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.

Thursday, March 11, 2010

Update: 3/11/10

Good Afternoon MJ:

Welcome to another edition of the City Manager’s blog. Here’s some items of interest and FYI:

Work continues to progress fairly well on the North Mt. Juliet Road widening project. While the weather remains an obstacle, I understand that for the most part the overall project is about where it was forecasted to be at this point. While that may start to sound a little like a broken record, it remains a good news story that bears repeating.

Come out and join the MJ Parks and Rec crew for their second annual Spring Fashion Show, starting at the Charlie Daniels Rec Center at 2:00 p.m. on Saturday, 13 March. There’s over 70 models representing stores from Belk and CJ Banks to Old Navy. Even the Mt. Juliet’s PetSmart and the MJ Animal Shelter have partnered up to bring you what the well dressed pooch will be wearing in 2010 in their “Beasty Beauty” contest. Last year’s event had over 300 viewers jammed into the Rec Center, so get there early for the best seats.

Other Park and Rec events rounding out this year’s Spring Break include 20 March’s Major League Baseball sponsored Pitch, Hit and Run contest, scheduled for 9:00 a.m. at Mundy Park. This promises to be one of the biggest youth oriented events of the year, so break out the old glove, loosen up the arm and join your friends for a great day of friendly competition and the chance to move on to the finals, held at this year’s MLB All Star Game.

Easter in the Park is scheduled for the following weekend (27 March), starting at 11:00 a.m. There’s three groups of egg hunters planned, with ages 1 to 4 starting at 11:00, ages 5 thru 7 hitting the field at 11:30, and ages 8 to 11 testing their agility and speed starting at 12:00. A special treat will be the search for the 10 golden eggs starting at 12:30 from the amphitheater. The golden eggs are filled with certificates for special prizes that add up to nearly $1,000. Mt. Juliet’s Easter in the Park is one of the biggest events of the year in Charlie Daniels Park so bring the entire family for a day of fun in the sun (hopefully). The MJ Animal Shelter will even be there showing off pets who need a home for the holiday.

Some good news for MJ. Police Chief Garrett’s crew has crunched the numbers and the overall crime rate for the city is down 10% from CY08 to CY09. The men and women of the MJPD do a magnificent job day-in and day-out. Next time you see one of the city’s finest, tell them thanks for what they do. Speaking of good news, another positive note from the city’s economic front today arrived today. Remember when the town basically came to a close during the last weekend of January due to the snow and ice? For a city that lives and breathes through sales tax, many of us here at city hall have been concerned about the impact winter’s weather has had on city sales tax receipt. While we haven’t seen the consequences of February’s President’s Day weekend snowstorm, the good news is we “weathered” January quite nicely with the city’s portion of sales tax receipts up nearly $27k from January 09. Thanks to everyone for continuing to “Shop Mt. Juliet”.

A final note . . . the census is coming. Help spread the word with your friends and family as to how absolutely critical it is to submit your annual census form. The forms should start showing up next week in mailboxes across the city. the 2010 edition is the shortest form in the history of the Census Department, with 10 simple questions that should take about 10 minutes or less to complete. The city’s population is a conduit to federal funds, so it’s not only required to complete a form, its’ imperative to our growth and development. Be watching Channel 3 for more details, or if we can answer questions the city’s “Chief Census Expert” is Mr. Bo Logan at 773-6237.

Take care and talk with you later.

Sincerely,

R. Robertson
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