Gary Condit for Ceres

Thank you to Councilmember Otero, for sharing information about tonight’s budget meeting.
I encourage members of the community to join via zoom or attend in person. The budget decisions made now, will impact our city for years to come.

As your Councilmember, I want to personally invite you to attend the upcoming Special City Council Meeting.

It is important that our community stays informed and engaged as we discuss the City’s budget and financial priorities. I want to encourage residents to attend, listen to the discussion and share their thoughts and concerns.

Misinformation can spread quickly so I encourage everyone to obtain information directly from the meeting or official sources. I am always happy to answer questions and provide clarification.

Please join us on Monday June 1st at 6:00 p.m.

A couple of weeks ago, Destiny and I had the privilege of awarding scholarships to nine incredible seniors from Ceres High School as they prepare to begin their college journeys.

Four seniors received the Condit Public Service Scholarship, which was created to recognize students who have demonstrated a strong commitment to serving and giving back to their communities. We are incredibly proud of the impact they have already made and excited to see all they will accomplish in the future.

Five seniors were awarded the Rev. Adrian Condit Memorial Scholarship, which honors students who actively serve in their church, school faith-based clubs, and local communities. This scholarship was established in memory of my great-grandfather, Rev. Adrian Condit, who dedicated more than 60 years of his life to ministry. Through this scholarship, we are honored to carry forward his legacy of faith, service, and leadership. We are deeply grateful to Celebrate Christ Community Church, Village Chapel Free-Will Baptist Church, and the community members whose generous donations helped expand this scholarship this year in honor of my great-grandfather.

These scholarships hold a special place in our hearts, and Destiny and I are honored to invest in the next generation of leaders. 🐾🎓

Honored to attend the annual Memorial Day Service, hosted by the VFW and American Legion Post. I’m grateful for their continued dedication to honoring the memory of our fallen heroes and preserving their legacy for future generations. Today we pause to remember and pay tribute to the brave men and women who served our nation and gave their lives to protect our freedoms. We must never forget their sacrifice.

Ceres Planning Commission approves new martial arts training facility The Ceres Planning Commission gave its approval on Monday evening to a Conditional Use Permit (CUP) so that Grapple HQ martial arts training facility may operate the within an existing 24,411-square-foot metal industrial building.

Tonight at our Ceres Planning Commission meeting, we approved a Conditional Use Permit (CUP) for Grapple HQ, a new martial arts training facility coming to Ceres. Grapple HQ will be open to children and adults in our community and will be located at 1200 Montclaire Drive. Stay tuned for their updates and open classes soon!

Congratulations to Cameron Gilliam and his entire team, welcome to Ceres!

Mother’s Day well spent making memories with my wife, Destiny, and son, Theodore! 🧡

As a Ceres Planning Commissioner, it is my duty to vote with Ceres’ best interests at heart, and I believe this project does not align with the scope of the General Plan nor the long-term fiscal growth of our city. If we are being honest with ourselves and our community, the number of car washes in our city does not reflect a diverse or balanced approach to economic development.

• The proposed car wash would generate no sales tax revenue for the City, as acknowledged by the applicant’s representative
• There are already three car washes in close proximity to the proposed project site
• City staff were unable to provide a definitive count of car washes currently operating within city limits
• Public input is not actively sought in decisions regarding developments of this nature

Meanwhile, neighboring cities are successfully attracting a broader range of retail and dining options. Turlock is preparing to open a Chick-fil-A, and Riverbank successfully recruited a Trader Joe’s. The City of Ceres continues to see repetition of the same types of businesses we already have. As a Planning Commission, our power is limited; the Ceres City Council must prioritize policy that focuses on quality businesses that allow our city to compete with neighboring cities and provide Ceres residents with a broader range of options.

Ceres Courier: https://www.cerescourier.com/news/local/effort-to-quash-another-car-wash-fails-in-3-1-vote/

I am saddened to hear the news about former Ceres Planning Commissioner Laurie Smith. She served the city for many years, and I enjoyed the several conversations we shared about the issues in our city. Laurie will be deeply missed and my prayers are with her family.

Cancer claims former city leader Laurie Smith Former Ceres Planning Commission chairman Laurie Evans Smith has died following a battle with cancer, her sister reported on social media Thursday.

Love Ceres Day is always meaningful to me, but this year the sense of community was even stronger.

For the past two years, I’ve had the opportunity to volunteer alongside Toni Cordell, with the City of Ceres, assisting with yard cleanups for local seniors whose properties have become overgrown.

Today, we completed work on two homes for seniors in our community. The effort was made possible by the dedication and teamwork of an incredible group of volunteers. It was truly a great day to be part of the Ceres community. A special thanks to everyone who volunteered to give back!

Together, we can achieve.

Great work by Ceres Lions!