Meeting Minutes
Meeting called to order by Pres Ron
Guests
Our speakers from the City of Minnetonka, Mike Funk and Julie Wischnack.
Invocation
Invocation by Mac; ‘It’s a wonderful day today!” We’re thankful for starting the day with Rotary friends and the things we can accomplish together. We ask for guidance and success in our Fundraiser next week.
Pledge
Everyone.
4-Way Test
Everyone.
International Theme
Unite for Good. [No banner yet. Ed.]
Paul Harris Awards
None this week.
Announcements
Alexa - The District Conference will be at Valley Fair on Sat, Sept 13, from 2-3:30. $40 will cover your parking and admission. Also, we’re looking ahead for our club and other district clubs to be featured in an up coming Rotarian magazine. You’ll see some club members and information highlighting our service. Fun!
Bob H. - he passed out a poll to see about interest in 2 Community Service efforts that could be ongoing projects all year. The Forest Hills Elementary and the Crescent Cove Children’s Hospice have need for time spent with their kids and clients. We’ll use your feedback to see where the interest is best.
Ron U. - some thank you letters from ICA and Resource West for donations received from our Club Foundation
Some final comments on the Fundraiser coming up in 8 days!
Jerald S. we’re short of raffle ticket sales at this late date, only 350 of 1000 (or more?) sold so far. One last hard push for sales, and if not sold, bring back your unsold tickets. Last meeting tomorrow, Sept 4 at Hopkins Auto Body at 5:30. Everyone welcome.
Alexa R. - if you are a sponsor, or know who they are, encourage them to bring friends that will be paid for already with their sponsorships. We’d like many people to come for the food and fun, if not for the golf.
Chris R. - we’re up to $33,100 in sponsorships, but still time for more. There are about 4 open spots for golf still available.
Ann W - bring in your final bottles of booze for the buckets.
Jennifer S. - all the volunteer slots are filled except for one golf game. Need 1 person for the tee-off game.
Cathy C. - we still can use some auction items, and she needs time to get all the documents properly created.
New Member Induction
None this week.
Rotary Minute
None this week.
Raffle
Jim Martin’s hand is going up on a regular basis, but the Joker is hiding out. Play On!
Foundation Award Checks or Thank You's
None this week.
Happy Bucks
Annika S. -to ask us all to attend Walk for Alzheimer’s, for her Mom, on Sept 27
Mark Marlin - for an upcoming trip to Delaware, now that we’re into the fall and should be less busy.
Chris R. - for Julie being here today, and her years of cooperation with our City licensing
Char M. - for 13 family members at a lake in Deerwood, where for many years her cabin was located. She may have showed the boat owner a few boating tricks even he didn’t know about. Everyone’s safe!
Terry S. - for time spent with kids at the Forest Hills Elementary. It’s very fun to see the kids’ smiles.
Sam S. - for a visit with his brother in Connecticut. Also, a delayed but OK return from the departing airport.
Ryan R. - for the start of school with his kids and 9 days at a (his?) cabin before that.
Ron U. - for a plus, for a trip to Colorado to see his 99 y.o. brother in law, and a minus, that he will be back in time for next week’s meeting!
Scott N. - for an upcoming trip to Switzerland for their 30th Anniversary Any itinerary suggestions?
Alexa R. - for her 2 boys serving Mass together and Bennet making sure the wine was a proper vintage; it was a movie scene as he smelled the cruet contents up on the altar.
Sara E. - for the start of school, and the blessings of having an Au Pair with the busy 3-child life right now.
Program
Speakers; Mike and Julie from The City of Minnetonka and the story of The Ridgedale Mall.
Mike is the City Manager of Minnetonka, since 2019, and assistant before that. Julie is the director of Community Development for many years. Both have a Rotary background.
Mike - He loves working for and living in Mtka. He reports to the 8 City Directors and Council.
Ridgedale, and the area, is the ecomomic engine for Mtka, at $160 million per year. Mtka has an ongoing 20-year plan on Ridgedale management and development.
Julie - Ridgedale is the last of the ‘Dales’, developed between 1962 and 1973. It was mostly hobby farms at inception. Ridgedale is on 100 acres and hundreds more beyond that. It employs 10,000 people, 653 businesses, and is 50/50 between renters and owners.
There are 1.4 million visitors to the area every MONTH! Much data is collected to guide their planning.
Ridgedale is much more than shopping; food and dining, entertainment, health and fitness, arts and music are all here. Housing is growing briskly on the original Ridgedale land. 2008 was a horrible economic time, and it hurt Ridgedale. Mtka planning looked far ahead to see how to come out of that and sustain growth. A Public/Private partnership is essential for the long-term.
$35 million has been invested by the city, and Federal $, for better access, roundabouts, freeway ramps.
Mtka cares for all the stakeholders of developers, merchants, shoppers and now residents. Their latest project was an $8 million project on a ‘Park in the Parking Lot”. Developers were and still are major contributors to the Park.
The combined incomes of Mtka are residential, industrial and commercial. Mtka is strongly interested in keeping and drawing residents into Mtka. Housing is strong and the vacancy rate for business is only 2%.
Ridgedale is second only to the Mall of America in visitors and economic impact.
Thank you Julie and Mike for this excellent info on Ridgedale, by 2 people who have been deeply involved in it. We’re proud to be The Minnetonka Rotary Club in such a vital, safe, and well-managed city.
Adjournment
Meeting adjourned.
Respectfully Submitted by Bob Hersman.
Member Submissions
Nothing this week.
