President Neil started the meeting at 12:02 pm with members attending in-person and online for today’s meeting. Today’s meeting was #5529 of the club and #27 of President Neil’s year.

 

President Neil, Gave the thought that we must change with the times but keeping up traditions is also important.

 

President Neil: - Katherine White from Executive Results 365.

 

Ryan Willis DVS annual chocolate & wine lovers gala auction at Tulalip, I need 5 more people to fill my table.

 

Susie Black Guild 8 See’s cany sale. 

 

President Neil This Friday is the clubs’ board meeting.

 

President Neil Monthly food sorting at VOA.

 

Jim Staniford 2/18 is Dawson Place fund raiser at the Silvertips hockey game.  Tickets are $10.

 

Tom joined Rotary in 1972 when the club had 178 members.  It quickly climbed in membership to 190.  Tom was President in 1978-79 when the membership climbed to over 200 under his direction.  The club only had 3 Paul Harris fellows at that time.  Tom was an early supporter of letting women join Rotary and since his Presidency the Thomas Rainville fund has been created.  John went on to tell stories of Tom starting the Paine Field parking fund raiser.  He told of Tom’s time as district governor and that he helped raise over $150,000 for Polio.  His wife Davis visited the club often.

 

John then read the proclamation that January 23^rd 2024 will be know as Tom Rainville Day.

 

Tom had an opportunity to speak.  He stated that he knows Rotary is the best organization in the world and that the Rotary Club of Everett is a big contributor to it.  He is glad that the scholarship program continues to go today.  He tells us that he is moving to Nevada and will miss Washington.  He also talked about 3 large meetings he remembers attending, India, Munich and Australia.

 

Larry O donated $300 happy bucks for Tom Rainville, glad to be back healthy after having COVID and his picture was in the paper.

 

Betsy Baker Bold $100 to honor Tom Rainville.

 

Steve Miller $10 for being back in action after another round of stitches in his elbow.  He thinks he now has more stitches than Jim Staniford.

 

Andy Skotdal $100 for the memory of being recruited by Tom Rainville in 1994.

 

Walt Greenwood $100 for his 50+ years with his wife.

 

Paul Stoot $100 for having Jay Inslee as a guest at his school.

 

Amy Norman $20 had torn esophagus glad to be back for Tom Rainville day.

 

Ralph Quaas Glad to be home after 11 days in hospital for COVID.

 

President Neil $100 in honor of Tom Rainville.

 

This week’s raffle.   Amy Norman (Sparkling Wine), Mike Holcomb (Red Wine), and 

Barb George (Lunch) were the winners this week. 

 

Today’s Program – Ryan Willis introduces Andy Skotdal who gave a talk on the development activity in downtown Everett since his last presentation in 2015.

Andy’s last presentation was in 2015.  There are 450 parcels in the downtown district and Skotdal operates 19 parcels.  The third largest landowner and largest private landowner in the downtown area. 

 

There have been 25 development projects since 2015 and 1/3 of all projects since 1989 have been by Skotdal.

 

Some of the large project in the county Skotdal has helped with PAE.

 

Transformation of Cascade Bank building

 

Residential is the new boom in downtown Everett.  14 of the 25 projects have been residential, 56% of total projects and Skotdal has participated in 38% of the projects downtown.

 

He went on to explain some of the headwinds for development in Everett.  The main detractor from Everett is the lack of high-speed fiber internet.  Fiber stops before Everett and that is needed to attract the large tech companies.  Herald has filed for bankruptcy, QFC land has been sold, union bank left, and another large bank is leaving the downtown area.  All leading to the rise in residential buildings.

 

Andy feels that the relatively easy permit process for downtown might be changing soon.

 

There was a push before COVID to have fiber optics brought to Everett.  That consortium is making a resurgence to try and raise the approximate $30 million needed to succeed.

 

 

Next week’s program will be Maya Azimioara from Habitat for Humanity.

 

Meeting adjourned at 1:00 pm. 

 

Submitted respectively,

 

Photos submitted,