1. This won’t be a “blog” per se. It isn’t meant to be a place to post all commentary or opinions. Everyone is invited to send in a note, but don’t be offended if it isn’t posted. There’s other sites that are perfectly content to drag through what they believe to be wrong with every issue at every turn. This is about what was done, why and where do we go from here. We won’t talk about two and three year old issues. If the desire is to engage in those discussions then look somewhere else.

2. This isn’t the Board of Commissioner forum. MJ has a City Manager form of government. The Board makes policy; the staff implements. I’ll be happy to pass your comments along to the Board, either good or bad, but the intent of this medium is to address how we could better enact policy and improve city services.

3. The narratives will be directly from me, your city manager. I won’t hide under some pseudonym or other persona. My name is Randy Robertson. My phone number is 754-2552. I am your City Manager. If your issue or concerns involves another department of the city (Public Works, Police, Animal Control, etc.) I will invite the appropriate team member to provide some comments, but it will still be done under the auspices of the City Manager.

4. I will try and be as timely as possible, but this is another one of the “additional duties” for which civil service is renown.

5. The City Staff is here for you. The desired outcome is for us to have a positive relationship with the citizens we serve, but we all know that always won’t happen. Everyone has an opinion. It is the staff’s responsibility to work through the opinions and emotion, meet the requirements of the laws and rules under which we operate, and hopefully serve the greatest number in that process. It is not an exact science. The more we have a relationship with you, the better we can meet your expectations.

6. Finally, this is about telling our story. Hopefully you will be able to sort the myth from reality or see the issue through a different set of lens. I hope you will find this of value and participate.

Tuesday, October 6, 2009

Update: 10/6/09

Good Morning MJ:

I received a somewhat terse email from an anonymous follower yesterday regarding the traffic light at Charlie Daniels. Since the writer failed to identify himself (although we're pretty sure who it is), I thought the best way to respond was through this blog. The note says:

"It was disturbing to see the effect of the new traffic light at the intersection of Charlie Daniels and North Mt. Juliet Road on the afternoon it was turned on and over the weekend. One would think that before turning the thing on, someone would have documented the daily traffic patterns at that intersection and programmed it so that it would not bring the center of the city to a complete standstill.
Instead, as most things in our fair city are done, we simply "do" as quickly as possible and damn the consequences."

Dear Anonymous: North Mt. Juliet Road (NMJR) is a State of Tennessee highway and as such is under the auspices of the Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT); TDOT is responsible for the road. TDOT performed the traffic warrant for the traffic light at the intersection of Charlie Daniels Parkway and NMJR, and they acquired and installed the light. TDOT is responsible for the timing and sequencing of the light. While representatives of the Mt. Juliet Public Works Department worked with TDOT reps and provided input regarding the light, ultimately they (i.e., TDOT) make decisions regarding the light. Public Works reps voiced concern regarding the sequencing of the light as early as last Thursday evening, the same day the light was activated, and we continue our coordination with TDOT and the contractor to make additional adjustments.

"Anonymous", I trust you will find this response educational.

On a final note, please join us at the Charlie Daniels Rec Center on Friday at 4:00 p.m. for the ribbon cutting on the new Center Expansion Facility. The expansion facility is the product of a partnership between Mr. Charlie Daniels, the Panattoni Corporation and the City. It provides over 2.8k square feet for a new meeting room, exercise area and kitchen. Charlie Daniels Park is the jewel of the Mt. Juliet Parks system, and this new facility will significantly enhance our capabilities to serve the community.

The annual Halloween in the Park is the following day (10 October) with events running through mid afternoon and a special movie starting at 6:30. Halloween in the Park is the city's largest event of the year, so this year we're asking all those attending for a canned food donation to the Mt. Juliet Help Center. We all know what a challenging year it's been, so this is one small way of helping those in our community who need a little extra this time of year.

Take care and talk with you later.

R. Robertson
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