Update: June 24, 2011

Good Evening MJ:

First thanks to the more than 500 individuals who attended last night’s “Community Conversation” at MJ High School. The crowd was larger than expected, particularly for a warm weeknight evening. This possibly accentuates the interest in the information shared between the Board of Commissioners and those that were there. One interesting note was the number of clickers issued and statistics collected on the questions towards the middle and end of the night indicated the crowd continued to grow as the session progressed. And unlike a usual public hearing no one left early. Over the next few weeks we’ll be talking more about the Conversation, but for now, again, thanks to all those who came out and made your opinions known last night.

We also want to extend a special thanks to those who helped sponsor last night’s event: D.T. McCalls & Sons; H@H Supply; Mayer Electric; the Del Webb Women’s Club & Lowe’s; Corner Pub Between the Lakes; the Wilson County Joint Economic Development Board; Publix’s; Marita Wolf’s Quilter’s Path and the MJ Chamber of Commerce. Your contributions made the night even more memorable.

Our next “Movie in the Park” will be at Charlie Daniels Park on Friday, 1 July, starting about 8:30. It’s the 80’s classic, The Goonies.

Cook’s United Methodist Church will be presenting a musical Independence Day celebration featuring performances from several local musicians. The event will also honor Tyler Cates and Michael Stansbery, who were MJ natives and killed during military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. The event starts at 4 pm, on Sunday, 3 July. Cook’s is at 7919 Lebanon Rd.

The City of MJ and Tom Needham, of Needham’s Nursery, are gearing up for this year’s 4 July Fireworks Festival. Those of you who’ve been around MJ for a while know our 4 July fireworks display is one of the best in Middle Tennessee, thanks in most part to Tom’s personal donations and his expertise his shooting large firework shells. Providence Mall will be hosting various musical events throughout the late afternoon of the 4th with the main show scheduled to kick off at dusk (around 9:00 pm.). Bring a lawn chair or blanket, and come out for an evening of great family fun and visual delights. Anyway, if you were planning to take the Music City Star to the Nashville fireworks, the train is sold out.

The Animals of MJ want to extend a special thanks to Karen Lowe and the crew of the Eastern Middle TN Assn. REALTORS for the much needed supplies they donated today (over $400 worth). Remember, there’s lots of cats to choose from at your Shelter and specials on them through the end of the month. Now is the time to get the pick of the litter and a “forever friend.” When you visit, take time to consider possibly joining the “Greenshirters” as a Shelter volunteer. It could be the experience of a lifetime.

A final “thank you” this week goes out to 2 Rivers Ford, Goodyear and Life Assembly Church for their kind donations to field and equip our first ever “Community Enhancement Vehicle.” Now you’re probably asking what is a Community Enhancement Vehicle (CEV)? The CEV is the brainchild of Mr. Kenny Martin. His goal was to fully equip a pickup truck to conduct maintenance work around the city by volunteers. We often have city employees who volunteer to pick up trash, or clean the curbs of the city. Kenny’s goal was to provide them with a vehicle and the tools to do that; thus increasing interest, while at the same time providing any volunteer groups with the same capabilities. For example, this weekend a couple of local churches plan to clean up around the I-40/MJ Road intersection. The thanks goes to 2 Rivers for donating a reliable utility vehicle and identifying it with the city’s logo, Goodyear, who donated over $1k of wheels and tires, and Life Assembly Church for their $500.00 donation of materials to use in this effort. This just speaks to the uniqueness and generosity of our community. A salute for a well done goes to Mr. Martin.

That’s all for this edition. Take care and have a great weekend.

R. Robertson

Update: 7/5/10

Good Evening MJ:

In this posting I want to spend a few minutes outlining actions taken by the MJ Board of Commissioners in their recent passage of the FY11 budget. Going through the entire budget would take lots of pages, so this is sort of a thumb nail sketch of major items that passed last week.

