Open The Gate

S2 EP 2- Kelsey Nelson- Citrus Heights Councilwoman!!!!

• Blake, Dan & Kaelee • Season 2 • Episode 2

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0:00 | 56:51

Introduction and Technical Difficulties

Speaker 1

It wouldn't be Open the Gate podcast without some technical difficulties. We were off and running and had a banger started, Unbeknownst to me. We were almost out of micro-.

Speaker 2

I won't hold that one against you. This will not fall under Danvers Tech.

Speaker 1

There are times that we miss Blake. There are times that we miss Blake. This is one of them.

Speaker 2

Blake, I hope you're listening, you would have had this resolved before we even started.

Speaker 1

Because it was so great I'd even caught Kaylee, unknowingly recorded on a hot mic.

Speaker 2

Something you guys will all miss.

Speaker 1

I guess everyone out in. Everyone have to just kind of think about what was possibly disclosed on that hot mic.

Speaker 2

This is better.

Speaker 1

We are facing the public here, oh my goodness, hi Dan, hi Kaylee, okay, so let's jump right in Three months into motherhood, Three months. And how's my guy Rourke? He's just incredible, he's incredible, yeah, yes.

Speaker 2

He's a special boy, very smart, very happy. He's got the gummiest smile and he knows how to woo everyone over. And he does this thing where he laughs, where he gets so overwhelmed he has to put his hands up by his face because he just can't handle it. It's a lot of emotion, it's a lot of energy.

Speaker 3

So much emotion. I'm telling you Absolutely.

Speaker 2

High EQ. This guy's going to rule the world. He comes from a strong line of Vikings. First of all, he's a conqueror. Second of all, the other side of his family are very intelligent architects and like novel, you know, just like very brilliant.

Speaker 1

I didn't know. Danny's side of the family was high intellect.

Speaker 2

You would never know. You would never know. No, they are incredibly smart. Yeah, he's got. He's got a great life ahead of him.

Speaker 1

This one Wow, that he's got. He's got a great life ahead of him.

Speaker 2

This one Wow, that's, that's super exciting and uh you do not have to be carrying him around, right now no, four degrees outside. So win, win a cool 30 pounds since our last episode.

Speaker 1

Yeah, he was a lot of it. I mean that's.

Speaker 2

I know, honestly it's. I feel weird talking about it, Cause I know that there's a lot of moms that struggle with that and I have not done anything really to try. It's just my genes. I have good genes, I got lucky.

Speaker 1

Yeah, you're young, that metabolism is still burning.

Speaker 2

I don't know about that. Yeah, so you traveled a lot lately. You've been all over the world.

Speaker 1

I did. I did some traveling. We were in Brazil. My brother-in-law got married.

Speaker 2

That's you. Sorry, I had to say it like that.

Speaker 1

It was a quick trip. This was definitely the quickest and probably the toughest trip I've ever done. It was only eight days. So you figure you lose a day on each end, at least for travel. So six days and just a whirlwind with a big event like that. So that was great. Marina got to see her parents and her brother and and you know, and obviously I mean for me it's, it's nice, I mean I can kind of unplug and I mean I can only connect with people when I'm on wifi down there.

Speaker 1

So actually you know it was wild though we did, we had a wild cell phone bill after because all four of like. So Marina and Lucas were there for 18 days and Verizon, just like, defaulted to like if you happen to stumble on their network, it was, I think, like $25 a day. So for Marina and Lucas down there for 18 days and then Kaylee and I down there for an additional eight, they got you. We might have actually moved the needle on the VRZ stock. I feel like you single-handedly, that was tough to swallow. And yeah, got back from that for a couple days, ran down to LA for a one-day volleyball camp for my daughter, got down there early and got home that night late. She had a tournament the next day in town, thank goodness. And then a couple days later left for Cooperstown for my son's 12-year-old baseball trip, which was incredible. That was probably one of the highlights of everything. It was cool. He had a home run.

Speaker 3

It went over the fence.

Speaker 1

I didn't think he had the cheeks to do it. To be honest, Congratulations. He's kind of a little guy. I give him a hard time all the time. Oh God, he's kind of a little guy.

Speaker 2

I give him a hard time all the time. Oh God, but he ran one out. I just realized how much pressure that must be for him.

Speaker 1

He ran one out. Well, his dad was a pitcher so I couldn't hit, so it was fine. And then got home from a couple days for that and then turned around and took it to Dallas for another week for Nationals for volleyball, to conclude the club volleyball season. So a pretty, pretty quick. And then I think, and then we ran down to we decided you know we get back and 4th of July, let's run down to Half Moon Bay for the weekend for the holiday and all the while we've had a.

Speaker 2

we're having three bathrooms remodeled right now as well, so you just have a little bit going on. You know what you like to go big. When you go, you go hard.

Speaker 1

I probably need a second, third and fourth job at this point because it's pretty bleak.

Speaker 2

All right, guys, you need to send all your business to good life.

Speaker 1

Yes, that is a shameless plug. Please, I need you.

Speaker 2

I love you. And while we're at it, if you need to buy or sell, call Kaylee.

Speaker 1

I don't think my feet look good enough for OnlyFans.

Speaker 2

Oh, I have a lot to say on that. I think we need to be off mic for that conversation. Anyway, so our guest today.

Speaker 1

Yeah, I'm excited for this one. This is going to be a unique direction.

Speaker 2

It is a unique direction I'm excited about, though, because this mixes all of the realms that Open the Gate really stands for. We've got the real estate background, we've got the community, we've got a little local government going on. I mean, should we play her in before we announce? You are? I've never done the announcement before, so I feel a little giddy.

Speaker 1

I'm like I feel a little giddy. I'm like I don't know what to do. This is normal. Dan normally does this. I know let's go.

Dan's Whirlwind Travel Adventures

Speaker 2

Councilwoman Kelsey Nelsonelson.

Speaker 3

Hello welcome to open the gate thank you so much for having me. This is really exciting for me, it's a massive platform.

Speaker 1

Just so you know.

Speaker 2

We have thousands of hopeful we wish to have one day followers. They're just waiting to discover us, but right now we've got a solid platform of family and friends Awesome. We think and love every single one of you. Thank you for being here today, oh my gosh.

Speaker 3

Thank you for having me.

