MARYSVILLE – Now that there are laws to put some teeth into the effort to clean up the city, there is a backlog at code enforcement.

To help that two-person team, Community Development director Dave Koenig said at Monday’s City Council meeting that the workload will be shared.

Instead of code enforcement taking all the complaints, they will be directed to the agency that deals with that issue, such as police, public works, parks, etc.

Koenig also said the city is working with people instead of just fining them. Such as, one woman wanted to get rid of some stuff, but couldn’t afford to. So public works helped her.

“Some people just don’t want to comply,” he added. With them, “Things do take time.”

As for compliance, Chief Administrative Officer Gloria Hirashima said the city gets almost 100 percent compliance once a complaint is made.

“People just need to continue to file complaints,” she said, adding it’s easy by just going online, calling or going to City Hall.

She said the city doesn’t want to say there’s a problem unless the neighbors view it as such.

She also said there are laws that protect people’s rights. She mentioned some well—known squatters on 116th Street.

“To roust them out isn’t all that easy,” she said.

Two residents had complained earlier during public comments that code enforcement isn’t moving fast enough.

Mark Johnson said it needs more money and to use the process of abatement so the city “can get rid of stuff.” He said he and others are overwhelming the system with complaints and not hearing back from the city. He showed one slide after another of rundown properties in the city.

Ron Friesen added that the city has the weakest code enforcement in the area.

Mayor Jon Nehring said he would debate that. He said eight of the 14 properties Johnson talked about are being cleaned voluntarily by property owners. If the city has to use the abatement process to take a “more-aggressive path” it will. But he said the city is working in good faith with the others

In other city news:

•Chris Brown received his 10-year pin. Information Systems manager Worth Norton called him the “Wizard behind the curtain” because he is the “Help Desk’s, Help Desk.” As a network administrator Brown takes the lead on cybersecurity regulations. “It’s crazy out there right now when it comes to security,” Norton added.

•City Attorney Jon Walker gave legal assistant Jillian Schiessl her 15-year pin. She has worked for police, courts and now legal. Walker said the system can “grind to a halt” if information is missing in files.

•Mike Robinson of the parks department gave Alan Backstrom his 30-year pin. Backstrom is a horticulturist who knows “every plant there is,” Robinson said. He said Backstrom is happiest with a pair of shears and “a big mess to clean up.” He also has an amazing ability to bring plants back to life, Robinson said.

•The Volunteer of the Month award went to pastors Nik Baumgart and Andrew Munoz of The Grove Church for its “I Heart Marysville” campaign. Church members put in 420 volunteer hours cleaning up the community. Over five years, they have put in 1,400 hours. Projects have included cleaning up after the Strawberry Festival Parade, scrubbing down the Skate Park, cleaning up the dog park, Mother Nature’s Window and other parks, and pulling weeds and other work at local schools.

•$21,326 was OK’d to remain a member of the Snohomish Regional Drug and Gang Task Force.

•Parks director Jim Ballew said people are excited to use the newly paved Qwuloolt Estuary trails, but fencing, signage and landscaping still needs to be done before they open to the public.

•The cleanup of the former Geddes Marina on the Marysville waterfront is done. A protective cap was placed over the contaminated site at a cost of $179,600, most of it paid for by a community development grant.

•A resident was upset about a condemnation of his property near Marshall Elementary for a safe sidewalk to school program. It turned out the city just hadn’t explained well that only the trees in front of his house would be removed, and that some type of barrier could be put up so he could still have his privacy.

•Council Member Donna Wright, who represents the city on the Snohomish Health District, said that organization is desperate for money. The staff is half what it once was, and the county is only funding it next year at the same amount as this year. Cities in the past have helped fund it. Wright said she hates to ask for money, “But maybe we can take the lead and be part of the solution,” to get cities to help pay for it again.