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.

Wednesday, November 10, 2010

Update: November 10, 2010

Good Afternoon MJ:

Welcome to another City Manager Update.

1. I’ll start by commending the MJPD, WEMA, Tennessee Highway Patrol and Lebanon PD for their combined efforts during today’s (Wednesday's) fatal crash at the MJ I-40 exit ramp. As of this writing we understand there were two individuals who died. Circumstances surrounding the accident are still being investigated, but at first blush it appears a driver mistakenly tried to enter the freeway from the exit ramp. The truck that was struck was carrying a chemical, initially reported to be ferric chloride. While it was a tragedy, it could have been far worse had others been involved or if there had been an aggressive chemical leak, or any number of other scenarios. Through the joint efforts of the above agencies, a timely damage assessment was quickly done and disruption to the community was minimized. Another note on this is the value of Nixle; please make sure you share Nixle with a friend. Sign up procedures can be found on the city’s web page at www.cityofmtjuliet.org

2. Veteran’s Day is a time for remembering, reflecting and honoring. Don’t let November 11th become just another day off of work; take time to thank a veteran for his or her service and contributions to our nation. On that note, several restaurant and retailers will be offering free meals, discounts or special programs to Veterans tomorrow. Here’s just a few:
a. Applebee's
b. Chili's
c. Outback Steakhouse
d. Lowe's
e. Sam's Club - Over 25,000 Hugo canes will be given away to U.S. veterans in need of mobility assistance.
f. Amazon.com - Free "Veterans Day Honor" MP3 album download. The album includes 12 songs by The Bands and Ensembles of the U.S. Armed Forces.
g. Dollar General - 10% discount for all veterans, active-duty military, National Guard and reserve and their immediate families.

3. Sales Tax numbers just came in today, and MJ’s collections for the month of October continue to be stronger than in 2009. For October 2010, we are up approximately 15% over last year. While that’s good news, we are seeing a decline in year over year increases as a percentage, and the numbers are starting to flatten. Remember; sales tax constitute nearly 60% of the revenue for municipal services and programs in the city . . . all the more reason to keep your dollars at home and “Shop Mt. Juliet.”

4. Another good news story: As of the end of October new housing permits for MJ stood at 300. As a means of comparison, the end of October number was 169. Despite sizeable down turns in home sales and the national economy, 2010 has been an exceptional year for new housing in Mt. Juliet.

5. A few final notes . . .
a. Have you noticed the utility lines along North Mt. Juliet Road (NMJR) are coming down? The NMJR widening project continues to progress well.
b. As noted at the last Board of Commissioners meeting on Monday, 8 November, MJ is slated to receive over one half million dollars towards Phase 2 of the West Division Greenway. This will be a great stimulus for that project.
c. Remember talk a couple years ago about a large flag at the MJ Road/I-40 intersection? The project isn’t dead; work has quietly progressed. We hope to have an announcement in the near future on what many indicate will be a tremendous visual improvement in that area; at no cost to the city or taxpayers. More to come.

Until next time, take care and God Bless. Remember; thank a vet for your freedom.
R. Robertson
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