Tracy City Council approves contract extensions, equipment list and appointments; council absorbs some utility card fees

The Tracy City Council approved a set of contracts, committee changes and appointments during its Feb. 4 meetings, voting unanimously on each roll call shown in the record.

The votes cover a range of routine and time-sensitive items: an expanded contract with Willdan Engineering to provide interim city engineer and support services, adoption of the police department's military-equipment inventory for 2024, a change to the Finance Committee bylaws that combines it with the Investment Review Committee, a decision to absorb certain residential card convenience fees on utility payments, and the appointment of Gurdeep ("Gary") Shergill to the Environmental Sustainability Commission.

Why it matters: The contract extension and staffing decisions are meant to maintain continuity on ongoing capital and development work while the city recruits a permanent city engineer. The equipment inventory vote formally authorizes continued use of specified tools under the agency's policy. The convenience-fee decision affects how some utility customers are charged, and the committee bylaw change alters how fiscal oversight and investment review will be scheduled.

Council actions and outcomes

- Interim city engineer and support services (Amendment No. 1 with Willdan Engineering): Staff recommended increasing the professional services agreement ceiling to a not-to-exceed $450,000 and extending the term to Dec. 31, 2025 to maintain review and sign-off capacity for civil plans while recruitment continues. The council voted to adopt the amendment; the motion passed on a roll call with all voting yes (Mayor Dan Areola; Mayor Pro Tem Abercrombie; Council members Nygaard, Bedoya and Evans). Staff said the original emergency contract had been $50,000; the amendment provides budgetary flexibility to carry the engineering function while searches and reorganization continue.

- Police department military-equipment list (Item 1C): The police lieutenant reported the department tracked 261 deployments of AB-41 listed equipment during 2024 and provided a breakdown (for example: BearCat 13, drones 23, less-lethal shotgun 35, patrol rifles 34, flash-bangs 9). Council approved the item on a roll call (Mayor Areola; Mayor Pro Tem Abercrombie; Council members Nygaard, Bedoya and Evans voted yes).

- Finance committee bylaws / Investment Review Committee (Resolution rescinding Res. 95-087 and bylaws amendment): Council adopted a resolution to combine the Finance Committee with the Investment Review Committee and meet quarterly instead of monthly; the action passed unanimously on roll call.

- Credit card convenience fees and utility payments (Item 1F): Council approved the staff recommendation to absorb merchant processing fees for residential utility payments (the city will cover the processing cost rather than billing it to residents) and directed staff to return with fee-schedule detail and options at the May review. The motion passed on roll call with the recorded yes votes.

- Appointment to the Environmental Sustainability Commission: After interviewing the single applicant in open session, Gurdeep "Gary" Shergill was nominated by Mayor Dan Areola and seconded by Council Member Nygaard; a roll call vote recorded all members voting yes and Shergill was appointed to fill the term through Dec. 31, 2027.

Other consent and routine approvals: The consent calendar (items not pulled) passed as recorded in the meeting minutes.

Votes at a glance (tallies and immediate notes)

- Willdan Engineering Amendment No. 1 (interim city engineer): Motion to approve (staff recommendation). Mover: Mayor Dan Areola. Second: Council Member Nygaard. Vote: 5-0 (Areola, Abercrombie, Nygaard, Bedoya, Evans) Outcome: approved. Notes: staff said the consultant coverage was needed while the city conducts a longer recruitment and reorganization in engineering; the contract funding will be managed through salary savings and existing contracts budgets.

- Police military-equipment annual report (AB-41 equipment): Motion to approve. Mover: Council Member Areola (made during consent discussion). Vote: 5-0 (Areola, Abercrombie, Nygaard, Bedoya, Evans) Outcome: approved. Staff provided the 2024 usage tally (261 uses; itemized in staff attachment).

- Finance committee bylaws / rescind Res. 95-087: Motion to adopt amended bylaws and rescind the prior resolution. Vote: 5-0. Outcome: approved. Staff will move committee meetings to quarterly and fold investment oversight into the finance committee schedule; the city manager may authorize expedited reviews for time-sensitive items.

