Update: 6/11/09

Good Afternoon MJ:

Here’s a couple updates on city activities:

Progress is going well on both the North Mt. Juliet Rd (NMJR) widening project and the “Reverse L” off Curd Road. At this time work on both projects focuses on relocating the utilities but we expect to hear from TDOT in the next week on how the bids went for the actual NMJR widening element. As media and public announcements on the NMJR project have repeatedly said, the whole project will likely take about two years. As with any project of this magnitude, there will be glitches and unforeseen challenges; so if you are a driver, please slow down and be respectful of construction workers. Plan your trips accordingly. If you live along the either roads please be patient.

Some good news for the city. Yesterday we locked in “refinancing” the two variable bonds the city had taken out several years ago. For those of you who watch our own Channel 3 or read the local papers, you know that with the dramatic changes the financial markets have experience in the last year, many municipal funding mechanisms, like variable rate loans, were thrown into a state of uncertainty and sometimes overnight rate changes. That was conditions Mt. Juliet faced several months ago, with the initial assessment that it would take between $500k and $600k to buy our self out of the situation. Last week, with guidance and assistance of some great financial advice from Mr. Sam Crewse of the Stephens Company, we closed the swap at $187k; a saving to the city of over $400k less than projected a few months ago. While on the financial side, the Board of Commissioners decided to completely refinance and lock in the rates on the two variable notes. Together these added up to around $7m. To do this we went through a financial accreditation process with Standard and Poor’s. The great news is for the first time in the city’s history we had a double “AA” rating. This “gold seal of financial health” will well serve us by driving down interest rates on the refinanced bonds and possibly eliminating insurance costs from our lender. I want to again thank Mr. Crewse and John Rossmaier, the city’s Finance Director for their superb work in this area.

On a more personal note, this last week has been one of extremely challenging for me. In addition to being in legal depositions for most of the week, my wife and I lost our best friend. We found Blaze when he was just a few months old. A twin of the collie “Lassie” (Blaze actually thought he was better looking than her), Blaze led a rich and adventurous life. As our youngest son’s 15 birthday gift, his first home was in Washington D.C. The first year with us, while I was away at the Army War College in Pennsylvania, Blaze’s job was to keep stability and order in the house. Right after leaving the War College we were reassigned to the U.S. Army in Europe and Blaze took up residence in Eppelheim, a small suburb of Heidelberg, Germany. Blaze spent most of his life in Germany and travelling through Europe. He actually could communicate with our German neighbors far better me . . . I guess “woof” is the same everywhere. Without doubt in Eppelheim he was the most popular member of our family. Not too long after we got to Germany, September 11th hit, resulting in me being away from home a great deal of the time; so once again he was the bond that glued us together. We always referred to him as one of America’s best overseas ambassadors. The Germans absolutely adored Blaze. Part of that dealt with the fact that old “Lassie” reruns were very popular on German TV. Everywhere he went people would want talk to or pet our “Lassie” and tell us that “Timmy had fallen down the well.” Even the “kinder” next door would borrow Blaze for slumber parties and dress him up, and our son, who was in a DoD High School, referred to Blaze as his very own “babe magnet” down on the Heidelberg Hauptstrasse. Ute: Blaze immer euch geliebt und Marcus. Sie waren und wird immer seine sehr spezielle deutschen Freunden. Wir wissen, dass sie ihn vermissen fast so viel wie Darlene und ich. Blaze was simply extraordinary.

We left Germany for New Mexico’s White Sands Missile Range (WSMR); talk about a physical and culture change. Blaze was a base fixture for nearly a year and a half. We visited the gym every weekend and he would steer me past the “goat head” burrs that littered the running trail between the house and the athletic complex. Since I was WSMR’s Chief of Staff Blaze got to hang out with the General and all the muckety mucks that came to White Sands. He loved the attention, but quite frankly his thick coat and the desert climate weren’t complimentary of each other. When Darlene and I left the Army and White Sands we stayed several months at my mother’s home outside Cincinnati where he became “Ma’s doggy”. Those two absolutely adored one another. Every morning they took their walk; with Blaze sniffing out what seemed to be every wide spot on the ground in a three mile jaunt. Within a few months we were off to Ashland, Kentucky where I accepted the City Manager position. Again, Blaze soon became the most popular Robertson on the street. His smile and those large brown eyes melted everyone’s heart. In late 2007 we came to Mt. Juliet, where, according to anyone inside City Hall, Blaze has been a beacon of calmness and serenity in an usually chaotic and too often harsh working environment.

Quite frankly Blaze was our rock. With both sons in Washington, D.C. he gave us his full and undivided attention. He didn’t care how badly our day went, because he could change all that. He lived for back scratches and time for a walk or run. Every night he knew exactly where the bends and turns in the road were as we approached home; nipping at my heals to let him run off the leash just a little. He was my very best friend and my deepest confidant. He would listen to absolutely everything I had to say and would never argue. On Sunday his kidneys failed and on Monday he left. We miss him terribly.

I thought writing this might helpful to me. I’ve had dogs all my live and there was none like Blaze. He was remarkably and wonderfully special. I also thought writing might help convince others that right here in Mt. Juliet we have an amazing Animal Shelter, filled with cats and dogs who are looking for an opportunity to become someone’s Blaze.

Take care and talk with you later.

R. Robertson