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.

Thursday, April 7, 2011

Update: April 7, 2011

Good afternoon MJ: Kudos to all involved in last Saturday's Ava's Run for a Reason. Over 1400 runners/walkers signed up to spend a beautiful Spring morning helping make the dreams of a little girl a reality; with proceeds from the event going to help fund a splash park at the Charlie Daniels Park. A first class endeavor like the Splash Park we envision will cost about $250k or more. Want to help? Contact Mrs Jennifer Hamblin at 773-6237, or any of the staff at Charlie Daniels Park, 758-6552. Looking for a different form of recreation? Check out MJ's annual Spring Fashion Show, this Saturday, starting at 2:00 p.m. Our own highly talented and quite debonaire Mr. Rocky Lee, Assistant Director of Parks and Rec, will join nearly 130 models of all ages and gender on the runway. It promises to be a fantastic day; hope to see you there. Here's a pitch for my team. The United States Military Academy at West Point Glee Club will perform a free concert this Saturday at Lipscomb University's Collins Auditorium, starting at 1500 (that's 3:00 p.m for everyone else). Admission tickets (again, free) can be secured at: marilyn.smith@lipscomb.edu or call Marilyn at 966-5929. Come hear some great music and find out about life at the Academy. Also, don't forget we will celebrate Armed Forces Day on Saturday, 21 May, at Charlie Daniels Park. The day before, 20 May, also sees MJ's Relay for Life at CD Park, so there's plenty of upcoming events for the entire family. Thanks to citizens and staff for their outstanding cleanup efforts after Monday's storm. While there was some damage, particularly around the Moreland Farms area, for the most part we were blessed. So many trees were damaged, it will take some time for the chipper team to return to their regular cycle. Check out the chipper schedule on the city's web page for more info. Or you can register to receive emailed updates as to the Chipper's location / progress around the city. On a final note, our thanks goes to Mr. and Mrs. Tom Needham, of Needham's Nursery on Lebanon Rd, for their kind donation of shrubs for City Hall. Tom has always been a generous patron to Mt. Juliet, and is the proud sponsor or the annual MJ Fireworks Festival. Thanks Tom for all you do. Take care MJ and talk with you later. R. Robertson

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