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, January 26, 2010

Update: 01/26/10

Good Afternoon MJ:

A few short points of interest for those following the blog:

1. An advanced congratulations goes out to the winners for tonight’s annual MJ Chamber of Commerce Awards Dinner. I know Mark, Anita and Jason have some great things planned for this evening. Also, a special thanks goes to the leadership of Del Webb for allowing the Chamber to use their facilities.

2. Have you heard????? Channel 3 is now available thru streaming video on the internet! Wherever you are, as long as you have an internet hook-up, you can follow events in City; Monday evening’s Board of Commissioners meetings; Thursday’s 6:30 p.m. Regional Planning Commission meeting; or Tuesday’s 9a.m Technical Review. Now, you don’t need a TV and Channel 3 to keep in touch with your community. For more info, go the city’s webpage at www.cityofmtjuliet.org, then scroll down to “Channel 3” at the bottom left side of the menu. We hope you enjoy.

3. We’re always looking for more volunteers. Whether it’s part of the Police Auxiliary, spending time with our furry residents at the Animal Shelter, helping with Special Events like the Christmas Parade, and Easter or Halloween in the Park we’ve got a job for you. Looking for more exotic work? We’ve got positions with our Economic Development Department working to attract new businesses, or with our IT department in continuing to push our communication programs to the community. You have a talent, we have a volunteer position. If you are interested, or know someone who is, give Tina a call at 754-2552.

4. We noted at last night’s Board of Commissioners meeting that nearly 70 people had signed up for Futsal, a type of indoor soccer. That’s fantastic! I understand several teams have been formed, with people of every age and gender. Interested? Call Parks and Rec at 758-6522 for more details. Speaking of Parks, I want to wish a fond farewell to Mr. Ryan Armstrong, at the Charlie Daniels Rec Center. While Ryan is moving on to bigger things at the U.S. Community Credit Union Bank, he will be sorely missed. Ryan was the spearhead for last year’s volleyball tournament, and has been a main stay at the Rec Center. Best of luck Ryan, and stay in touch.

5. A final note . . . on these tough winter days, driving down North Mt. Juliet Road and looking at all the construction, it’s hard to think about what the area will look like in the future. I’ve heard those concerns expressed several times over the last few weeks. My response is: “these are the signs and sounds of progress!” Yes, North Mt. Juliet Road looks bad now, and it can be a challenge to drive on. Frankly, that’s likely to be the way it is for quite a while, but the results will be worth the effort. Readers are encouraged to keep up to date on construction progress by tuning into Channel 3 for Mr. Shannon (aka: Cajun) Joyner’s biweekly status report. You can also catch “The Cajun Joyner Show” on the city’s webpage, by clicking on “Road Construction Info” on the right-hand side of the menu.

Take care and talk with you later.

R. Robertson
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