Speaker 1

We're kind of hoping they were clamoring for this episode, though We've been off for a while we have they're ready for us. We're excited. We are excited to be back, we're excited to have you as our guest and you know kind of figure out what makes you tick and why you do the things you do and have done what you've done. Yeah, but first, but first we need to talk about this we need to talk about this song.

Speaker 3

Oh, yes.

Speaker 1

So, kaylee, because Kaylee's, like you know, the younger of the two of us, by at least 10 years, I believe.

Speaker 3

It's like barely 10 years.

Speaker 1

She's way more plugged into what's actually cool. I put off hardcore dad vibes pretty much most of the time.

Speaker 3

But, you're still pretty cool too. Your kids keep you cool, I'm sure.

Speaker 1

I don't know about that. I try to be cool.

Speaker 2

I think you're pretty cool. You're wearing your hat backwards right now.

Speaker 1

That's still cool Showing off receding hairline I mean, it's like you're like peep showing it a little bit, you know you're like giving us just enough to stay curious. Until these last couple ones that are hanging on right here in the front fall out, I'm going to roll with it.

Speaker 2

So tell us about this song. Why did you choose it? How does this song represent Councilwoman Kelsey Nelson?

Speaker 3

First of all, sick Beats, sick Beats.

Speaker 2

That song. When you told me it was Christian rap, I'm like Christian rap goes hard.

Speaker 3

It really does.

Speaker 2

And it's so inspirational. I feel like I'm connected to Jesus when I'm banging my head in the car with the. Beats.

Speaker 1

Yeah, I mean my entire life. We only heard the other side of the track from that music. I remember being young.

Speaker 2

The kind your parents would blush at.

Speaker 1

Listening to NWA turned down so low, with my ear next to the cassette player in my room, going oh my God, if my parents walk in right now, I'm so fucking busted so the same, yeah, and I was raised by by um parents who love like 80s rock and they're, they're super cool.

Speaker 3

They're always into the latest, I feel like, and they never really worried about lyrics and songs. So there there were a lot that I knew and I sung, that I well, I didn't know what they meant, right, you know, I was like too young to have memorized them, too young to be singing them, um. And so now I've come full circle, I feel like, and all I listened to is Christian rap and you've opened my eyes to a whole new world of just wonderful, inspiring hard beat music which is like

Speaker 3

honestly, yeah, honestly. Yeah, you can move to it, but it also moves you. We should just end right there.

Speaker 2

I mean what a okay, what a line that was beautiful.

Speaker 1

Well, I will tell you this though, cause, like now, like and this is like a generational thing, I mean, I listened to probably the not most wholesome music growing up, but now, and like Marina and I will still listen to music with colorful language and topics and with the kids in the car I mean, hey, and they listen to it too. But it's like now I listen to the modern, like the newest stuff is not my jam.

Speaker 2

They don't even try to hide it now, they just.

Speaker 1

They're so blatant and sacred and I hear some of the lyrics and I'm like man, like I mean I know my guys were pushing the envelope, but I mean this is just like painting the picture.

Speaker 2

Yeah.

Speaker 1

And I'm like dang. And there they. You know, my kids are there singing along and I'm like trying to put myself in their shoes. I'm like, oh my god, Now you know what they mean. I was walking around the house singing that in front of my parents, no way. So yeah, I think that.

Speaker 2

But at least there was a little bit of, again like tip of the iceberg, still leaving some things to the imagination.

Speaker 1

Now, it's just like they just flat out say it. I mean, you know, jodeci and those guys were not. They were not on the level of the modern day.

Speaker 2

Nobody is.

Speaker 1

Nobody is I mean anyway we could talk a long time about that. We could digress, we could digress, okay.

Meet Councilwoman Kelsey Nelson

Speaker 2

So, and I also feel like this song represents you very well, because you and I first met in the real estate industry yes, and you were a realtor and you've, kind of like, found your way. You held a lot of different hats because you're capable of that in the real estate industry and now you are in local it's local government, which is incredible I mean, like you're the youngest current sitting member on city council, so I imagine that there's a real sense of needing to earn recognition and validate your capabilities with them.

Speaker 3

Tell me about that, actually, you know, I feel like everyone else is so nice to me and they tell me what a great job I'm doing all the time and I feel like it's tell me what a great job I'm doing all the time and I feel like it's me who's like, oh my gosh, I'm, I'm too young for this, or, you know, with that kind of self doubt of like this is so surreal.

Speaker 1

That's your limiting belief. For sure, for sure.

Speaker 3

And I know that I'm capable, and I know that people voted for me for a reason yeah, um, but the but the whole environment is so supportive and everybody's so kind and so positive and that really, I feel like, fuels me.

Speaker 2

This is not the picture of politics that I have painted in my head.

Speaker 3

And this is the first like the first layer.

Speaker 1

It sounds like I mean, it sounds like you take the first step, you don't drown or get eaten by a shark, and then you progress and take it further.

Speaker 1

And then you're swimming, but I think there's something really cool there because and it's the world that we currently live in, where and again I've jokingly disclosed that I'm older than both of you like the acceptance, the willingness, the acceptance, and my sister's in a very similar position. Like she is on a committee that puts on a very large festival and it has been kind of an old guard thing and when she came to the committee she brought all these new ideas and things and there was obviously there was resistance and there was things. But then it's like now, a couple of years in, like the acceptance and now they're kind of like leaning into her going. How do we? How do we? How do we get younger? How?

Speaker 1

do we how do we add some more youth and excitement to this? So I think it's, I think it's commemorative, I think it's incredible and hopefully you get to experience some of some of those wins as well, because, yeah, I mean, the fact of the matter is like you see the world differently than me, and you see the world differently than people that are 10 and 20 and 30 years older than me as well and in order for survival like these, things have to keep up with the times truly, I have to imagine that you bring a breath of fresh air to a traditional environment.

Speaker 2

I will say very delicately, but I mean it's. It's really inspiring to see a lot younger people getting involved. You know, like JD Vance, love him or hate him, whatever, he's the youngest vice president we've had no-transcript.

