MARYSVILLE, CA (MPG) - Marysville City Council members at their Feb. 4 meeting heard an update about traffic calming measures planned for the area of E Street and 12th Street.

Staff explained that this area currently sees frequent speeding and traffic congestion, which causes significant safety issues. The goal is to reduce vehicle speeds to enhance walkability and improve overall community wellbeing. E and 12th are very wide streets, so there is plenty of room for various potential safety improvements, such as curb extensions, median islands, narrowed lanes, buffered bike lanes and roundabouts.

A pilot program could be implemented to put up temporary safety updates and see which options work best. Then city staff can pursue grant funding to install permanent improvements.

Mayor Chris Branscum said he lives in that area and often walks those streets, so he has seen improvements from recent calming measures on 14th Street. There is more to do along this corridor, according to Branscum.

During general Public Comment, Shannon McGovern with Cal Water said that the city has now received Cal Water’s profit and loss statements, as requested by the mayor. She said Cal Water also provided an infrastructure improvement plan fact sheet specific to Marysville, with “percentages that show in broad categories how every penny of every dollar is allocated to the enterprise in Marysville, as submitted to the California Public Utilities Commission for their consideration.” McGovern reminded City Council that the California Public Utilities Commission is still at least six to 12 months away from a decision on Cal Water’s proposed rate increase for Marysville.

McGovern said Cal Water is collaborating with city experts on a comprehensive rate analysis: “Our books are open.” She added that Cal Water offers various customer-service assistance programs to help support ratepayers experiencing both temporary and long-term hardships.

“We don’t want our customers to struggle unnecessarily,” said McGovern, and she urged customers to call 530-742-6911 for reduced bills or payment plans options.

City Council then considered the 2025 event budget for the city’s three primary annual events: the Fourth of July Fireworks Show, the Marysville Peach Festival and the Marysville Christmas Parade.

The city has a professional services agreement with Sapphire Marketing Group to manage these events from 2024 to 2026, with an optional two-year extension. The agreement requires annual budget approval by the City Council.

A Sapphire Marketing Group representative said that the Marysville Christmas Parade remains financially stable, with balanced revenue and expenses. For the Fourth of July event, due to a delay in the fireworks show in 2024, Sapphire was able to negotiate cost savings for 2025, reducing the overall budget. However, rising entertainment costs have impacted the budget for the Peach Festival in recent years. To account for that cost, Sapphire Marketing Group is requesting a budget increase of $16,000 to come from the city’s General Fund if Sapphire Marketing Group is unable to collect enough sponsorships to fill that gap.

Additionally, in years past, any sponsorship revenue above what was projected was split 50/50 between Sapphire Marketing Group and the city. For this year, Sapphire Marketing Group is recommending that the city pay a flat cost of $3,000 for sponsorship development for all three events and have the city keep 100% of any sponsorships.

City Council voted unanimously to approve the events budget, with some details still to be worked out with Sapphire Marketing Group.

The council then heard a proposal from Sapphire Marketing Group for a possible country music festival in downtown Marysville this August.

The idea for the festival is to replicate the Nashville experience in Marysville, with a one-day festival featuring established and emerging country music stars. The event (held on D Street between 3rd and 5th streets from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.) would feature two outdoor concert stages, multiple singer/songwriter cafes, various vendors and alcohol sales. Attendance would be free but attendees could buy VIP passes and tickets for priority seating.

Sapphire Marketing Group would seek high-level sponsorships to cover the cost of the event, which has an estimated budget of $165,000. The City of Marysville would be responsible for any amount not covered by sponsorships and revenues.

All City Council members agreed that they liked the concept, with Mayor Branscum adding that “there’s some details that need to be considered.” The council directed staff to work with Sapphire Marketing Group to bring the idea back to council for further consideration in March.

The next Marysville City Council meeting is scheduled for 6 p.m. Feb. 18.