First, there are some improvements within our Parks and Rec system. Most noteworthy is a push to add a couple pieces of equipment at the new skate park, establish a "Tot Park" earmarked for those 5 years and under at the Charlie Daniels (CD) Park, work towards building a "Splash Park" at either CD or South Park, expanding the Frisbee course at Mundy Park, and bringing on one new employee (to replace a part time authorization). Mr. Cameli, the MJ Director of Parks and Rec, is also looking into a more proactive cost sharing effort at MJ newest Park, the Beazer Soccer fields, to enhance the quality of soccer in MJ.

In Public Works we're looking at nearly three-quarters of a million dollars in street improvements throughout MJ using State Street Aid funds. The PW Team are also looking to build a facility to house the city's vac truck. The vac truck is a very expensive piece of equipment used in clearing and maintaining sewer lines, and unfortunately it spends nearly all of its time parked outdoors. This effort will hopefully extend the life of the truck by minimizing wear and tear from the weather, and freezes in the vinyl hoses that are crucial to its operation. Mr. Keel also plans to build a storage shed for the city's salt supply which is also in the weather.

The BOC provided seed money to examine the options and costs for a new police facility. A preliminary look at several cities who have recently went through this process shows a building with adequate expansion, communication and security capabilities are averaging in the $4m to $5m range. Stay tuned to this forum for updates.

The PD consumes the majority of the city's budget. This year the force made the case for some real improvements, both in capital equipment (primarily patrol vehicles) and personnel. "Civilianizing" the Director of the Animal Shelter's position will allow a uniformed officer to return to the force. Chief Garrett also plans to bring on one new patrol officer, and an additional records clerk. We anticipate these new numbers will provide enhanced security and service responsiveness.

Finally, the Board approved a first time ever "longevity" allowance to team members who have between 5 and 20 years of service with the city, and a pay raise. Overall, the overwhelming majority of those involved with the process felt the FY11 budget helped continue improving the quality of life for our city. On behalf of the Team, we appreciate their commitment and vision.

A couple final notes. Special thanks goes out to Mr. Tom Needham and his crew for a fantastic 4th of July Fireworks Show. For those not there, you really missed something special. For those who enjoyed the evening, if you get a chance please stop by Needham's Nursery on Lebanon Road and thank Tom and his staff. Even though the city underwrites the 4th fireworks, Tom has lot's of his personal resources and "sweat equity" in making MJ's Fourth something truly extraordinary. Lastly, I recently received a rather turgid and confrontational email from a citizen in response to a posting on this blog. As stated in the original "rules" first published when this blog was created, this isn't a forum to take on outside posts. You are welcome to share your thoughts, but please don't be offended if they don't get published.

Have a great week MJ. Take care and God bless.

R. Robertson

Update: 7/1/10

Good Evening MJ:

Here’s a few items of interest as we head into America’s 234th Birthday.

A special thanks to those who came out to our HOA/Citizen’s Update on Tuesday. For those who couldn’t make it to the meeting or haven’t seen it on TV yet, the briefings are being rerun on Channel 3 every Monday & Thursday at 5:00 p.m., on Saturday at 3:00 p.m. and on Sunday’s at 2:00 p.m. for the next few weeks. You can also access the materials at the Mt. Juliet city homepage (www.cityofmtjuliet.org) There were several questions and some lively discussion. One of the questions we all found interesting was a citizen’s observation that the MJ Police Department was undermanned, and should probably have at least 30 more officers. While I don’t think most citizens would disagree the PD could use more help, I don’t think anyone, including the leadership of our own force, would recommend the need or associated cost for this.

The Codes Enforcement Section of the Public Works Department have been overwhelmed with sign related issues; specifically those dealing with political campaigns. While campaign signs are a time honored tradition, city ordinances place some restrictions on them, as they do with all temporary signs. If you have any questions, the best tip is to speak with either Mr. Thomas or Mr. Meadors, the city’s Code Officers. They can be reached at 642-9520 or 566-9360 respectively. There are difference rules pertaining to the size of a sign between commercial and residential areas, but the best rule of thumb is to ensure your signs are placed 10 feet back from the curb or road edge. This area constitutes the city’s right of way, and in general signs must be outside the right of way. Just to dissuade any notion of “favoritism” on the enforcement front, Mr. Thomas and Mr. Meadors picked up nearly 250 signs in the right of way last month.

