ELECTION 2012
Mayor running against six candidates for seat on Roseville City Council

By: Sena Christian, The Press Tribune

Roseville Mayor Pauline Roccucci spends time with her grandchildren, from left, Charlie Roccucci, 2, Jayden Roccucci, 4, and Carson Behler, 3, at Royer Park in September. Roccucci is running against six other candidates for a seat on the Roseville City Council in November’s election.

Pauline Roccucci knows a thing or two about Roseville. Her family has lived in the city for more than 100 years and she has spent her whole life here, graduating from Roseville High School in 1966. Nowadays, she returns each week to the park of her childhood - Royer Park - with her grandchildren.

Roccucci, 64, also knows a lot about her hometown because she's served a total of 13 years as a Roseville city councilwoman. Her first gig as mayor started in 1989 and she resumed the role in 2010. She's running for re-election against six other candidates vying for three seats in the Nov. 6 election.

"I'm running for re-election to make sure we remember why we're a city and keep our core services intact," Roccucci said. "That's why residents (and) businesses come to Roseville ... sometimes people forget those basic services don't just happen. You have to work hard to keep that environment and sustain a good quality of life."

Police and fire are the best insurance policies for maintaining a quality city, she said. In addition to ensuring that public safety remains a top priority, Roccucci is also running on a platform of maintaining and improving our utilities, continuing revitalization efforts and promoting fiscal responsibility.

After high school, Roccucci earned a nursing degree from California State University, Sacramento and works today as a registered nurse.

During her first tenure on the council, she was part of bringing Westfield Galleria and the Automall to Roseville. She has also been involved in all the city's specific plans, she said.

More recently, she's proud of the city for balancing its budget and keeping public libraries open during tough economic times. She was on the council when the Development Advisory Committee was formed to look at how development services could be done differently and better.

But Roccucci's biggest passion lies in water and electric issues. She helped establish and served as former chair of the Regional Water Authority, comprised of 22 stakeholders who advocate on water issues. She is also past chairwoman - actually, the first woman and only chair from Roseville - for the Northern California Power Agency.

Roseville is lucky to have its own electric and water utility, she said. But the challenge will be costly state mandates coming down the pipeline, and Roccucci said with her experience she can help navigate those regulatory changes.

Roccucci thinks the city can do a better job of keeping communication open with residents. She said Roseville has done more to solicit public input on big community decisions such as the design of a new bridge and whether a roundabout should be put downtown.

Sometimes Roccucci is the lone "no" vote on the council, but she said that's part of her job.

"It's not always easy to be the one out there," she said, adding, "When I'm on the council, I'm looking at the perspective of the people who elected me to do my very best for them and look at how it will affect Roseville as a whole. I never forget that it's not my money. Residents expect me to be fiscally sound and make solvent decisions."

She describes the council's role to "make life good for everyone."

Roccucci has been endorsed by, among others, Roseville Police Officers Association, Roseville Firefighters Association, Placer County Supervisor Jack Duran, Placer County Sherriff Ed Bonner and Vice Mayor Susan Rohan.

"Pauline consistently puts Roseville residents and neighborhoods first," Rohan said. "She wants public money spent wisely and supports an open and transparent government. She wants a safe environment, high quality services and affordable utilities. These values need to be taken into consideration by the council, and I value her perspective on the issues that come before us."

Source: http://www.thepresstribune.com/article/roccucci-council’s-job-‘make-life-good-everyone’

Wednesday Oct 03 2012

Discusses local economy, redevelopment, quality of life in state of the city address

By: Sena Christian, The Press Tribune

Roseville Mayor Pauline Roccucci gave her State of the City address before the city council meeting Wednesday, remarking on the importance of having a financially and physically healthy city.

"This is my priority as your mayor," she said.

Roccucci, whose term ends this year, said while the last four years have been difficult, Roseville is healthier today than 12 months ago.

"Our strengths as a city and as a community did not just happen," she said. "They came from generations of good planning. ... We must carry on that same planning for our children and grandchildren."

City finances

Roccucci said Roseville has a long tradition of conservative fiscal values, which helped the city weather the economic downturn. She said the city isn't burdened by debt, as the general fund debt is less than 1 percent of the budget. But the budget has a structural deficit, and the city has delayed contributing money to retiree health funds and Capital Improvement Projects.

"But this isn't the long-term solution," Roccucci said.

The city has a plan to close that gap in about three years through keeping costs down and exploring new revenue streams.

Most of Roseville's general fund revenue comes from sales and property tax. Roccucci said sales tax revenue is up by almost 10 percent over last year and with property tax "the worst is over."

