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, June 22, 2010

Update: 6/22/10

Good Afternoon MJ:

It’s been a while since I last spoke with you so here’s a few items of interest and FYI’s:

1. City Hall will be the site of a County Mayoral debate on Saturday, 26 June, starting at 9:30 a.m. As I understand all three candidates, Don Fox, Randall Hutto and Phillip Warren will participate in an event sponsored and conducted by the Wilson County Conservative Alliance. City Hall only seats about 70 individuals, so if you are interested in attending please ensure you arrive early. The debate will be broadcast on Channel 3, with taped editions televised over the following week.

2. CALLING ALL RESIDENTS!!!! There will be a City Update on Tuesday, 29 June, starting at 7:00 p.m. in City Hall. Though originally developed for Home Owner Association leaders from across the city, the forum is open all residents. Are you interested in issues or programs affecting your Police Department, Parks, Economic Development, or what’s happening on North Mt. Juliet Road? Briefings will be given by various City Department Heads on those topics and more. Invite your friends; light refreshments will be served. Remember, City Hall seating is limited, so get there early. This event will also be televised with later showings on Channel 3.
3. MJ’s 4th of July Fireworks Extravaganza will be on Sunday, 4 July, starting at dusk from the Providence Mall area. Come early and enjoy what always promises to be a great event in the life of our city. Mr. Tom Needham, of Needham’s Nursery, has again organized a spectacular evening, with Mt. Juliet skies aglow and shouts or “oughs and aaughs”. Recommend bringing your lawn chairs and blankets.

4. Looking for something a little different to do on a Friday evening? How about catching the Music City Star on its evening run into downtown Nashville? The Star departs the MJ station at 7:00 p.m., and leaves the Nashville River Front Station at 9:30 pm. What to spend a little longer downtown? Then catch the train leaving MJ at 5:00. Buy your tickets at the Mt. Juliet City Hall or Kroger.

5. Did you catch Monday’s cover page of The Tennessean, with a feature article on new housing in Wilson County? There was a companion piece that evening by Channel 5 reporter Mark Bellinger (available on their web page). While the discussion was about Wilson County, the focal point was Mt. Juliet. Here’s a couple data points: Between January and mid June this year we’ve seen about 160 new housing permits issued, compared to around 60 for the same time period last year. It’s also been reported that Wilson County is Tennessee’s fastest growing county; and it’s 29th out of the top 100 fastest growing counties in the United States. What’s great about our town is how we’ve been able to retain lots of our southern charm and rural atmosphere despite exponential growth.
6. The North Mt. Juliet Road widening project is progressing well. Be on the lookout for the “thermometers” at both ends the road, this blog, Channel 3 and the city’s web page for updates.

7. Lock your cars. Whether at home, at work or when shopping; don’t leave your car unlocked. We’ve seen increases in car burglaries in the last few weeks. Car thieves are opportunistic; don’t give them an invitation by leaving your car unlocked and your valuable is plain sight.
8. A couple weeks ago, a handful of volunteers worked together to raise over $7.5k for the Mt. Juliet Animal Shelter. Last weekend, in cooperation with the Dairy Queen on Lebanon Road, the MJ Animal Shelter volunteers (. . . or “Greenshirters” as they prefer to be known) raised another couple hundred dollars; all going directly back into caring for our city’s animals. A special thanks goes out to these brave souls who didn’t let things like near 100 degree temperatures keep them down. Thanks ladies and Gentlemen for all you do! Keep up the hard charge.

9. On a final note, City Hall and other city facilities will be very limited between 11:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. on Tuesday, 29 June, for an employee luncheon and various training sessions. The doors will be open, but normal services may be slightly delayed until after 1:00 p.m.
Stay out of the heat, take care and talk with you later.
R. Robertson
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