By Mike Hazlip—
Citrus Heights City Manager Ash Feeney spoke at last week’s meeting of the Sylvan Old Auburn Road Neighborhood Association, seeking input from community members ahead of an upcoming strategic planning retreat.
“We’re coming up to a point where we revisit those three year goals that are established by the city council and just going out to the community to get some feedback on where we’re at,” Feeney said during the Jan. 22 meeting, adding that the city’s current three-year goal period will conclude in March. “I’m going around to stakeholder groups and neighborhood areas, some of our business, Sunrise Marketplace, the Chamber, making connections and talking about where we’ve been over the course of the last couple of years and get feedback on some of the data and what it showed us, what some of the community priorities are and hear from you.”
Feeney said his first planning retreat was in May of 2022, just as the city was emerging from the pandemic shutdowns. At that time, the key focus areas were community image, economic development, community connection and engagement, and infrastructure. Aligning the focused area work plan with the city’s three-year goal terms has helped city leaders make progress, Feeney said.
Since that time, the city has implemented its Beautification Crew and a “Citrus Heights Cares” campaign, which Feeney called “key initiatives that are really starting to pay some dividends.”
Additionally, a city ordinance aimed at reducing the number of abandoned shopping carts has helped give city workers the authority to remove the carts, keeping the streets clean, Feeney said. The Beautification Crew coordinates with officers from the Citrus Heights Police Impact team and business owners to address illegal camping and littering.
Feeney also highlighted increased staffing at the Police Department, saying public safety has been a focus of the City Council. Under Chief Alex Turcotte, the department has implemented an Impact Team, a shift from the prior problem-oriented policing approach, The Sentinel reported in March of 2022.
The Impact Team has helped address retail theft, something that Feeney said contributes to a positive community image.
In an effort to address infrastructure, Feeney said the city has made progress on roads, completing what he called “significant mill-and-fill” projects over last summer. The mill-and-fill process involves removing the top layer of asphalt with a milling machine and replacing it with freshly poured asphalt to extend the life of the road.
Related: Citrus Heights to move forward on ‘sorely needed’ San Juan Ave roadway project
More long-term infrastructure projects include a complete streets grant that is earmarked for sections of San Juan Avenue near Madison Avenue, he said. The project came in at about $800,000 under the grant award, and Feeney said the difference will go towards other street resurfacing projects.
The city has also shifted strategies to address crumbling roads, Feeney said. The new approach aims to improve more than 150 lane miles of roadway. The previous strategy would have paved about six lane-miles, he said.
“You’re going to start to see some real changes on streets,” Feeney said. “That’s a program that we’re just getting ready to roll out, we’re really excited about that.”
Related: City approves 3-year plan for improving roads in Citrus Heights
Feeney, along with other city leaders, plan to join more area meetings in the near future seeking input from residents that he said would be discussed at the upcoming retreat.
“I feel like we’ve been able to move the ball down the field,” Feeney said. “There’s still a long way to go before we win the game, but we’ve definitely been making some advancements in those key areas.”
The city has not yet posted a date or agenda on its website for the upcoming Strategic Planning Retreat, but has traditionally held such retreats every six-to-12 months. The last retreat was held June 15, 2023.