Homebuilders are starting to build, with about 40 percent of the greater Sacramento region's new home permits happening in Roseville, Roccucci said. Businesses want to locate here because of Roseville's low-cost, reliable municipal utilities, fee deferrals, a streamlined permitting process, educated workforce, and good schools and hospitals.

Roccucci praised Advantage Roseville, a public-private partnership in which 21 local businesses and the city are funding a marketing campaign to attract new businesses to town.

Downtown redevelopment

When the California Legislature eliminated redevelopment agencies, the city was prepared with its Roseville Community Development Corporation to fill the void. They focus on revitalization efforts, particularly in downtown. Roccucci said the group works with developers to renovate and fill empty buildings, like the old JC Penney store that's now Sammy's Rockin' Island Bar and Grill.

"I can't remember when I've seen as much excitement and energy on Vernon Street than the night of the opening of (that restaurant)," Roccucci said adding that more than 1,200 people were downtown that day.

"As Sammy (Hagar) says, 'Downtown has soul,'" she said. "Yeah, I agree. But not only soul, downtown will soon have a Town Square."

Additionally, SureWest recently announced that 300 of its employees will move back to its downtown office.

Quality of life

Roseville provides residents with a high quality of life, Roccucci said, because of its low crime rate, more than 65 parks, great restaurants and shopping, and a growing arts and cultural scene - but there's room for improvement.

She said the city is working to be more transparent and accessible: "You have a right to know how your money is being spent and the direction of your city."

 

Source: http://www.thepresstribune.com/article/roseville-mayor-city’s-structural-deficit-not-long-term-solution
 

State of the City Address 2012

Mayor Pauline presented the Roseville State of the City address at 6:30 PM on October 3, 2012 before the regularly scheduled city council meeting.  Follow the link to hear Mayor Roccucci’s comments.

http://roseville.granicus.com/MediaPlayer.php?view_id=10&clip_id=2416

An interview with Pauline Roccucci, Mayor of the City of Roseville.  The interview can be viewed by following the attached link and selecting Pages 44-45 at the top of the home page.

http://content.yudu.com/Library/A1xxhw/RussianTimeMagazine/resources/index.htm?referrerUrl=Russian-Time-Magazine

Wednesday Sep 05 2012

Memorial honors only local boy killed in World War I
By: Sena Christian, The Press Tribune

Roseville's only battlefield casualty in World War I was honored Wednesday during a memorial ceremony exactly 94 years after his death.

The event took place at the gravesite of Alyn Butler in the Roseville Cemetery on Berry Street to honor the man who died at 19 years old in 1918. The ceremony also served as an opportunity for his family and members of American Legion Alyn W. Butler Post 169 to share his story.

During the last week of May, his great-nephew Harry Butler walked Vernon Street at lunchtime and asked about 50 people if they knew of Butler - no one did.

"I too didn't know who Alyn Butler was," Roseville Mayor Pauline Roccucci said at the ceremony. "I'm glad to be here to get to know the family and that young man who gave his life in World War I."

Roccucci said he will be remembered for having the spirit and courage to serve his country. Gen. Robert Hipwell, of Granite Bay, reflected on Butler's life history.

Born in Penryn in 1898, Butler moved to Roseville with his mother in 1906. He graduated from Roseville High School and got a job with the Southern Pacific Railroad. He enlisted in the United States Army two months before his 20th birthday in 1918.

He was killed three weeks after arriving in France in a battle against the Germans in September 1918. Two months later, the armistice was signed and the war ended on the 11th day of the 11th month. Butler was one of an estimated 320,000 American casualties of the war.

The local post of the American Legion changed its name in 1922 to honor the fallen hero. The U.S. military returned Butler's remains to Roseville in 1939 for burial with full military honors.

During Wednesday's ceremony, Roccucci, Hipwell and Harry Butler placed a wreath at Butler's tombstone to the bugle sounds of "Taps," performed by Jim Berg. Before the salute, Harry Butler thanked the guests for keeping the memory of his great uncle alive.

Source:  http://www.thepresstribune.com/article/roseville-remembers-alyn-butler-gravesite

Thursday Aug 16, 2012

Courtesy/Tim Bradshaw
Local dignitaries and leaders from St. Clare Catholic Church turn the first ceremonial shovels of dirt for the church’s expansion project during a ground blessing ceremony Sunday.  From left, Bill Durborough, Father Steven Foppiano,
Robert B. Morris Jr., Vice Mayor Susan Rohan, Supervisor Jack Duran, Paula Staszkow, Rep. Tom McClintock, Mayor Pauline Roccucci and Father Martin Ramat.

