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Council approves RACE/CCME inspection amendment and streets overlay contract; citizens press for credit-card transparency

Atwater City Council · April 14, 2026

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Summary

Council approved an amendment funding inspection and monitoring for RACE Communications' citywide fiber project (paid by RACE, not city general fund) and awarded a street overlay contract; public commenters raised concerns about staff credit-card charges and the council agreed to further review warrant/credit-card policies.

The council approved Resolution No. 6, an amendment to the task order with CCME Inc. to continue construction-monitoring and inspection for RACE Communications' citywide fiber project. City Manager Chris explained that RACE pays the city and the city passes that money through to CCME for inspection work, and that staff time and small repairs on RACE projects are also reimbursed by RACE: "So in essence, none of the money is coming out of the city's pocket. We're just a pass through," he said.

Separately, engineering staff recommended and the council awarded a general construction contract to Consolidated Engineering Inc. for overlay work on Olive, Suncrest and Fortuna and multiple local streets (Schafer Road, Mitchell, Carter Way, Cedar). The city will coordinate traffic management, message boards and lane controls during May–early June work.

Multiple public commenters had earlier raised concerns about credit-card charges appearing on the city's warrant list. One commenter said he found multiple retail fuel transactions and requested policy clarification; another said FOIA-produced records showed 154 potential violations and asked for an accounting. Council agreed to pull the warrants item for further review and scheduled additional discussion; one councilmember said the credit-card-usage policy will be placed on the April 27 agenda for deeper review.

Motions to approve the CCME amendment and to award the overlay contract carried after council votes. Councilmembers reiterated the importance of coordinating overlay timing with trenching work by fiber contractors so that new overlays are not cut open soon after completion.

The actions move inspection funding forward on the RACE fiber project without using general-fund city money and authorize street-repair work to proceed; staff will follow up on policy questions about credit-card use and fuel purchases raised by public commenters.