Marysville council to vote on transportation improvements

MARYSVILLE – The City Council will look to spend $3.74 million in Transportation Improvement District funds next year.

The council will vote on it and other issues Monday.

The major projects include:

•About $1.6 million on pavement preservation projects.

•$1.25 million on intersection improvements at 83rd Avenue NE and Soper Hill Road.

•$1.1 million on State Avenue from Grove to 88th streets.

•$500,000 to Americans with Disabilities Act transition plan.

•$500,000 for Lakewood Crossing area streets, including three on Twin Lakes Boulevard and one on 172nd.

•$350,000 for Soper Hill and 71st Avenue NE intersection improvements.

•And $40,000 for Alder Avenue sidewalk improvements.

Other issues Monday:

•One project would improve water quality in the Snohomish River and Ebey Slough through installation of a lift station that would convey stormwater runoff to media filter systems at the site of the former Geddes Marina and Welco Lumber Mill. The project site has a 140-acre contributing basin that is discharging untreated stormwater from historic downtown via a pipe system to the river and slough. The city purchased the former marina and mill sites for use as a park. The city would receive $5 million in funding from the Department of Ecology and would need to contribute $1.9 million.

•The city is looking to work with the Public Utility District to design and construct a trench to bury power and communications lines underground as part of the First Street Bypass project. Cost is almost $1.075 million.

•A project that improved 10 intersections in town has been completed for $259,849, which was $5,000 less than the bid amount. Work included replacement of signal heads, flashing yellow arrow signal heads, railroad control equipment and a right-turn blankout sign at the railroad crossing on Fourth. •Another $622,618 of DOE money helped pay for improvements on First Street, including: bioretention areas, bulb outs, curb ramps, sidewalk replacement and landscaping.

•The Downtown Marysville Merchants Association wants to have a “3rd Street Vintage Market” July 14. The event would close 3rd from State to Columbia avenues and Columbia from 2nd to 3rd.

•A investment group that paid $173,910 for traffic impact fees will get a 50 percent refund because Marysville Ford meet the standard of the city receiving $200,000 for each of three years. Part of that refund will now pay for the impact fee for Marysville Auto Center.

•Stanwood wants to use the city’s outdoor movie equipment three times and Anacortes once, bringing in a total of $2,500 to the city.

•The council will consider a new maintenance worker position because of an increase in workload in that department.

Also at Monday’s work session, Mayor Jon Nehring thanked the council for moving so quickly on working with the school district on setting up pickleball courts at Cedarcrest Middle School.

Councilman Mark James said at the recent Association of Washington Cities meeting he attended a class on the Important of Town Squares. He said he’s excited that Marysville could develop one if it gets a new civic campus that could be tied in to the waterfront.

Councilman Tom King said thanks to the city Maryfest, the volunteer group that runs the Strawberry Festival, has a new home at the former Baxter auto building on the waterfront. He said an open house will be scheduled later.

Council Jeff Vaughan said time does stand still as a city clock is not working. Since time’s a wasting, the city will look into repairing it.