Parishioners and local leaders attended a ground blessing ceremony Sunday to mark the beginning of an expansion effort at St. Clare Catholic Church.
The church on Junction Boulevard will gain four classrooms with offices and a conference room. In addition, an entrance to Baseline Road will be opened for future use and parking lot improvements will implement new ADA standards.

“We are continuing to experience tremendous growth and desperately need these improvements. Roseville is still growing and many are being drawn to this beautiful and welcoming place of worship,” said Father Steven Foppiano, in a press release. “It is a wonderful challenge given us by God to serve our brothers and sisters in faith. Acting on faith, parishioners have sacrificed to make this project happen.”

The ground breaking was made possible through a capital campaign held last fall that asked parishioners to make a pledge to improve the facilities and reduce the parish debt. In 10 years, the church has gone from 600 registered families to nearly 5,000. With just five meeting rooms, St. Clare has 4,500 events booked this year, according to the release.
“This growth creates many challenges and even this expansion falls short of what is needed,” said St. Clare Administrator Paula Staszkow.

Church officials hope to raise $500,000 in additional pledges over the next few months to accelerate construction to finish the new classrooms by Christmas, provide a connecting road to Baseline and create additional parking.

Source:  http://www.thepresstribune.com/article/rosevilles-st-clare-add-classrooms-offices

Dear Friends,

The general election is just about here and as many of you know, I’m a candidate for the Roseville City Council.  In an effort to know you better, raise some additional funds, and share some good homemade Italian food, I’m having two fundraisers and dinners at my home.  The dinners will consist of home made lasagna, Italian beans, roll, dessert and beverage.  Richard will again be the chef for the lasagna and as some of you know it’s the best in town!  I hope to see you at the dinners and provide you the opportunity to discuss your issues and share some good food and conversation.

Contributions are not tax deductible for income tax purposes and Roseville
campaign law limits contributions to $500 per individual or entity

Campaign ID# 1344509    Web: www.roccucci.com    Tel: 916-782-2708   e-mail: pauline@roccucci.com

 REMEMBER TO VOTE ON NOVEMBER 6TH

4/28/12
Roseville kicks off Town Square with food truck party
Construction of public gathering space downtown will begin by early June
By Sena Christian, The Press Tribune

Roseville city officials envision downtown as a place where people live, shop, eat and play -- and on Sunday, May 6, plenty of eating will take place.

The city is hosting a mobile food celebration to kick off construction of the Town Square in front of Civic Center on Vernon and Grant streets. Eight gourmet food trucks will be cooking up goodies for the free event, according to Jamie Carlson with the city.

Those include Heavenly Dogs, Mini Burger, Drewski's Hot Rod Kitchen, Chando's Tacos, Smoothie Patrol, Volkswaffle, Coast to Coast Sandwiches and Simply Southern aka It's Corn Cake.

"We hope the event brings new people into the area and provides an opportunity for us to showcase what downtown Roseville has to offer," Carlson said. "Come for the gourmet food, listen to some local live music and browse shops and galleries. It's a great way to spend a Sunday afternoon."

Construction of the Town Square is scheduled to begin by early June, said the city's Developmental Analyst Bill Aiken.

"The Town Square is going to be the pre-eminent destination in the downtown area that will bring in people and be beneficial to those who have an interest in downtown, especially businesses," Aiken said.

This public space is part of a grand vision for the revitalization of downtown and Old Town that has been several years in the making. Roseville City Council approved the Downtown Specific Plan in 2009 and in August approved 13 projects in these two districts to be completed over three years for $37 million.

The majority of this cost is covered by funds allocated specifically for physical improvements and not intended for operational expenses.

The Town Square will act as a "community living room," as city spokeswoman Megan MacPherson calls the space, with a water fountain and a stage for theatrical and musical acts. The city has set aside funding to program this stage on an ongoing basis.

"The end of the construction is just the beginning (of the work)," Aiken said.

There will also be public WiFi, restrooms, plenty of seating and space to host vendor fairs. Other plans for downtown include changes to pedestrian bridges and infrastructure improvements.

"We're enhancing what we have and allowing more people to participate in special events," said Mayor Pauline Roccucci.

Aiken said business owners have been supportive of the plans, even though there's always some apprehension with construction projects. The city will ensure that shoppers can easily access businesses.

In February, the City Council approved the purchase of a piece of property on Lincoln Street for the new Fire Station No. 1 for a cost of $400,000. Moving the station currently located on Oak Street opens up land along Dry Creek and allows for a future creek walk and provides space for about 230,000 square feet of development.

As for Aiken, he's worked for the city for 21 years - the last eight focused on revitalization and redevelopment of downtown and Old Town. He said it's satisfying to now be on the verge of making all that work a reality.

