With the last days of winter almost behind us, Marysville residents are already making plans for spring cleaning, property improvements and trips to their local home and garden stores.

Whether it’s landscaping or remodeling, building renovations or impressive architectural design, or improvements that make your neighborhood stand out, the city of Marysville wants to recognize people and their outstanding homes, buildings or neighborhoods that bring an added shine to our community’s image. These efforts reflect well on the community, and could inspire others to do the same.

The way in which we improve and maintain our homes, landscaping, businesses, buildings, and gardens communicates an image of Marysville, one that we hope will promote community and neighborhood pride.

That’s the goal behind the new Pride of Marysville Neighborhood Improvement Awards program that will launch on March 19.

The awards are a fun and easy, cost-effective way to recognize neighbors and businesses who take pride in their property in ways that enhance the appearance of the community. The awards are intended to inspire other neighbors to improve their homes and landscapes. Business owners are recognized for the “curb appeal” of their business facade and location.

Award winners will be drawn from a pool of nominees selected by the community through a nomination process, then are chosen by a Committee consisting of a City Councilmember, Planning Commissioner, Parks and Recreation representative and two citizens selected at large. The Mayor will name his winning selection from the same pool of candidates.

These are the award categories:

• Best Home/Pride of the Neighborhood — Homes consistently well-kept with well-manicured lawns and colorful landscapes, or enhanced with new paint, landscaping or other significant aesthetic improvements.
• Best Block/Neighborhood — Based on general/neighborhood entrance/gateway appeal and improvements made.
• Best Business — Business sites with most curb appeal that have attractive landscaping, well-kept appearance, attractive facade, and are assets to their neighborhoods.
• Mayor’s Choice — James Comeford Award to Downtown/Waterfront District Most Improved; can be a home or business.

Application brochures will be available at City Hall, the Public Works Building, Parks Office, Community Center and Marysville Library, and on the City website at http://marysvillewa.gov, the latter of which can be completed online.

Nominations will be accepted until July 2, 2012. Award winners will be announced July 16 and publicly recognized at that evening’s City Council meeting. Engraved yard markers will also be provided for placement in the winning yard, landscaping, neighborhood entrance or business.

Creating a safer, more attractive and more livable community has been and still is a topic of discussion at City Council and Director retreats, coffee klatches, community meetings, and input from longtime residents like Cheryl Deckard and others who have been sincere about the need for something to be done about her hometown’s general lack of cleanliness.

City government has launched more concerted cost-efficient cleanup efforts in the downtown and waterfront area (such as road re-striping, painting and roadside right-of-way maintenance), as well as community-wide. We are also looking at ways to use our limited code enforcement staff and resources more efficiently.

In addition to the new Pride of Marysville awards, the city of Marysville, working in partnership with various local businesses, churches and nonprofit organizations, has other ways to help get your spring cleaning off on the right foot.

Marysville celebrates community Clean Sweep Week April 14-21, with a host of free activities. Highlights of this spring cleaning and beautification campaign include:

Saturday, April 14

• Graffiti Paint Out from 9 a.m. to noon, and meeting at Cedarcrest Middle School, 6400  88th St. NE, targeting graffiti “hot spots” at various locations around town.
• Earth Day Celebration from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. for the Allen/Quilceda Watershed — Qwuloolt Estuary Restoration Project Site, Harborview Park, 4700 60th St. NE.
• Spring Craft Show from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Ken Baxter Community Center, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. — handmade gifts, flowers and more.

Saturday, April 21

• Annual Shred-A-Thon from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. in City Hall Parking Lot. Shred-It will shred up six boxes of personal documents to help prevent participants from becoming victims of identity theft.
• Marysville First Assembly Church’s “Got Trash Day” from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the church, 4705 Grove St. — dumpsters onsite, TV and computer recycle, appliance and metal recycle, clothing donation, car wash and lunch.
• Adopt-a-Street cleanups on this and the previous weekend.
• Off-Leash Dog Park Cleanup Party at Strawberry Fields for Rover from noon to 2 p.m. at Strawberry Fields, 6100 152nd St. NE.

The city’s involvement in these activities, and our regular “on the clock” maintenance of local infrastructure as well as “off the clock” volunteering, are signs of our commitment to creating a more livable, attractive and well-kept community. A well-kept home, neighborhood and business says that residents take pride in their community. With pride comes value, beauty and a great image for our city.

Mayor Jon Nehring can be reached at mayor@marysvillewa.gov or 360-363-8091.