- Credit card convenience fees (utility payments): Motion to approve staff recommendation to absorb residential convenience fees and return with fee-schedule options in May. Vote: 5-0. Outcome: approved. Staff said the city is absorbing about $270,000 in transaction fees rather than passing them to residents; council requested future discussion about possible exemptions or transitional periods.

- Appointment, Environmental Sustainability Commission (one vacancy): Motion to appoint Gurdeep "Gary" Shergill. Mover: Mayor Areola. Second: Council Member Nygaard. Vote: 5-0. Outcome: approved. Shergill will fill the vacated term through Dec. 31, 2027.

What the record shows about procedure and next steps

- Staff repeatedly told council that several items were time sensitive (notably the interim engineering services) and that the city had made short-term interim arrangements under municipal code authority before returning with a negotiated amendment for council approval.

- For the convenience-fee decision (1F), council directed staff to include the utility-fee discussion in the May fee-schedule review and to return with outreach options. Councilmembers suggested exploring residential exemptions or grace periods for certain customers when staff returns with numbers.

- The council-approved military-equipment report included an itemized usage log for 2024; staff pointed the public to Attachment A for the detailed tally.

Sources and provenance (selected evidence from the meeting transcript)

- Interview and appointment of Gurdeep "Gary" Shergill (topic intro: transcript block 6248.835evidence excerpt: "My name is Gurdeep Sherrige. I go by Gary.") and (topic finish: transcript block 7044.4946evidence excerpt: "I will go ahead and make a motion to appoint mister Shergil to the vacancy on the Environmental Sustainability Commission.")

- Willdan amendment staff report and roll call (topic intro: transcript block 9425.55evidence excerpt: "Staff recommends that the city council adopt a resolution approving an amendment number 1 to the professional service agreement with Will Down Engineering for interim city engineer...") and (topic finish: transcript block 9933.006evidence excerpt: "Motion to accept. Second.")

- Police military-equipment tally and vote (topic intro: transcript block 9273.72evidence excerpt: "Lieutenant Craig Kutzow... from 01/01/2024 to 12/31/2024, we used military equipment... 261 times.") and (topic finish: transcript block 9389.195evidence excerpt: "Yes. Thank you, everyone. With that, we'll go ahead and go to item 1D.")

Speakers (attributions used in this article)

- Dan Areola, Mayor (government) - Steve Abercrombie, Mayor Pro Tem (government) - Nassy Lopez, Deputy City Clerk (staff) - Gurdeep "Gary" Shergill, Applicant (citizen) - Midori Lightwood, City Manager (staff) - Lieutenant Craig Kutzow (Tracy Police Department) (government) - Arturo Sanchez, Assistant City Manager (staff)

Authorities referenced in meeting record

- "resolution 20 20 four-forty 2" (appointment policy referenced in staff report) - "resolution 20 20 three-sixty 8" (bylaws adoption referenced in staff report) - "AB 2,449" / cited form "pursuant to AB 2,449" (as stated at opening of meetings in transcript)

Searchable_tags:["appointments","contracts","police","military-equipment","fees","finance-committee","city-engineer","utility-fees"],

provenance:{"transcript_segments":[{"block_id":"6248.835","local_start":0,"local_end":70,"evidence_excerpt":"My name is Gurdeep Sherrige. I go by Gary. I've been a resident of Tracy for 25 years now.","reason_code":"topicintro"},{"block_id":"7044.4946","local_start":0,"local_end":60,"evidence_excerpt":"I will go ahead and make a motion to appoint mister Shergil to the vacancy on the Environmental Sustainability Commission.","reason_code":"topicfinish"},{"block_id":"9425.55","local_start":0,"local_end":120,"evidence_excerpt":"Staff recommends that the city council adopt a resolution approving an amendment number 1 to the professional service agreement with Will Down Engineering for interim city engineer and the support services increasing compensation to a not to exceed amount of 450,000 expiring on 12/31/2025.","reason_code":"topicintro"},{"block_id":"9933.006","local_start":0,"local_end":40,"evidence_excerpt":"Motion to accept. Second.","reason_code":"topicfinish"}]},