Speaker 3

I learned from real estate to being involved in YPN primarily in Placer County and then a little bit in Sacramento is the idea of tapping the next person on the shoulder too. You know, like that is truly how we have sustainability in our government, is that we keep reaching out and saying, hey, you 20 something. You know you should get involved. I see you have a heart and a passion for these things, so that's what I hope to do as well. You know I'm in this position now, but I hope to not be in it forever. Right, and to look out and and see you know who really should be that next person that should run. I love that, and then it's up to the people.

Speaker 2

but so do I feel like. Are we going to be saying hello, senator Kelsey Nelson?

Speaker 1

someday, or like we'll just come back. I know you have to come back.

Speaker 2

Obviously at that point, I will come back.

Speaker 3

That would be really cool. But at the same time I'm just focusing on here and now and and um what I can accomplish, you know, for our city and Citrus Heights. So what?

Speaker 2

what inspired you to make that move from real estate? I know that there's a lot of bridges between real estate because we are actively involved. You know, like we're the color purple, we don't align with any specific party, but we do have a lot of legislation and politics that we are involved in. Was that kind of like the taste that got you hungry, or how did you decide to choose this path from real estate?

From Real Estate to Local Government

Speaker 3

I think it definitely helped me in so many ways. Part of being in the organization of, you know, the association of realtors gave me a glimpse into large organizational structure and the politics that can happen within that and the politics that can happen within that and how things are done and how really the staff is integral into the whole process. The staff actually gets things done but then you have this board who's elected theoretically by the people Theoretically, sorry, allegedly, allegedly.

Speaker 1

No conspiracy theories today, Kaylee. No voter fraud. We're not going to.

Speaker 2

Okay, we'll just move on. All right, I'm glad you said that's where I was going, just kidding.

Speaker 3

It was. It was really cool for me to see that and at the time I, you know, I think that it was something being elected was something that was on my heart for a really long time, but it didn't seem like something I would actually ever do, or maybe something that I would do in like 20 years from now. And so, looking back with like hindsight being 2020, I can see how all of these elements kind of added up to give me experience and to kind of push me in this direction and to give me confidence in it. And I really think that being on the YPN committee at PCAR, the Placer County Association, in particular, gave me a lot of confidence in how to work with a board of people, how to suss out what's the best idea and, like, try to keep your ego out of it. You know, it doesn't have to be my idea, it just has to be the one that's best for everybody.

Speaker 1

Um, so, that that's my, my burning question, right, and I think that I mean I had a social media post last week that was pretty pretty, uh, pretty hot Like it had more comments than than likes and other you know interactions it was. It was. It was talking about Controversial, yeah, but it was hard because I think that part of the other side of the controversy didn't want to put themselves out there in that space. It was professional. It was talking about the biological men and women's sports.

Speaker 1

Oh, I did see that I've got a major issue with it and I'll continue to push the envelope on that, but this is obviously not the space for that. But I think what jumps out at me is we have elected officials who, in my opinion, aren't representing the popular opinion, and so I want to. I've been thinking about this since I knew you were coming on Like how much of that bleeds in, like if you're, if you're, you know, staunchly opposed or staunchly in favor of something that's not getting done you role, and so far, it seems like I am trying to actually listen to the people and trying to stay true to what the people are asking for.

Speaker 3

There are definitely times where a minority truly minority may speak up and they sound the loudest, but they don't actually represent all of the people. It's just that they've gotten their friends to stand up and say something. So that's hard too, because you're not necessarily, I mean, at our local level, you're not necessarily hearing from everybody all the time. But then, how to keep my personal bias out of things? I'm still figuring that out. I don't think I've slipped up in that.

Speaker 1

Yet I don't know if it's possible too right, because you're the one who was willing to put yourself out there and take on the challenge, and I think you should, to an extent, have your own personal beliefs and stances on issues like that. So yeah, it's just really interesting. I think it's a very complex subject matter.

Speaker 2

I feel like politics is such a difficult space and where we get into trouble is where and I think this is where we are today in our political climate is that most of our representatives put their own position above the position of the people Right.

Speaker 3

Or the bribes.

Speaker 2

Yeah, or the bribes. Obviously, bribes first Come on, we all know. But it takes a truly selfless person and a strong, brave, courageous person to put their own beliefs aside and say my role is to represent the people and if the people want this, then that's what I'm going to support, whether or not I believe it, and I think that there is an egregious lack of people who are willing to do that on behalf of the people, because the money talks better or whatever. You know, the image talks better, whatever it is that's driving them ego, as you mentioned. It's unfortunate, but it's creating a huge discrepancy between what the people want and the people who are representing us and the decisions they're making.

Speaker 1

And it's rampant. I mean it's at every level of politics, I feel like right now and there's more news coverage and exposure I mean obviously at the national level than ever before, and there probably will be more tomorrow and all that. So it's just really hard. It's commemorable because it just doesn't seem like it's a very inviting career.

Speaker 2

Yeah, it feels like there's no winning in politics, honestly. There's exactly you can't, you're not going to win.

Representing the People's Voice

Speaker 1

If you're there to win, you're. You're never going to be satisfied and and you're probably never going to actually get reelected. Yeah.

Speaker 3

I think that for me, my focus is really just trying to be the best person that I can be and then, therefore, the best vessel to make the decisions.

Speaker 1

Well, you're listening to Christian rap, so I'm sure.

Speaker 3

So you're already on the right path. You're checking two boxes. I'm efficient.

Speaker 2

I can be one thing I love that. I absolutely love that Dan's looking at the board here. He's getting us back on track.

Speaker 1

Well, yes, I am a stickler Trying to stay on track. But, then I ask questions that are completely out of our field.

Speaker 2

This is where his age shows.

Speaker 1

He's like we have an agenda guys, we have to stick with it. He reigns us in all the time. So if is there, is there something like, if you can go back and change something that in your career path that got you to where you are right now? Would one, what would it? What is it? And two, would you change?

Speaker 3

it. I am a big believer that what happens is for a reason, and so when I look back and I think about, oh, I should have done this or I could have done this, I really do default to no, it's happened how it should. But I think that if I could go tap myself on the shoulder and say something, I think I would encourage myself to focus more on time and the preciousness of it, and both my time and other people's time. There were so many instances where I was just trying to figure things out and I would just go to talk to people and just, you know, pour my heart out and maybe take up too much of their time.

