TULALIP – Marysville Mayor Jon Nehring delivered his state of the city address, highlighting successes in 2016 and pledging renewed commitment to public safety, better roads and economic development.
The city surveyed residents a few months ago, and public safety emerged as the top priority.
“That’s especially important with some of the challenges that the nation is facing now,” Nehring told the audience at the Greater Marysville Tulalip Chamber of Commerce Jan. 27.
Crime and Public Safety
Last year saw the launch of several new targeted crime reduction and code enforcement initiatives aimed at shutting down drug houses, arresting repeat burglars with lengthy rap sheets, and putting more police on the streets.
Last year, the city targeted 17 drug houses, served eight search warrants, boarded up seven houses and closed up eight more in January. Police removed 19 children from high-risk homes, placing them in safer environments.
The mayor went out with police’s NITE team on a drug house visit and was aghast at what he saw. “You wouldn’t wish the living conditions in these houses on anyone, and to see kids in these houses is really discouraging,” Nehring said. Think hoarders, for a general image, but worse.
The mayor announced that code enforcement, the community service officer and parks security will be reorganized into a Community Services Unit that will focus more emphasis on quality of life in Marysville’s neighborhoods. The new unit will be tasked with cleaning up drug houses, removing illegal encampments, partnering with social service agencies to address homelessness, and making city and neighborhood parks safer.
To increase patrol presence and community outreach, the department saw three new officers added in 2016, with four new positions this year.
Nehring also lauded the Regional Property Crimes Unit, a partnership between Marysville, the Sheriff’s Office, Lake Stevens and Stillaguamish Tribe. The unit in 2016 made 548 arrests (45 percent more than in 2015) with 239 in Marysville alone, and served 62 search warrants, a 40 percent climb from the year prior in arresting property crime repeat offenders.
Transportation / Streets
The city completed widening State Avenue to five lanes from 116th to 136th. This year it will tackle the last remaining link in widening State from 100th to 116th.
City officials will again allocate $2 million in Transportation Benefit District funds for pavement preservation and overlay projects. Projects include paving Grove Street from State to 47th, 44th Street NE to Highway 528 and 51st Avenue north of the BNSF Arlington-Marysville spur track to 152nd.
Safe Routes to Schools grants brought sidewalks to Grove Street from Cedar over the train tracks to State, and Sunnyside Boulevard to support Sunnyside Elementary foot traffic. In 2017, attention will turn toward sidewalks near Marshall Elementary.
Nehring cited another new project that would permit an additional drop lane at 88th and State Avenue, a right-turn lane onto State at the cemetery.
Two major projects inching closer to start are the Highway 529 interchange south of downtown, and the companion 1st Street bypass multi-lane arterial project connecting State and Sunnyside Boulevard. The latter project will be built this year; the contract for the Highway 529 project should be awarded this summer.
Economic Development
Nehring said Marysville’s economy is strong and expanding. The city permitted 335 new residential units in 2016, and added more businesses mostly in the Lakewood area including Dick’s Sporting Goods, Hobby Lobby, Outback Steakhouse and Triple T Warehouse, an international shoe distributor.
This year saw the recent opening of Bonefish Grill, but there’s so much more to come: Hilton Four Suites Hotel, La Quinta Inn, three car dealerships, Sonic Drive-In and the Smokey Point Behavioral Health Hospital.
