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, September 26, 2010

Update: September 26, 2010

Good Afternoon MJ:

Its been some time since my last posting; quite a bit has occurred and there a lot of items on the horizon.

We received our August Sales Tax figures and they continued to exceed projection. August 2010 figures were over $80k more than in 2009. Again, this speaks to the success of and need for the city's "Shop MJ" program.

Red Alert!!! We'll be hosting County Mayor Randall Hutto in MJ City Hall on Wednesday, 29 September, starting at 8:30 for an "Open Door" opportunity with citizens. For now the plan is to do this the last Wednesday of each month. If you have any concerns or questions with county operations or issues, here's your opportunity to voice them right here in MJ. As an added feature, the County's Veteran Affairs Officer will also join in during these sessions. If your a vet, here's your chance to check out changes and programs within the VA. For more details look for the slide on Channel 3 or call us in City Hall at 754-2552..

Chief Garrett advises that reportable crime is slightly up compared to the same time period last year, with the rate of auto crashes even higher. Please share with your family and friends the MJPD is actively working on both of these elements.

Work is progressing well on both the North Mt. Juliet Road (NMJR) and West Division Greenway projects. For the most part we anticipate all the utility work on the NMJR to be done by the first of the year, with efforts now focused on the road widening. Those who use this road frequently can see this "shaping" is starting to take place. Barring any unforeseen issues or obstacles, Phase 1 of the West Division Greenway should be done by late November or early December.

Here's some upcoming events to post on your calendar:

1. Thursday, 30 Sept, at 6:00 p.m. there will be a Commissioner's Candidate Forum, hosted by the MJ News, at City Hall. All are invited. It is my understanding all candidates from District 2 and 4 who are running for election this November will be there. There will be an opportunity to pose questions to the candidate and if you miss it, tune in to Channel 3 where it will be rebroadcast.

2. Saturday, 9 October. Halloween in the Park (Charlie Daniels). Starts at 11:00 a.m. Lots of booths, candy and fun.

3. Saturday, 11 December. The MJ Christmas Parade. Come join us and hundreds of floats and marchers. If all goes well we'll have an extraordinary "Grand Marshal" this year. Watch Channel 3 and the city's web page for more info as we get closer to 11 December.

Congratulations to Jon Gray and the Volunteers of the MJ Animal Shelter for their recognition of our volunteer program in this year's Greater Nashville Regional Council Annual Awards Program. There's no question the MJ Shelter is comparable to the best Shelters in the U.S. Recent data indicates we have over a 96% adoption rate; in large measure due to the volunteers. It's also noteworthy that through donations we haven't had to buy animal food since the Shelter opened in Dec 2008. Thanks to all involved for making your Shelter a phenomenal one.

Remember: Early voting starts in mid October with Charlie Daniels Rec Center serving as the MJ early voting site.

Want to keep up with when the Chipper service will be in your neighborhood? Check out the city's web page. You can also rent a pavilion at CD Park, report a pot hole, take a look at the animals in the Shelter, or even pay city bills through the menu on the city's web page. Take a look.

That's about all for now. Take care and God Bless.

R. Robertson
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