Speaker 3

I'm sure they don't all those hundreds of people that I probably did that to maybe some don't feel that way, but just being conscious of you know where I'm putting my time, where I'm spending my time. Because when I look back to I can see how my career naturally kind of evolved toward this public service bent, because I was choosing to spend my time in those volunteer roles on those boards, doing these activities, the event planning and whatnot, as opposed to actually selling real estate.

Speaker 1

So it was like a slow kind of maneuver over to this Was it like more so it was like more of a realization.

Speaker 3

Yeah Well, covid was a huge impetus for me because I was really enjoying everything that I was doing spending time at the association on these boards, trying to make the organization better and mixing with all these people all the time, event planning for YPN and whatnot. And then, when COVID shut down, I was at home, like we all were, and I questioned my identity, like who am I without what?

Speaker 2

I'm doing. We all had that existential crisis of like is my like, what, what, what am I doing with my life, and is it even worth it? And then a whole bunch of people quit their job.

Speaker 1

I thought my kids were going to have like this profound, like memory of the hell that was quarantine, right, and I mean my daughter turned 10 a couple of days after like the shutdown and and that was a pretty big deal. But uh, the funny thing is like they look back on it and they're like, well, that was just our life at that time and uh, and it's funny Cause I mean I look back at a lot of like the bigger things in my life too and I go well, the you know you're going to get through it or you're not, and if you didn't, you ain't going to be here to talk about it anyway. So you know, so it was.

Speaker 1

It was actually I was cause I told myself during COVID I was like I'm, I'm really looking forward to my kids being able to look back when they have more life underneath their belt, and and and talk about this and was just a part of life.

Speaker 3

Yeah, I feel like that speaks to your good parenting, though you know, like you didn't freak out, you didn't make it a traumatic experience.

Speaker 1

Yeah, I mean yeah, there may be some truth to that. I think it was more defiance on my part. I was like I'm just not going to do this. That's awesome, yeah, yeah. Looking back, oh yeah I can imagine that Stop shopping. I stopped going to Home Depot for however long, because I just couldn't do it. I just couldn't. I had so many projects.

Speaker 2

That's a great representation of most of Placer County.

Speaker 1

honestly, they were like we're not doing this. They were like two weeks in.

Speaker 2

They're like all right, we tried, we're done, we're not doing this.

Speaker 1

They were like two weeks in. They're like all right, we tried, we're done. Oh yeah, I went down to the Bay Area a couple times during COVID.

Speaker 2

Holy cow.

Speaker 1

Talk about like a different planet. It was just totally different.

Speaker 2

So crazy, we weren't even allowed to like go into restaurants because, we wouldn't show our card.

Speaker 1

I'm like wow, oh yeah. Just crossing from Placer to Sac County even was crazy For all of us at the table. We were so involved and it was like, oh, you had, El Dorado County was completely the Wild.

Speaker 2

West Placer County was probably, sometime shortly after the gold rush, a little bit more civilized but still very rebellious and no offense, but God damn it, sacramento.

Speaker 1

It was locked down. It was crazy, never again.

Speaker 3

God, I hope not, yeah cannot do it.

Speaker 2

Yeah, glad we're all past that.

Speaker 3

Right right.

Speaker 2

So what are some of the things that you are pushing Like, what are some of your directives that you're really standing for and hopeful for to accomplish or provide or bring to the city of Citrus Heights?

Speaker 3

So one is definitely bringing more people into the fold and I would really love to see more young people involved, and so one of the boards that I sat on before I was elected was our neighborhood board, and I showed up to a meeting because it was again because of COVID. Um, I was looking out, going okay, well, I should I have opinions about things in the world and the country and the state.

Speaker 2

Who's going to listen to these? The neighborhood first.

Speaker 1

When you're sitting at home staring at the wall, you realize how many opinions you. I didn't think I was opinionated until COVID sitting at home staring at the wall, you realize how many opinions you.

Speaker 3

I didn't think I was opinionated until COVID. Yeah, it really did launch me in this direction, but it was like if you want to change the world, you should start where you live, kind of thing. So I was like, okay, where, what's going on in my city and how can I get involved?

Speaker 3

And I I the first neighborhood meeting that I went to was, coincidentally, the one that the then president was stepping down at, and he said at the end of the meeting if nobody else steps up, we're not going to have these meetings anymore, and so wow, talk about a calling.

Speaker 2

Yeah, the doors open and angels were singing, and then the Christian rap bumped and Kelsey was like this is my moment, everything is so divinely aligned it's crazy.

Speaker 3

So I walked up to him at the end and I said hi, I'm Kelsey. First time here, I'll be president.

Speaker 1

I can do your job.

Speaker 2

I don't even know what these things are about, but I'm pretty sure I could step in your shoes. Get out of the way, old man.

Speaker 3

I've known you for one hour.

Speaker 3

You can do this, but that's just kind of how actually my life has been. My entire life, like I'm the oldest, um, I'm the oldest of my siblings and I was always the captain of my soccer teams and, um, I've always just kind of found myself in positions of leadership, and so it was like go figure that this would happen as well. Um, but so in the current president, who took over after I got elected, is doing an incredible job. She was made for this role. She's bringing a lot of people in and that's what I love to see is more people stepping up. Um, I, I was having conversations with friends for the last several years and we would be talking about all of these issues and I would always say, well, you should run. And I would say, we should run, you know, and then eventually I had the opportunity and I didn't want to do it because I was so scared, but I finally gave in and took a bet on yourself.

Speaker 3

Yeah, mustard up some courage.

Speaker 2

And now I can't greet you without saying council. Oh yes, you can.

Speaker 1

Can you talk a little bit about the campaigning process, like, what was that? Like I'm, I'm in super intrigued by that Like just asking people to throw money at you because you're a good person.

Speaker 2

Well, she can step into presidency after an hour. She has no problem asking people to support her in this campaign. Yeah, I love it. Let's talk about it.

Path to Political Leadership

Speaker 3

Wild confidence. I feel like actually so much of this does come back to real estate for me, because it's essentially like door knocking, you know, for an open house or something. You're going to walk around the neighborhood, you're going to knock on doors, you're going to say hi to people, you're going to invite them to your party or your event or whatever it is. You're going to invite them to vote for you. Um, so that all that experience in real estate really gave me that ability to do that without being too nervous, you know.

