Good Afternoon MJ:
Wow, what a Fourth of July weekend!!!
What started about 3:00 p.m. to be a perfect Saturday afternoon, with thousands of visitors streaming into Providence Market Place in anticipation of our 9:00 p.m. fireworks extravaganza turned into a rain soaked postponement. Those that were there can attest that we couldn’t have had better weather until about 5:00 p.m., when what we hoped would be a short-lived summer squall tuned into an all evening downpour intermixed with a couple breaks and then some building winds. However, in spite of the weather, I have heard nothing but absolute raves for the volunteers and city staffers who made this a 4th to remember. I particularly want to thank the MJPD and the MJ Parks Department for a rock-solid, military precise plan that worked as designed. The decision to not shoot was not made lightly; we understood thousands would be disappointed. But if hindsight is perfect, then we all saw that by 9:00 p.m. Saturday night, Providence Marketplace was under a deluge of water, with tornado warnings topping it off.
Plans for Mt. Juliet’s Fifth of July Fireworks show began about 9:30 pm on the 4th! The challenge was Sunday evening started out to look about the same as the night before. About 4:30 p.m. on Sunday it rain harder than anytime I can recall here in Mt. Juliet. Then, like clockwork the rain stopped, then started, stopped again, then started again. . . over and over until about 8:00 p.m. Until Tom Needham lit the first fuse it was a guessing game whether we would be able to shoot or not. But “Providence” was with us, both literally and figuratively; and at 9:10 p.m., Tom and his crew were able to get party started. And it was a fantastic party for the estimated 10k brave souls who trekked to south Mt Juliet; they were the recipients of a justly rewarded 45 minute pyrotechnical display. I left about 10:00 p.m., but as I understand, due to some wet wicks, Tom was “still cranking some rounds down range” for the next hour or so. Where else but here in beautiful MJ can one get this kind of entertainment for free.
There were hundreds of volunteers and countless businesses, churches, non-profits, scouts, etc., etc., etc., who made 4 and 5 July truly special for our community. I can’t name them all so I won’t try; they know who they are. On behalf of the Board of Commissioners, the City staff and the citizens of our community, thanks for all you did.
Finally, a particularly bright spot on Saturday’s activities was the volunteers who turned out to help the MJ Animal Shelter Adopt-a-thon turn into an unparalleled success. Seven dogs and cats found new, loving homes thanks to the “can do” spirit of Reverend Jon Gray and a handful of dedicated volunteers. A heartfelt thanks goes to these remarkable men and women because the gift of their time and energy will make a lifetime difference for a pet.
On a different note, construction progresses well for both the N MJ Road and Curd Rd. (Reverse L) projects. So far we’ve not seen any accidents directly attributed to activities around this large scale efforts. Remember, plan your trips accordingly, build a little more time into your travel, and above all remain calm. As Karen Carpenter says, “We’ve only just begun.”
A warm welcome to Andy Wright, who is replacing Judge Steve Grauberger as the new Mt. Juliet Municipal Judge. Andy, you have stepped into some big shoes. I know the men and women of the MJPD and Codes Department look forward to working with you in continuing to keep our streets safe and our city clean. Best of luck.
Finally, I want to thank the nearly 30 clergy who joined us last Thursday for a City Update. What a great start to this initiative. I’ve heard some very positive feedback, and will certainly look to do this event again later in the year.
Until next time, take care MJ and talk with you later.
v/r
R. Robertson
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.
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.
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