Oversight committee reviews Measure B budget, adds officer and details police and fire equipment purchases

City staff told the Atwater City Citizens Oversight Committee that the City Council approved a budget showing structural surpluses in both Measure B and the general fund and that the approved budget allowed funding for one additional police officer.

"We passed a a positive budget uh last night...we were able to fit one additional police officer in Measure B," City Manager Home said during a verbal financial report, noting the council also approved a three-year CalFire agreement.

Police leadership briefed the committee on Measure B expenditures for March through May, including a continuing monthly online-reporting subscription ("$988.80 a month") and renewal of the automated license-plate-reader agreement with Flock Safety ("$24,000"). The police presentation listed a series of equipment and lease charges: new patrol vehicle lease charges, conversion kits and parts to reconfigure shotguns to less-lethal bean-bag configurations, sling attachments, wrap restraints for detainees, additional AR-15 magazines, two ballistic shields (combined cost reported as $11,700) and body armor for detectives (reported at $3,588 for four vests). The speaker said the department is removing traditional shotguns from service and converting those platforms to clearly orange, less-lethal configurations.

"We are converting all of our lethal shotguns into less lethal bean bag shotguns," the police leader said.

Committee members asked whether officers would still carry rifles and handguns for situations requiring greater firepower; police staff responded that rifles and handguns remain in service and that training has moved officers toward rifles for many roles once filled by shotguns.

Fire Department Captain Anderson, speaking on behalf of Chief Randle, reported call volumes through May at 1,498 for the year (station 41: 897; station 42: 601). He reported Measure B CalFire payments of about $1.4 million in the first quarter, $1.2 million in the second quarter and roughly $156,000 so far in the third quarter, and said a Type 6 engine went in service May 20 while delivery of a Type 1 engine remains on schedule for December or early January.

"We have a total of 1,498 calls," Captain Anderson said.

Captain Anderson and police staff also described preparations for Fourth of July fireworks enforcement—including CalFire prevention officers paired with police, coordination with public works for traffic control and code enforcement support—and noted the department has drone capability with three certified operators for limited inspection use.

City Manager Home explained an expenditure-review form that the oversight committee may use to flag concerns about Measure B spending for referral to the city council; when asked who repays misused Measure B funds, he said generally the general fund would repay Measure B and council direction can clarify appropriate uses.

The record includes numerous line-item amounts read aloud; several lease figures were garbled in the transcript and should be confirmed in official staff reports and the adopted budget.