Speaker 3

So, um, and then I had a lot of people helping me, um, uh, like a huge network from the incumbent. Um, he was moving to. Um gosh, where is it Tennessee or Idaho?

Speaker 2

Yeah, kentucky, kentucky, perfect Right in line, and so he didn't run again.

Speaker 3

It's outside direction for sure, away. Oh, you have to stay and save it, right, um. So he, really he, he looked out and did kind of, what I'm aspiring to do is looking out and finding the next person, um, or the next people. So he looked out and said, okay, you're it, you should run, I'll help you. And with his network of people, I had people helping me every single weekend, dropping flyers, knocking on doors, so I really couldn't have done it without him.

Speaker 1

Now did they need to vet you, or was like his vetting was good enough.

Speaker 3

He had seen me go through the neighborhood board. There's another board called Reach, which is kind of like a board that oversees the neighborhood areas, and then I was also appointed to the planning commission for a time too. So I I knew him throughout all of those roles and he just thought you're. I actually fought him on it. He said you're the best person to run and I said no, no, there's surely somebody else.

Speaker 2

There's gotta be. No, I think it's a perfect position for you and what you stand for. But I say that, knowing you personally, our listeners are you know, they're getting to know you, so they'll agree by the end of this episode.

Speaker 1

Citrus Heights. Is the rooster in Citrus Heights? Oh, that is in Fair Oaks. Oh, I'm sorry, the steel rooster, don't get us confused.

Speaker 2

That is where I draw a hard line between Kelsey and.

Speaker 3

I Madison right there.

Speaker 1

Yeah.

Speaker 2

Madison is the dividing line, okay Okay, but there are some really exciting things going on in Citrus Heights.

Speaker 3

Yes, our mall. Let's talk about the mall.

Speaker 2

I'm so excited, I'm excited about this. Well, I'm so excited, I'm excited about this. Well, I have some personal connections also which make it a little bit nostalgic, hey, I'm in. Tell me all about it. Let's go.

Speaker 3

I feel like if you are from this region, you have connections. I mean, you do have a particular connection which I'm excited to hear you share. But so many people that I talk to say I grew up shopping at the mall, my parents grew up shopping at the mall.

Speaker 2

My parents grew up shopping at the mall. We grew up like getting dropped off. You know, back in the day when it was totally normal and parents weren't scared like 10 years old, go to the mall, we'll pick you up in four hours, and we just ran amok. Yeah, literally. We used to go to Payless and get those like nylon things and put them over our shoes and then we would run and like slide. This was before they had the shoes with the rollers in them. We made our own. We would like run and slide across.

Speaker 1

You were predating the Heelys.

Speaker 2

Yeah, we just bothered everybody there, but we were just young and dumb and having the harmless fun.

Speaker 3

And it was a space to do that. It was the perfect space to do it. Yeah, it's like the public square you know people can meet up and hang out, and that's what I miss about the mall too. I would do that there at Sunrise and at the Galleria Mall when it opened, and so I am super excited to be able to bring that back to the city. Hopefully, by the time I'm done here, we'll have construction started on the redevelopment.

Speaker 1

Very cool.

Speaker 3

So right now it's just a matter of getting the ownership on board and down to redevelop. So that is a huge hurdle, but I'm pretty confident.

Speaker 1

Can you talk about what kind of some of the things are.

Speaker 2

It's limited, but let's know. What can we know? What can we know?

Speaker 3

So the specific plan that was adopted in 2021 by the council then is wide reaching with different uses. It's got housing, of course, it's got breweries, it's got a walking trail that goes around the whole thing, and the mall property is about 100 acres. It's a big square right in the middle of the city, right in the middle of the city, and so there's going to be, of course, still shopping, more dining experiences, a concert venue, which is super cool, and the mall currently hosts a tennis competition every now and then. I actually made it out to see it.

Speaker 2

But the pop-up stands.

Speaker 3

They pop up like bleachers in the parking lot and do it, and so that will stay, and there's just going to be so much greenery, so much life back in that property.

Speaker 1

Well, it's so central yeah.

Speaker 2

It's such a missed opportunity. Every time I drive by it I'm like God. It's sad to see such a once a vibrant hub for the community be a ghost, and when I lived in LA there were there's a lot of these spaces. They're kind of like the outdoor concepts that mix residential and commercial and retail and people go there's. I mean, even if you're not shopping, you're eating or your kids are playing on the play places there, you're walking your dog.

Speaker 1

They've got their own culture, their own kind of vibe.

Speaker 2

Yeah, and to revamp and revitalize, get some life back into this space would be such a huge win for Citrus Heights.

Speaker 1

Yes, thank God it's not going to just become an Amazon distribution hub, oh Lord no. Oh my God, that's when we're selling ourselves, I know.

Speaker 2

Like if we have more of that. I feel like every step in that direction is one step closer from like to the realization of the movie Idiocracy like where everything is just like big warehouses and Gatorade waters our fields.

Speaker 1

I thought you were going iRobot, I thought you were going, really Well, I mean the kind of hand in hand right.

Speaker 2

People get dumber, ai gets smarter and all of the big giants rule the world. We will not stand for that.

Speaker 3

Councilwoman Kelsey Nelson, I don't even own a pair of Crocs.

Speaker 2

You know what's a fun fact about that movie? When they were creating that movie, Crocs were not a thing and they were like what is? Like the ugliest, cheapest shoe that we can find, the dumbest.

Speaker 1

Yeah, they found Crocs for like $2 a pair.

Speaker 2

The actual shoes are satire. Yeah, and now we're all.

Speaker 1

I'm telling you Every kid that comes through, every kid that rummages through my pantry these days has a pair of Crocs on.

Speaker 2

It's incredible. So I'm really excited for what's to come at the mall. The personal connection that Kelsey mentioned so my wife's grandfather ran a very prestigious terrazzo business in Sacramento and their first generation from Italy. I mean, they knew, loved, breathed the craft of terrazzo and were very respected. So they actually laid the floor at the Sunrise Mall and they've done several Sacramento staples. They did the Crest Theater downtown. We approached Kelsey about is when they start construction, we want to get some of those pieces of the floor and we're going to make some things for the family out of it so that stay in the family and be a be a piece to remember of what used to be there and I don't know the heritage. Yeah so, but we're pretty angry. I mean, we're pretty ingrained.

