported strategy for the encampment’s future rather than ad-hoc management.

The council plans to present more information and gather community input at the forthcoming workshop and during upcoming budget and policy discussions.