Meeting Recap for July 18, 2011

Posted by John McIntyre 
on Jul 20, 2011
 

Call to Order

President Ken Noack called his first full meeting to order at 12:15pm with thanks for the excellent pre-meeting music by Paul Stone and the beer and wine reception sponsored by Steve Ruland.

 

Invocation

Thought for the Day provided by past-president, Emperor Wes Yee who reflected on how much we in Rotary have to be grateful for – including our fellow Rotarians and the good we do as individuals, as Rotarians in our club, our district, and as an international organization. 

 

New Member Induction

President Ken Noack formally introduced and welcomed the Club’s two newest members, both of whom were received with a standing ovation:

  • Hazaiah Williams, who was pinned by his wife Linda
  • Terry Buck, who was pinned by his wife Heather

 

Announcements and Events

  • 7/25 – Rotary Meeting featuring guest speaker Dr. Jack Scott, Chancellor of the California Community Colleges
  • 7/25 – Rotary Softball vs. Elk Grove
  • 7/27 – Happy Hour at 5:30pm at House Kitchen & Bar, 555 Capitol Avenue (parking validated)
  • 7/31 – Past Presidents Bartholomew and Brautigam Annual BBQ/Fireside
  • 8/29 – Brown Bag Luncheon – still need sites!
  • 10/1 – Plan Your Giving Day – make a commitment to our community and the causes you believe in by signing up – see Elfrena Foord for details.
  • 10/3 – Golf for Kids

 

Recognition, Celebrations, and Mountain-climbing

  • Jeff von Kaenel appreciated that Medical Marijuana had his publications on a fiscal high and thus made a $500 contribution.
  • Norm Marshall was grateful to have been invited to do construction work on the new Sunflower Market being installed in a Yee family property. So grateful, he became a Hiker ($150).
  • Jim Phillips made a commitment to become a Hiker ($150), contingent on President Ken hiking with him in Yosemite next month.

 

Sponsor of the Day

Ruth Blank shared a sobering-yet-hopeful update on the The Greater Sacramento Generosity Project, which indicated that Sacramento needs to increase its charitable support in order to reach average.  National average for charitable giving is 66%; Sacramento is at 62%. Additionally, for households with incomes $200K+, the national average of annual charitable support is $18,000; in Sacramento it’s $11,000.  Ruth made clear that she was preaching to the choir in speaking to the club, but she encouraged us to encourage others to find a charitable purpose that inspires them and make a gift – any gift.  If Sacramento simply drew its numbers up to the average, that would mean an additional $250 million that would make a positive difference in our community.

 

Introduction of Speaker(s)

Chair of the Day Dan Cole provided background on and introduction of our guest speaker, Ray Kerridge, City Manager of Roseville.

 

Speaker Ray Kerridge

Ray hit the ground at a sprint with several ‘did you knows’ about Roseville:  Cited as the best city for doing business in our region; the 5th-fastest growing city in CA with a population under 300,000; crime in the city is down across the board, including a 24% drip in violent crime; Roseville is financially “in the black” and has a clear vision:

One city – everyone working together toward a common enterprise and commitment to find ways to address conflict or potential conflict

Open for business – everything the city does is built around ROI (return on investment)

Moving from urban to metropolitan – Roseville is working on the cultural and other distinctions that mark metropolitan centers.

The city has strong leadership – from the city council, to the chamber of commerce, to the city manager’s office (he credited his staff, rather than himself). Some indicators of that leadership:

The city has:

Created its own development corporation, in anticipation of the raiding/eradication of redevelopment districts around the State.

Developed a University Task Force to explore what they need to do to attract one or more universities and then to do it.

A commitment to customer service – the way to attract business and keep citizens happy is to serve them well.

Thus, Ray is projecting that Roseville will likely be the first city in the region to emerge from the recession.

When asked about Roseville’s position regarding the proposed sports and entertainment complex, Ray said that the city would want to see what the ROI would be, yet he suggested that, if Sacramento wants real partners, they should open up where the new complex should go, rather than dictating that it will go in the rail yard. He made clear that he wasn’t saying that the rail yard wasn’t the best spot – he concedes that it could be – but that it should be open to discussion with potential partners.

 

Next Meeting

Our next meeting is on Monday, July 25th, with speaker Dr. Jack Scott, Chancellor of the California Community College System.  President Ken concluded the meeting with the challenge to us to reach for our own summits!