"I'm looking forward to the (Town Square)," Aiken said. "It's one more piece of the puzzle."

Sena Christian can be reached at senac@goldcountrymedia.com. Follow her on Twitter at SenaC_RsvPT.

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Downtown Roseville's mobile food event

What: Celebrate the kick-off of Town Square construction

When: 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday, May 6

Where: In front of Civic Center, Vernon and Grant streets in Roseville

Cost: Free

Info: www.roseville.ca.us/mobilefood

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Sacramento's annual Cap-to-Cap lobbying trip is busy in D.C.
Tuesday, Apr. 24, 2012
By Michael Doyle
mdoyle@mcclatchydc.com                               

About 300 Sacramento-area officials and community leaders are swarming over Capitol Hill this week in search of a sympathetic Uncle Sam.

Instead of overkill, call it strength in numbers.

"When we work as a team, we do better," Roseville Mayor Pauline Roccucci said outside a House committee room Monday afternoon.

Roccucci and her teammates are taking part in Cap-to-Cap, an ambitious annual lobbying trip organized by the Sacramento Metro Chamber of Commerce. Starting with a reception at the Renaissance Mayflower Hotel on Sunday, and running through Wednesday, Cap-to-Cap combines formal briefings with informal buttonholing of staffers, lawmakers and civil servants.

All day Monday, for instance, Rep. Dan Lungren, R-Gold River, sat at a conference table in a third-floor room while Cap-to-Cap committees of a dozen or so members shuttled in and out to articulate their respective priorities at 20-minute intervals. They spoke of flood control, air quality, agriculture and more.

The Cap-to-Cap veterans knew enough to be specific in their requests, respectful of the ever-youthful staffers and strictly nonpartisan in their approach. While Lungren huddled with the visitors in the large House Administration Committee hearing room that he controls as the panel chairman, Rep. Doris Matsui, D-Sacramento, and other Sacramento Valley lawmakers met them in their own offices.

Some wish list items are very tangible, like a request to maintain federal air quality grants or more money to improve the Sacramento River Deep Water Channel. Others are crucial but harder to put a finger on, like protecting Sacramento Valley water rights.

Congress has at least temporarily banished earmarks from appropriations bills. This complicates the work of local lobbyists, though in some cases their emphasis is blocking one idea rather than promoting another. This year, for instance, Sacramento area officials are trying to lock in congressional opposition to an Obama administration proposal for a new $100-per-flight airport user fee.

"We think it's a bad idea that needs to be put away," said G. Hardy Acree, director of airports for the Sacramento County Airport System.

Away from the Capitol, grass-roots lobbyists met officials at the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and federal Bureau of Reclamation for the kind of face-to-face sessions that melt away misunderstandings.

"We can ask them questions, and they can ask us questions, and that is what I find is so good," Roccucci said.

Financially sponsored by such local heavyweights as the UC Davis Health System, Kaiser Permanente and Granite Construction, Cap-to-Cap bills itself as the largest chamber of commerce-sponsored lobbying venture of its kind. It is orders of magnitude larger than most. This week, for instance, the Merced County Association of Governments is likewise sponsoring its own annual lobbying trip with only 18 participants.

Unlike many similar regional lobbying ventures, though, Cap-to-Cap covers a multi-county area.

The Cap-to-Cap trip augments work by a number of paid lobbyists serving Sacramento-area entities. The Sacramento County Airport System, for one, paid its Washington, D.C., lobbying firm $120,000 last year, public records show, while the city of Sacramento paid two lobbying firms $246,000 and the Sacramento Regional Transit District paid lobbyists $200,000.

This year's lobbying trip includes many Cap-to-Cap veterans, as well as some relative newcomers. The advocates for the homeless, for instance, are along for only the second year.

"The association with the Metro Chamber brings a lot of credibility," said Bob Erlenbusch, executive director of the Sacramento Housing Alliance.

Read more here:

http://www.sacbee.com/2012/04/24/4436748/annual-cap-to-cap-lobbying-trip.html

4/12/12
City Manager Ray Kerridge: ‘It’s going to be a successful outcome’

California State University, Sacramento President Alexander Gonzalez, Roseville Mayor Pauline Roccucci and City Manager Ray Kerridge signed a memorandum of understanding Wednesday at the Blue Line Gallery.

The Roseville City Council unanimously approved the partnership between the city and university April 4 to identify shared opportunities within the region, including the possible expansion of Sacramento State's local presence.

"Sac State has a number of strengths," Kerridge said during the signing ceremony. "It has its academic strength, its research strength. And we in Roseville have a reputation for being able to get things done. I think when you put those two together it's going to be a successful outcome."

~ Sena Christian


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