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, September 30, 2011

Update: September 30, 2011

Good Afternoon MJ:

Here’s some items for this weekend and early October you may wish to know:

1. A “Blessing of the Animals” will take place on Sunday, at St. Stephens Church on Lebanon Road, at the Prayer Garden’s, starting at 2:00 pm. Father Kibby will be officiating. All animals, large and small, furry or not, are welcome.

2. October’s “Mayor’s Walk” will be this Saturday, starting at 10:00, from Charlie Daniels Park. The path stretches from the Park to City Hall and return. What a great way to spend a crisp fall day.

3. Two large flea markets/yard sales will take place this weekend. First, the entire Brookstone (off West Division) community will hold their annual yard sale on Saturday, starting at 8:00. From what I understand there very many residents who will be setting up sales in their garages, driveways and homes across the subdivision, making your shopping choices really easy. Second, Mt. Juliet’s American Legion will hold its inaugural flea market right here in the City Hall Parking lot. The Legion’s sale starts at 7:00. For those participating in the Mayor’s walk, bring your billfold and a tote bag!

4. As a reminder, starting at 12:00 on Sunday, 2 October, MJ will celebrate “America’s Greatest Picnic (AGP)”. APG is a fun-filled afternoon packed with loads of music, food and outdoor events, aimed to raise awareness of our WWII veterans and to help them with funds in their travel to Washington, D.C. to see the WWII Monument. Special hosts for the day will be T. Graham Brown, and Curb Recording Artist Martin Ramey. AGP will be at the Charlie Daniels Park, with tickets at $10 and all proceeds going towards the cost of sending our vets to D.C. It lasts until 6:00, so come when you can. See you there.

5. Kudos to the MJ Staff for the great work they’ve done as signified by capturing several Greater Nashville Regional Council (GNRC) “Award of Excellence” last night at a special dinner in Portland. We’ve mentioned it before, but the GNRC is the “Gold Seal” of quality service in governmental programming and execution. Last night MJ continued its tradition of dominating the GNRC Awards by capturing recognition in areas ranging from Public Safety to Codes and Communications. Well done Team MJ!

6. Calling all Mason’s, their families and those who want to support this great institution, The Madison Masonic Lodge #762, will be holding its Fall Fish Fry, on 15 October, at the Madison Lodge. You can go to Map Quest for directions or call Jessie at 758-4854 for more details. The “Fry” lasts from 11:00 am to 5:30 pm. Where else can you get all the fish, fries and hushpuppies, slaw and drinks that you can eat for $8.00, with all proceeds going right back to Lodge and its charitable missions.

If you haven’t heard, Darlene (AKA: "The Colonel”) and I will be heading out to new challenges in late December. I sincerely appreciate all the kind notes and calls we’ve received over the last few days, but there is still a lot of time left and much to be done. We’ll talk more about our transition later, but for now, please consider this our invitation to you and your friends to join us at a farewell reception at the Charlie Daniels Recreation Center on Saturday, 17 December, at 7:00 pm. Block your calendar.

Finally, there’s a big game tonight as the mighty MJ Bears with a 5 and 0 record take on the also undefeated Gallatin Greenwave. There’s a special “Cheer” starting at MJHS at 7:00 tonight (Friday, 30 Sept) to send the Bears off in style. The first 100 kids 12 and under will be given a mini football, compliments of the Mt. Juliet Quarterback Club! “Are you ready for a little football?” What a great evening for it.

Take care, God Bless and talk with you later.

R. Robertson
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