MARYSVILLE – Hotels in the area are willing to pay more for a potential regional athletic facility to be built in Snohomish County.

City parks director Jim Ballew said at Tuesday night’s City Council work session that local hotels charge $1 to fund such a facility. Last year $1.3 million was raised.

But hoteliers want to raise that amount to $2.

The goal is to have a facility for tournaments that would bring visitors to town.

“They want heads in beds,” Ballew said of hoteliers.

If and when such a regional athletic facility is OK’d, Ballew said Marysville definitely will put its hat in the ring for such a project.

At the work session the council also:

•Passed an emergency resolution to spend about $104,000 on a liner for the Edward Springs Reservoir. Divers noticed cracks in the liner, possibly due to chlorine buildup, and the reservoir was drained. City officials say the new liner will be of better quality and can be repaired, while the old one couldn’t.

•Discussed widening 116th from State to I-5 in two parts in an effort to get more grant money. One would cost $10 million, the other $6.5 million.

•Considered a proposal for $500,000 from the state for a design of the $20 million Grove Street Overcrossing.

•Talked of expanding the Ebey Waterfront Trail from Harborview to 53rd at a cost of about $1.1 million. Also considered a contract with the Department of Commerce for $1 million for the trail project.

•Began the close-out process for the sidewalk project from 2nd to 4th, in which the city will get back $136,000.

•Considered an agreement with the USDA Wildlife Services for $16,000, used mostly for beaver control, but it was mentioned a coyote had been seen in the Mother Nature’s Window area.