When Mike Nelson was first elected as mayor of Atwater four years ago, he vowed to bring public safety, economic development, transparency, and accountability to city government.
Today, as Mayor Nelson seeks reelection for a second term, he says he has kept those promises and continues to lead the city in a positive direction.
“We have many things in the works, and we’re making progress,” Nelson says. “I’m hopeful in the next four years we are going to see the fruits of that labor. We have a good management team in place, and it has really improved the morale of employees. We have good employees, but they need good leaders. And I think we have those in place now.”
The 68-year-old incumbent is facing one challenger, Roberto Montes-Yepez, in the mayor race that leads up to Election Day on Nov. 3.
Mayor Nelson points out that Atwater finally has a city manager now with a degree in public administration who worked her way up through the local ranks, and knows the system well. He’s talking about Janell Martin, a longtime Atwater resident and local government finance official who was appointed as city manager in August. She is considered to be a solid local hire in the wake of two city manager resignations over the past couple of years.
“Janell has worked here for 12 years,” Nelson says. “She knows where there’s a lot of inefficiencies in government that we can improve on.”
The mayor says he is urging Nelson and the entire Atwater administration to make local government more open and accessible to residents.
“More public hearings, more public meetings, more outreach, more workshops,” he says. “One of the problems I have seen over the past four years is that many times a new issue comes before the council and it’s like at the last minute, and we need to make a decision on it right away. … I want to know months in advance that an issue is coming down the road. We’re going to have to address it, so let’s start talking about it.”
Mayor Nelson says last year’s community debate about the Fruitland Avenue expansion project was exacerbated because many people were not notified of city plans because they lived just beyond the scope of official public notices that were sent to homes in the construction zone. This included residents and everyday drivers along 5th Street who use the route between Fruitland and Bellevue.
This year the city also named a new community development director (and certified planner) earlier this year, Johnnie Hanson Lan, as well as a new police chief in September, William Novetzke, who previously served as a lieutenant with the Atwater Police Department and brings more than 21 years of experience to the top position.
“He’s a very proactive law enforcement leader who is visible in the community,” Nelson says. “He is setting up an improved street crimes unit, as well as adding officers and vehicles to the traffic enforcement unit.”
He adds that the unit is focusing on school crossings, speeders, loud vehicles and other concerns that have been brought up by residents. He says the department is also partnering with regional traffic task forces who have already organized saturation patrols in Atwater and Merced. Meanwhile, a red-light camera system has also been proposed to the City Council and a hearing has been held about the possibility of setting up a pilot program — perhaps at a busy intersection such as “Five Corners” on Bellevue. More talks are expected on that topic.
With regard to economic development, Mayor Nelson admits that the government process can be slow, but the city is actively working on a long-awaited General Plan Update that will set the stage for future growth.
Specific areas of interest include:
• The Atwater-Merced Expressway (AME) project will extend from Highway 99 to Castle and beyond.
• The Bellevue Road expansion and realignment project that would extend to 99 and Westside Boulevard toward Livingston with the possibility of commercial, light industrial, and residential areas.
• Development of infrastructure toward the proposed Ferrari Ranch Project, near the AME, that would include commercial, medical and recreation uses.
• A proposal to annex around 600 acres beyond Santa Fe Road and the Castle Air Museum for light industrial, commercial and residential.
Says the mayor about all the planning, “I like to say that today’s problems were yesterday’s solutions. So we want to try to make sure that we don’t make problems for our grandchildren, 50 years down the road.”
One other topic that doesn’t get the attention it deserves, according to Mayor Nelson, is the idea of uplifting community pride.
“We just had the Fall Festival. We have all kinds of community groups and volunteers who do good things in the community. We have sports teams for young people. They are bringing back the Police Activities League. They are trying to get the BMX track back up and running over there by Veterans Park. … So there’s a lot of things we can do, but it takes the community to be involved. You can blame the government when you see trash on the street, or you can get involved and help clean up the community.”
The mayor adds, “We’re still a small town community, but we’re growing, and we want to keep that community feel here — but it takes the community to work together. If you have ideas, bring them to us. Don’t wait until you are all irritated by something. Let’s work together.”
Mayor Nelson has lived with his family in Atwater for 40 years. He is married to Sylvia and they have two grown children and 11 grandchildren who also live in town.
The incumbent has served the public previously as an Atwater firefighter, a Merced County Supervisor, and Chairman of the Atwater Planning Commission. He is endorsed in his reelection campaign by the Atwater Police Officers Association, the CalFire Firefighters Association, the Merced County Realtors Association, the North Valley Labor Federation, and the Building Industry Association of Greater Valley.