Speaker 3

We're important or whatever.

Speaker 1

Yeah, I'm a transplant, so unfortunately I don't have this kind of tie. I got ties to Half Moon Bay, the fog and the foghorn. We were down there for Fourth of July and they were talking about how there's so many new people in Half Moon Bay that are trying to abolish the foghorn and I'm like you guys realize the foghorn keeps ships from crashing.

Speaker 2

You're like it serves a purpose. It's not just to annoy you, oh yeah, Like I'm sorry it's going after.

Speaker 1

It's blowing after 930 pm on a Thursday, Like I used to love that.

Speaker 2

That's one ship that didn't crash into your bay, thank you.

Speaker 1

But it's just, it's just amazing how, when things change like that, and. I'm sure you know Citrus Heights and Fair Oaks. Those are communities that have been around for a long time. There's a lot of nostalgia and pieces of you know of all that in the history.

Speaker 2

This is actually something I want to talk to you kind of like off record about, because Fair Oaks in particular, we're an unincorporated part of Sacramento so we don't have a governing board, we don't have like that city council. I mean we don't even have our own police have a governing board. We don't have like that city council. I mean we don't even have our own police. Like, we work with the sheriff department and it's difficult to get anything done, like right now there's a huge push for pedestrian safety on the streets, like Sunset Avenue I live on personally. There's no sidewalks, like the bike lanes are very small in a lot of parts and it is a challenge to get any type of movement forward because we're having to work with our you know, district supervisors and then you have all these people.

Speaker 1

You don't have a loud enough voice. We don't have a loud enough voice. Yeah, it's tough, Even when a small, you know conglomerate of people get together and make enough noise, but it's like you know, they don't have enough horsepower, squeaky, squeal, gets greased, I know, yeah, that's how the city of Citrus Heights started.

Speaker 2

Really.

Speaker 3

We were well, we were also in unincorporated Sacramento County at one point and a group of residents were getting together and doing the neighborhood areas and were super involved and actually fought Sacramento County for cityhood.

Speaker 2

Maybe that's what we need to do. Yeah, oh my God, we set the precedent. This is pretty soon You'll be addressing me as councilwoman.

Speaker 3

I'm going to inspire everyone to get into politics.

Speaker 1

You heard it here, folks.

Speaker 2

This is the episode that started it all.

Speaker 1

A couple weeks ago my sister sent me this thing. It was like six burning questions. You need to ask your best friend. I'm like, first of all, we're not best friends, but the first question was Such a brother thing to say. The first question was Such a brother thing to say yeah, seriously. The first question was give yourself a warning label. Oh my God, what was yours? And mine said don't ask for my opinion unless you want it.

Speaker 2

Oh God, what would mine be? I'm going to get back to you by the end of the episode on what mine would be.

Speaker 1

That's a good one, though, like made me think what would you want to do?

Speaker 2

I know, now I'm thinking I'm like I should ask Kelsey more questions, but I'm only thinking about myself, okay, so?

Speaker 1

while you think about that, let's drill in Like what are some of your little hidden gem spots and you don't have to disclose everything but, like what are some places that people need to go check out in your hood?

Speaker 3

First that comes to my mind is Greenhouse Cafe on Auburn. We've met there and it's such a nice spot. They actually just opened up a second location in Penryn, which is also fantastic. It's a super large building and amazing Shout out to Greenhouse. Go check it out.

Speaker 1

Do they make hearts in your lattes?

Revitalizing Sunrise Mall

Speaker 2

They make hearts in your eyes. They do. It's very Instagram. Your eyes, too, they do.

Speaker 3

It's very Instagrammable. Everything is beautiful. They have a plant wall in there.

Speaker 2

It is very Instagram chic Great cafe. You know you've got your craft coffee and they also have a great little menu. It's a perfect meeting spot.

Speaker 3

Yeah, the food is really good. I'm always looking for a good.

Speaker 1

Americano.

Speaker 2

It's perfect meeting spot. The food is really good. I'm always looking for a good Americano. It's tough to screw them up, though.

Speaker 3

That's true. I've had some weird ones and they're good. There it's espresso and water.

Speaker 1

It is hard, but you know what?

Speaker 2

People find ways to screw up the simplest things.

Speaker 1

I'm going to put a rose petal in here and some stupid shit.

Speaker 2

And this flower? I know why. Okay, so Greenhouse Cafe, what else? Keep going.

Speaker 3

That's a must go. And then there is also a brewery that just moved into Citrus Heights and of course I'm going to blank on the name embarrassingly, so I'm going to have to look it up, but it is at Auburn and Old Auburn and they moved in it's Dark Heart. Sorry for forgetting for a second.

Speaker 2

There's like a school right there on the corner. Yeah, it's the old Sylvan property.

Speaker 3

So there was the whole brick middle school that was right there at the corner. They took that property down and then they moved the students over into.

Speaker 2

They're like students make way. We're putting a brewery in here. No, no, no, no we got our priorities down. Welcome to America.

Speaker 1

No different properties, the breadth of diversity that we've covered in the two establishments, dark Heart, yeah, and Greenleaf and Greenhouse, greenhouse, yeah. I mean Greenwich covers everything that we care about. One sounds pretty lively, the other one it's very like piratey in there. Oh right and very ocean-y.

Speaker 3

It's great they have like a super cool outdoor patio that they just opened. Tons of good beer. They brew it all right there. Oh, love that. Yeah, and they were just outside the city for a couple years and then they came in just recently, so stoked to have them in the city.

Speaker 1

There's a huge like micro-brew community in Rancho Cordova.

Speaker 2

It's everywhere. Honestly, the craft beer scene I think really exploded probably about 15 years ago here in Sacramento and I think it's gotten really saturated. But some of the staples, like device brewing, track seven brewing like I don't know if they found themselves in the middle of scandals, but they were both two huge staples in the craft brew scene and then in the last couple of months have just unexpectedly shut all of their location.

Speaker 1

I think I heard something similar about knee deep. I didn't do any research, but I'm.

Speaker 2

better not be I. I think I heard something similar about Knee Deep. I didn't do any research. Better not be. I love Knee Deep. Knee Deep was huge, are they?

