CITRUS HEIGHTS, CA (MPG) - At the June 25 Citrus Heights City Council meeting, the Citrus Heights Police Department gave an update about its illegal fireworks enforcement plan for the Fourth of July holiday.

Citrus Heights Police Department Commander Michael Wells said July 3 and 4 are the busiest days of the year for the department, with illegal firework reports on July 4 making up approximately 45% of service calls for the whole year. 

The Citrus Heights Police Department encourages residents to celebrate safely, and to meet that goal, the department implemented an outreach campaign to educate the public about increased fines and penalties for illegal fireworks. 

The Citrus Heights Police Department will implement increased patrols as well as the use of drones to proactively look for illegal firework activity in the city. Residents can report illegal fireworks by calling 916-727-5500.

“I look forward to seeing our results this year of our increased vigilance and the public is welcome to participate in this,” Mayor Jayna Karpinski-Costa said. “This is fun to see if our city can quiet down. I mean, it should be celebrated but it should be celebrated within the law.”

During public comment, Citrus Heights resident Kathy Morris, who is president of her local Neighborhood Area group, said she was very surprised by the funding change for these groups approved at the last council meeting. 

Previously, each Neighborhood Area received an annual allocation of $500 from the city. As part of the newly approved budget, the council changed the allocation to an application process in which Neighborhood Areas can request funding for specific purposes. Under the new system, they can request more than $500 but any unused funding must be returned to the city for reallocation the following year. 

Morris said she hadn’t heard any concerns from the city about how the Neighborhood Areas were spending their money. If there were problems, Morris said, the city should have brought it up before.

“The most effective way to get things done is to talk to each other,” said Morris.

She requested that the issue be reconsidered, with the Neighborhood Areas involved in the discussion. 

During council comments, Councilmember Tim Schaefer briefly addressed the Neighborhood Area funding, stating that he had been involved in his local Neighborhood Area, “so I have a deep passion for this community.” He said the decision was not an effort to cut the funding but to provide an opportunity for them to get more money to do more.

“My own neighborhood, for example, they’re not spending their money. And so I’d like to see them spend the money,” Schaefer said. “It’s about enabling the neighborhoods to bring more people in.” 

The council then held a workshop to provide direction on the Gateway Activation Project (GAP), which will implement roadway and multi-modal transportation improvements along Old Auburn Road and Wachtel Way. 

Phase 1 of the project is professional engineering, environmental review and public outreach, which will be funded by a $700,000 appropriation from the State General Fund by Assemblymember Ken Cooley. After this phase is completed and plans approved, the city will have a shovel-ready project, making it more competitive for grant funding for the construction phase. 

The Gateway Activation Project will enhance regional trail connectivity by extending the Arcade-Cripple Creek Trail and the Old Auburn Road Multi-Use Trail, providing access to the Dry Creek Greenway and the regional trail network through Roseville and to Folsom Lake. 

These connections will require improvements along the roadway, as well as at the following intersections on Old Auburn Road: Wachtel Way, Oakwood Hills Circle and Argo Drive. 

Staff analyzed the current conditions of each intersection and looked at options to improve pedestrian safety while enhancing traffic flow. While signalized intersections were considered, roundabouts were identified as the best option to reduce both vehicle speeds and traffic congestion. Roundabouts would also cost less in ongoing maintenance. 

However, staff explained that construction of roundabouts would have impacts on existing trees. The city would also need to acquire right-of-way from adjacent property owners, due to the increased space needed for roundabouts. 

Input from a public outreach meeting and an online survey showed that resident priorities included pedestrian safety, trail connectivity and reducing vehicle speeds. While some residents were resistant to the idea of roundabouts, others supported it. So, there was not a clear public preference about the intersection improvements. 

“There are some community concerns about roundabouts, so throwing three in there is a bold move but we think it’s the right move,” said Community Development Director Casey Kempenaar.

Kempenaar added that the central space in each roundabout offers the opportunity for artwork or signage to create inviting gateways into the city. 

By spring 2026, the project should be ready for environmental review and approvals by the council. The city will apply for construction grants in 2027, with plans to begin construction in spring 2028. 

During public comments, Citrus Heights resident David Shelton cautioned that drivers often get confused about who has the right-of-way in a roundabout. 

“It seems like roundabouts are the way to go,” Councilmember Kelsey Nelson said.

Nelson was hesitant about how to address the issue of adjacent private property.

“I do appreciate that it’s going to move people through more safely and more quickly,” said Nelson, “so that sounds like a success.” 

Councilmember Schaefer also said he liked the roundabouts and that the impacts to private property in these cases will be “relatively minimal.”

“I don’t like taking people’s property, but in this case, I think for the greater good, for putting this roundabout, for improving safety, for improving service, I think this has more pros about it than cons,” Schaefer said. 

Councilmember Porsche Middleton agreed: “Absolutely I think that roundabouts would be very helpful.”

She said signalized intersections wouldn’t do as much to reduce vehicle speeds, while roundabouts would “help to calm things down.” 

Vice-Mayor MariJane Lopez-Taff said that roundabouts would have a positive impact on residents in those neighborhoods since it will help reduce speeding and congestion. The residents in those neighborhoods will see the benefit of giving up a portion of their properties, according to Lopez-Taff. 

Mayor Jayna Karpinski-Costa said the roundabouts make sense in these intersections. But she cautioned staff to be thoughtful during the design process.

“Look at the one that went on Woodmore Oaks. That was a disaster. We had to go back and remove it because it was in the wrong place,” Karpinski-Costa said.

City Engineer Leslie Blomquist said the newly proposed roundabouts will accommodate school buses as well as large delivery trucks, and these roundabouts will not have the bulb-out design that caused many problems at the Woodmore Oaks location. 

The council consensus was for staff to move forward with this phase of the Gateway Activation Project as proposed. 

The next Citrus Heights City Council meeting is scheduled for July 9.