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.

Friday, April 1, 2011

Update: April 1, 2011

Good Afternoon MJ:

A special note on this Friday afternoon. Tomorrow (Saturday, 2 April) the MJ Parks and Rec Department and the AvaLynShaye Foundation will be hosting Ava’s Run for a Reason. This 5k run/walk is dedicated to Ms. Ava Bright who, although she passed away at a very early age, had a passion for splash parks. From her interest, the Bright’s have formed a nonprofit organization, dedicated to helping MJ build a splash area inside Charlie Daniels Park. Tomorrow over 1,000 runners/walkers are set for a stroll or jog, with the singular purpose to help Ava’s friends and family make the MJ Splash Park a reality. Interested in running but haven’t signed up? Come down to Charlie Daniels Park; registration starts at 7:30 a.m., or you can register from 5:00 to 7:00 tonight at the Greenhill’s Women’s Club (MJ Little League Park on Lebanon Rd.) Don’t want to run or walk but would like to help? We’ll take donations! Make a difference in your community and help a little girl’s interest serve our city and its children for years to come. We’ll also be auctioning off an autographed guitar from County Music star Bo Bice (of American Idol fame) and many other special treasures. It will be crowded, so if at all possible please try and car pool. Parking will also be available at Joy Church and at the Elzie Patton Elementary School. Tomorrow not only promises to be a beautiful day, but a great one for our city. See you there.

New housing continues to be strong in MJ, with 37 permits issued during the month of March. Compare that to 14 just 2 years ago.

Kudos to the MJ Animal Shelter staff and volunteers for the great article in Wednesday’s Wilson A.M. edition of The Tennessean. Also congratulations to the Shelter’s nonprofit organization’s leadership who raised over $400 last Friday. Every dime the non-profit raises goes right back to caring for our animals. I also want to commend Mr. Eddie Blackwood, Shelter Director, and Jon Gray, Volunteer Coordinator for their first venture inside the school house to speak to children (2nd graders) about what the Shelter does, and the importance of caring for your pets.

If you drive North Mt. Juliet Road, you’re seeing some good progress with the road widening initiative. It’s been a challenging winter, so it's great to see this project move forward. Don’t want to drive to Nashville for work? Consider the Music City Star. You can buy tickets right here at City Hall. With the price of gas going up all the time, the Star is seeing record ridership.

Your City Hall Team extends their condolences to the faculty, staff and children of Stoner Creek Elementary with the passing of Mr. Nance. We are here to help if you need us.

We had a fairly new utility trailer stolen from Mundy Park. The thief pulled the entire sunken concrete base out of the ground and took off about 10:30 p.m. one evening last week. From the video we know it was stolen by a fellow driving a black pick-up truck with what appeared to be chrome plated wheels. Our trailer had small metal “sideboards”, and has an ID plate from B.J. Trailer Sales. See one like it that causes you concern? Call the MJPD at 754-2550 and ask them to check it out.

Take care MJ. Talk with you later.

R. Robertson
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