Speaker 3

Okay, I don't know. We got to research. We'll table that Right now. We're just spreading gossip.

Speaker 2

Allegedly, let's just all say allegedly, someone should fact check us, okay, yeah.

Speaker 1

Someone interact with us.

Speaker 2

I'm pretty sure Blake's mom is our number one listener and she can fact check for us, so if you're out there listening to this episode, please, We've got to start getting Vadim in here for our production value.

Speaker 3

He can be like fact checking and looking stuff up for us. That's our next step.

Speaker 1

We just need a producer.

Speaker 3

We do. Oh my God, it doesn't even have to be Vadim.

Speaker 1

We have all the equipment. We just need someone. Anybody out there wants to be a producer for our show.

Speaker 2

Yeah, send us a DM, send us a resume. We have applications ready, you can.

Speaker 1

DM Kaylee, don't be sliding into my DMs.

Speaker 2

I love all my DMs.

Speaker 3

Thank you, slide away. That would be a fun job it would.

Speaker 2

It would here in your space.

Speaker 1

I think we're pretty fun. Kelsey might be pawing at this opportunity opportunity.

Speaker 3

I wish that's my thing. I I try so many different things that might be my morning label, Like don't offer me a new job or yeah, a new responsibility or a new hobby.

Speaker 2

I will take it. Yeah, yeah, god, I still don't know what my label. Okay, everybody's finding theirs and I'm like what? What might be? Um, okay, so we have a new brewery coming in. We have Greenhouse Cafe.

Speaker 3

What else comes top of mind? We have great parks. We have Rush Park in the city and the Sunrise Park and Rec. Rush Park is a fantastic park. It's a big park.

Speaker 1

That is a vibrant pickleball scene. It's the best pickleball you can find in the area goes down at Rush Park. Not what I would expect to think of at Rush Park.

Speaker 2

My teenagings goes right to the skate park there. Oh yeah, because that's you know where my heart throbs used to hang out when I was like 12.

Speaker 3

I can absolutely see that. Yeah, that makes sense. Anyway, studded belt.

Speaker 1

Kaylee did just get a little flush.

Speaker 3

There's that flush again, woo.

Speaker 2

All right.

Speaker 3

Anyway, but also Rush Park is building an amphitheater.

Speaker 1

Oh, so that is going to be awesome.

Speaker 3

Yeah, lots of local music. The Citrus Heights Marching Band will play there. That'll be their home. Love that.

Speaker 1

And then there are so many amazing musicians in the Sacramento region then there are so many amazing musicians in the Sacramento region, so I'm stoked at the idea of having them there.

Speaker 2

Corey did that a few years back and they've had some pretty cool acts come through, like some good names.

Speaker 1

You're like yeah, man. Recently too, and my wife and I love live music. Who doesn't? Unless it's as hot as the surface of the sun. Outside Music is one of those things.

Speaker 2

that's like food. It's a universal language. Whether you understand what they're saying or not, it speaks to your soul. It's the beats, the rhythm, it's the music, the energy. Yeah, it's a collective energy that will move any body of people that's listening and collect you all and put you all in the same playing field. And it is so beautiful.

Speaker 3

We need more of that. It's like instant community All somebody has to do is start playing music and then a crowd forms and we're all here in the same experience.

Speaker 2

It's beautiful. I love that.

Speaker 3

I'm stoked.

Speaker 2

We're going to start crying. This is the mom side of me coming in. I'm so emotional.

Speaker 1

This is definitely a new variety of Kaylee that we're experiencing.

Speaker 2

I'm too plugged in now.

Speaker 1

Who knew, she just had to have a kid and her heart grew ten sizes.

Speaker 2

Ew, who is this new person? I'm sorry listeners. I promise I won't be so soft all the time. It's okay to be soft.

Speaker 3

I'm surprised I haven't cried yet.

Speaker 2

to be honest, I feel like I've been leaking out of my eyes this whole time like casually Anyway.

Speaker 1

Listen here, you two. No, fucking crying. Okay, Dan's like I can't handle this shit.

Hidden Gems of Citrus Heights

Speaker 2

As they say there's no crying in baseball, right Dan? So, this is something that we kind of touched on One of Dan's fave questions. I won't say like the fave, but a pop culture trend, I enjoy. All of them I do enjoy. We thought long and hard about these questions. I think that we have a pretty good selection here. But a trend a pop culture or a social media trend that you enjoy. We kind of started to talk about it, but please make the big reveal because Dan doesn't know what we're talking about.

Speaker 3

Okay, so what I had mentioned before we started rolling was the Gen Z editing trend.

Speaker 1

I'm going to have to show Dan some. I'm going to have to explain to you guys that I'm an exennial.

Speaker 3

I feel like millennials will cut out everything but the meat of the conversation, you know. But so the the joke is that the Gen Z marketer has cut out everything but the like gasps and the breaths and the swallows.

Speaker 2

The awkward moments.

Speaker 3

Yeah, all the like little noises in between all of the words, and so it's just super cringy, it's like a B-roll of all of the moments that you shouldn't be filming.

Speaker 1

So are you guys young enough to know, like Max Hedron, you know who Max Hedron is? Maybe you have to go back and look. So are you guys young enough to know, like Max Hedron, you know who Max Hedron is? Maybe you'll have to go back and look.

Speaker 2

Cue the blank stares. It was the Deer in Headlights.

Speaker 1

This was the late 80s version of that super edited cutted choppy lab and stuff. I think it had a cameo in the original Terminator but that was one of the huge commercial. So yeah, kind of same like the original Terminator, but that was like one of the huge like commercial.

Speaker 2

Okay, so yeah, kind of same same. So, yeah, it's the modern day, yeah, and so, instead of like your ideal, whatever edited production that you're waiting for, it's just all of the like, like they cut everything that you're supposed to say out and just do all of the things that you should do before you start rolling, rolling to prepare yourself, and it's actually really.

Speaker 1

All the things that Toastmasters teaches you. Yeah, they clearly never went to Toastmasters before.

Speaker 2

Yeah, no, it's actually quite hilarious. When she brought that up, I was like yeah, and Dan's like what It'll be in my algorithm by this afternoon, I'm sure.

Speaker 1

We don't even need to do anything, definitely listening.

