Notes from the CEO
Let's Get Excited About Action Rather Than Talk
First off, let me say that I too think a new Arena is something this city needs. I’m afraid, however, that news about the Arena project overshadowed another and, in my opinion, more important development from Tuesday night’s Sacramento City Council meeting.
At that meeting, the city council approved Ygrene Energy Fund to handle the city’s Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) program. I had the honor of speaking to the City Council to argue in favor of this deal. And it’s a big deal. The projects that will fall under the PACE program have the potential to bring thousands of jobs to our area. Not to mention the fact that they will get the commercial buildings in this city up to the highest green standards. Melanie Turner did a great write-up for the Sacramento Business Journal here.
Ygrene and local partner Octus, Inc are going to lead us into the future with this program. I’m excited about that and I think the rest of us should be too. Here’s why: This isn’t just talk. This is action. When we discuss ways to move this city forward, THIS is what needs to come out of it. This project has the potential to be the biggest thing to happen to Sacramento’s building infrastructure since we raised our street levels to protect from flooding before the turn of the century.
Perhaps it’s not as sexy as the Arena project, but this project has the possibility to greatly impact how well we weather the economic storm we find ourselves in. It’s something we should get excited about.
James E. Beckwith
President and Chief Executive Officer
Five Star Bank
