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.

Sunday, August 22, 2010

Update: 08/22/10

Hello MJ, A few notes for your info:

Portions of MJ were hit by flooding again on 18-19 August. To a large extent, earlier efforts at Charlie Daniels Park, the MJ Little League Fields on Lebanon Road, and several businesses in the Valley Center after the May floods will have to be redone in the wake of last week’s heavy rainfall. Depending on where you were in MJ, there was nearly 7 to 11 inches of rain that fell on top of an already saturated ground between Tuesday evening and Thursday morning. Most businesses in the Valley Center had water inside them on Thursday, the Little League Park fields were flooded yet again along with fences that were toppled and the special soil used on the infields washed away. The fences at Charlie Daniels Park and around the MJ Youth Football fields were torn down by flood waters. By Saturday afternoon several businesses in the Valley center were open again, but it may take a while for all of them to open. Thursday evening volunteers turned out to start the rebuilding the Little League Park, and insurance adjustors had reviewed the scene at CD Park. We also know of a handful of homes that had water in them. If this happened to you or someone you know, please ensure you call Sharon or Tina at City Hall and let them know. While the city has no direct actions to take from the flood, we can make sure the proper authorities at WEMA are notified so that they can include your residence in their reports. From the data collected, a decision will be made by state and federal authorities if the damage justifies another disaster declaration. The phone number at City Hall is 754-2552. If you would like to help in either the baseball or football repair efforts, call Jay Cameli, Director of Parks and Recreation, or anyone at the MJ Parks Department, at 758-6522. They’ll get you hooked up with leaders of those respective organizations.

Don’t forget our final Movie in the Park for the summer will be this coming Friday (27 August), at the Charlie Daniels Park, starting at dusk. A special guest will be on hand to sign autographs. Come out and see how he is connected with the movie. Bring your friends. Concessions will be available. The next day, Saturday, 28 August, will be MJ Play Day at CD Park. Join us in doing battle with water guns against MJ’s finest. Lots of other events will be there for the entire family. MJ Pay Day starts at 2:00 and runs to 6:00, again at Charlie Daniels Park. It should be a great day of family fun. Please let your neighbors know.

Remember to share Nixle with a friend. Between flood and weather info, along with an oil leak early in the week, MJ residents got first hand info on a real time basis through Nixle. Join the nearly 1500 who know the value of this message medium. For info on how to sign up, just refer your friends or family to the city’s home page and click on the “Nixle” logo (bottom left corner).

We had a great weekend at the MJ Animal Shelter, with lots of new homes made possible thanks to the efforts of our city team and volunteers at a Adoption Fair. If you would like to be part of this great group, call Sgt Keith Youmans at 773-5533.

Calling all Ministers, Reverends, Pastors, lay leaders, church admin assistants, youth organizers and anyone connected to a local church for our second City Update for MJ Churches. The place to be is at City Hall, Tuesday, 24 August, at 10:00. In about an hour we’ll share what’s happening across the city; Parks and Rec, North Mt. Juliet Road construction efforts, city finances, police activities, and economic development. It’s a fantastic way to get to know what make MJ so unique; so you can share it with your parishioners and friends. Please pass this along to your church leaders and encourage them to be here.

On a final note, we’ve done a lot of work on Channel 3. If there’s a community message you want to get out, call Tina at City Hall, 754-2552. It’s free, and it touches thousands of homes 24/7.

God Bless, take care and talk with you later.

R. Robertson
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