MARYSVILLE – While Marysville Mayor Jon Nehring’s State of the City address was titled, “Moving Forward,” he spent most of his time looking back at 2015 in the speech Jan. 29 at Tulalip Resort Casino.
In the future, he did say police have some big things coming up. Three new school resource officers will be in Marysville schools, for a total of five. And police will partner with the city and social service agencies to address homelessness.
Parks has big plans ahead, with the Ebey Waterfront Trail completion and trail system expansion. Also there will be Mother Nature’s Window master plan along with neighborhood park improvements at Cedarcrest Vista, Verda Ridge and Jennings Dinosaur.
Transportation improvements include: Safe Routes to School projects at 116th at Marshall Elementary and Sunnyside Boulevard at Sunnyside Elementary; Grove Street pedestrian/cyclist improvements; planning for Phase 3 of Bayview Trail; and low-impact development projects along Third and First streets.
Cultural arts will be coming to town in a big way with the city taking over the Marysville Opera House.
Tenants will be coming to the Lakewood Marketplace, with 910,000 square feet of retail space. There also will be 750 new housing units opening in 2016.
Other development in the future will be thanks to the Arlington-Marysville Manufacturing Industrial Center market study. The Lakewood and State Avenue master plans will be worked on, as will a new cafeteria at Marysville-Pilchuck High School and Certified Emergency Response Teams.
Last years accomplishments include:
TRANSPORTATION
Received funds in State Transportation Package for:
• Full I-5/Highway 529 interchange
• 116th overpass and interchange
• 88th Street interchange future improvements
• Shoulder lane between Everett, Marysville
• Full I-5/156th Street interchange
• State Avenue 116th to 136th construction complete
Other improvements include the Pavement Preservation Program, construction of new stormwater detention pond, new signals and new traffic circles.
PARKS
Construction is under way for the new Ebey Waterfront Trail after the dike was breached to the Qwuloolt Estuary Aug. 28.
•Tuscany Ridge and Parkside Way park improvements included basketball court expansion and new swing sets.
• Premier Golf LLC took over Cedarcrest Golf Course in March and restored profitability.
POLICE
Crime continues to decrease since 2013 – down 22 percent
• Vehicle prowls down 42 percent
• Crimes per capita down 12 percent
• Proactive NITE team tackling drug-related crime, 274 felony arrests, recovered 62 guns, $159,000 in stolen property. The Regional Property Crimes unit recovered $421,168 in stolen property; 43 guns
• SODA emphasis – Since 2013, crime down 26 percent, burglaries down 52 percent, seized $781,600 worth of drugs, responded to 12,000 incidents.
FIRE
Chief Greg Corn retired after 42 years, and Martin McFalls took over. They investigated 25 fires, up five from 2014.
OTHER
The city has a new in-house City Attorney and legal department. It also passed a vaping ban in parks and open spaces.
It received a grant for downtown revitalization.
And a bill passed, supporting local manufacturing and family wage jobs.
•New residential construction: The Lodge Apartments, Vintage at Lakewood and 105 single-family home permits.
•New businesses and ribbon cuttings.