Speaker 2

Algorithm will take care of it. Ai is listening always, so that's great. I love that. That's a good one.

Speaker 3

I do too yeah, I just love the cringey moments. I think that we try to avoid them so often, but there's like a deliciousness to relish in the cringey Good.

Speaker 2

It's so good.

Speaker 3

Yeah, it's like. Where else can you feel that embarrassment?

Speaker 2

Yeah, it's like watching a disaster in slow motion. You know like you don't want to look, but you can't stop looking.

Speaker 3

Yeah, and that's what makes us human. Yeah, right, like we're not perfect, you're drawing some parallels to like a dad know what?

Speaker 2

Dan, I think you're pretty funny. My kids think I'm an idiot.

Speaker 3

They have to and that I'm super embarrassing. They can't.

Speaker 2

They'll never be able to appreciate your humor until at least after 20.

Speaker 1

Right, yeah, you've got some stuff.

Speaker 2

You've got some good years left of you, so don't you worry about that. Oh no, oh, my God, brutal Please.

Speaker 1

So are we ready to wrap this thing up, are we?

Speaker 2

I don't know why am I so fast? Yeah, we've been talking.

Speaker 1

Time flies, kelsey, I know.

Speaker 2

When you're having fun.

Speaker 1

You thought this was going to be a challenging hour, and I told you, we pulled it out. I told you, kaylee was going to pull them out.

Speaker 2

Whoa, this is a team effort, this is a toi et moi. Okay, all right, dan. What did you call me? Is that French it's me.

Speaker 1

So, kelsey, to wrap it up, we ask all of our guests and I'm sure you've listened to all of our episodes so you know what's coming If you could be anybody for a day dead or alive, not yourself- or me or Dan.

Speaker 2

We know everybody wants to be us, but you can't use us as an option.

Speaker 1

Who would it be, why and what would you do? What would you do?

Speaker 3

I was thinking about this long and hard and I wanted to say Jesus. But then I realized no, it's happened.

Speaker 2

People have answered me. It has happened.

Speaker 3

Actually, honestly, I was half expecting, like a mother Teresa, out of you but that it feels like such a naive answer at the same time, because, my goodness, I would not want the literal weight of the world on my shoulder. So no, nevermind.

Speaker 2

Thank you, jesus, but I wouldn't want to be Jesus. Thank you for what you did. But, yeah, thank you that I didn't have to do it.

Speaker 3

But I think an astronaut, maybe Buzz Aldrin, because I would actually love to see what the Earth looks like from space.

Speaker 2

Another surprise from Councilwoman Kelsey Nelson. I did not expect that answer.

Speaker 3

There are conspiracy theories that I would like to firm up.

Speaker 2

She wants to see how flat it actually is. I was just about to say like flat, say Like where does the water go?

Speaker 1

Does?

Speaker 2

it just fall off the side.

Speaker 3

Endless waterfall.

Speaker 2

I want to see the dome.

Speaker 3

How do?

Speaker 1

we still have water on the planet if it all falls off the side.

Speaker 2

She's like I'm going to solve this once and for all, but then you just become part of the conspiracy, right, because, who knows, that's it Part of the conspiracy, right.

Speaker 1

Because who knows that's it? We know that's it, some people know like way back then Then we start analyzing the shadows in your picture.

Speaker 2

Yeah, like how did they film the first steps on the moon, right?

Speaker 1

If it was the first step, Okay anyway, but I love that answer.

Speaker 2

There's actually like the concept I forget what it's called, but it's a it's like an effect that happens to the astronauts when they're in space and they see the earth and realize how minuscule our existence is. But it's a beautiful thing. It's not meant to make you feel irrelevant. It's meant to make you feel. It's meant to make you realize your place in the grander scheme of it all.

Speaker 2

And that you're precious, yeah, and that you're precious, and that there's the whatever is going on in your life at any given day, there is so much more and that we should realize that that, like our day-to-day challenges, our strifes, our biggest you know ruts, all of that can be overshadowed and shined by how beautiful and big the world is and how much more there is than just what's going on inside of ourselves.

Speaker 3

So yeah, I don't know. I've heard them talk about that.

Speaker 2

Allegedly.

Speaker 3

I think that when I there's one video game, I try not to keep this or to make this a long story, but there's one video game that I play on the computer, occasionally called Cities Skylines, and it's like a Sims kind of game, but it's less focused on the individual people and more so the infrastructure, and so you build the roads and you zone. She's an architect.

Speaker 2

Is that how we got the Sunrise Clans? She's been on there how many dog parks does Kelsey City have? Probably mostly dog parks.

Speaker 3

Yeah, just one big dog park.

Speaker 1

And somewhere in the middle there's a gated area for people in the middle of the dog parks. The list of rules at my dog park is exorbitant. There are a lot of rules at my dog park.

Speaker 3

I'm picky about that too.

Speaker 2

That's going to be a whole episode we have.

Speaker 3

Tell us your dog park rules, okay. Anyway, when I play that game, though, I'm always zooming out to see like the widest view possible and um, and so I think that I mean that applies to aspects of my life, but that I think that's part of the astronaut thing too. I want to see the whole world.

Speaker 2

Yeah.

Speaker 3

And then that it does help me moving through my life, because I do think about that, like, oh, I'm dealing with this stuff, but there's this whole world out there, it's. You know, so much is not dependent upon me. It's okay if my day is going this way, you know Just zoom out.

Speaker 3

Yeah, just zoom out and know that you're a part of the bigger picture and you're actually like you're so precious that you're a part of the bigger picture and you're actually like you're so precious because you are a part of the bigger picture. It's a miracle that you exist, that everything came together and that you're here experiencing this very short life.

Speaker 2

You kind of sound like Jesus right now. I just want to point that out.

Speaker 3

Thank you, that's the biggest compliment. Yeah, I strive to right Because it's. It's important that we only have this little bit of time. Yeah, for sure, on this world.

Speaker 2

Make it worth it. Make it worth it as in heaven, on this earth, earth.

Speaker 3

As in heaven on this earth, earth. Too many perks to being a child of God. I can't pop one. It's too many songs, not about the crown.

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Blake Bidleman

Host
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Dan Morasci

Host
Contributor

Kaelee Cornell

Host