As a reminder, the 4th Fireworks Extravaganza will be on Sunday, 4 July. Providence Mall will be hosting special events throughout the mid-day and evening, with the fireworks starting around dusk. I spoke with Mr. Tom Needham, who is hosting the fireworks display, and he indicated this promises to be one of his largest shows.

A final good note for your Fourth; we ended the June with 44 new housing permits issued, the largest number for June since the Providence hay days. Take care MJ and have a great 4th of July.

R. Robertson

Update: 6/22/10

Good Afternoon MJ:

It’s been a while since I last spoke with you so here’s a few items of interest and FYI’s:

1. City Hall will be the site of a County Mayoral debate on Saturday, 26 June, starting at 9:30 a.m. As I understand all three candidates, Don Fox, Randall Hutto and Phillip Warren will participate in an event sponsored and conducted by the Wilson County Conservative Alliance. City Hall only seats about 70 individuals, so if you are interested in attending please ensure you arrive early. The debate will be broadcast on Channel 3, with taped editions televised over the following week.

2. CALLING ALL RESIDENTS!!!! There will be a City Update on Tuesday, 29 June, starting at 7:00 p.m. in City Hall. Though originally developed for Home Owner Association leaders from across the city, the forum is open all residents. Are you interested in issues or programs affecting your Police Department, Parks, Economic Development, or what’s happening on North Mt. Juliet Road? Briefings will be given by various City Department Heads on those topics and more. Invite your friends; light refreshments will be served. Remember, City Hall seating is limited, so get there early. This event will also be televised with later showings on Channel 3.
3. MJ’s 4th of July Fireworks Extravaganza will be on Sunday, 4 July, starting at dusk from the Providence Mall area. Come early and enjoy what always promises to be a great event in the life of our city. Mr. Tom Needham, of Needham’s Nursery, has again organized a spectacular evening, with Mt. Juliet skies aglow and shouts or “oughs and aaughs”. Recommend bringing your lawn chairs and blankets.

4. Looking for something a little different to do on a Friday evening? How about catching the Music City Star on its evening run into downtown Nashville? The Star departs the MJ station at 7:00 p.m., and leaves the Nashville River Front Station at 9:30 pm. What to spend a little longer downtown? Then catch the train leaving MJ at 5:00. Buy your tickets at the Mt. Juliet City Hall or Kroger.

5. Did you catch Monday’s cover page of The Tennessean, with a feature article on new housing in Wilson County? There was a companion piece that evening by Channel 5 reporter Mark Bellinger (available on their web page). While the discussion was about Wilson County, the focal point was Mt. Juliet. Here’s a couple data points: Between January and mid June this year we’ve seen about 160 new housing permits issued, compared to around 60 for the same time period last year. It’s also been reported that Wilson County is Tennessee’s fastest growing county; and it’s 29th out of the top 100 fastest growing counties in the United States. What’s great about our town is how we’ve been able to retain lots of our southern charm and rural atmosphere despite exponential growth.
6. The North Mt. Juliet Road widening project is progressing well. Be on the lookout for the “thermometers” at both ends the road, this blog, Channel 3 and the city’s web page for updates.

7. Lock your cars. Whether at home, at work or when shopping; don’t leave your car unlocked. We’ve seen increases in car burglaries in the last few weeks. Car thieves are opportunistic; don’t give them an invitation by leaving your car unlocked and your valuable is plain sight.
8. A couple weeks ago, a handful of volunteers worked together to raise over $7.5k for the Mt. Juliet Animal Shelter. Last weekend, in cooperation with the Dairy Queen on Lebanon Road, the MJ Animal Shelter volunteers (. . . or “Greenshirters” as they prefer to be known) raised another couple hundred dollars; all going directly back into caring for our city’s animals. A special thanks goes out to these brave souls who didn’t let things like near 100 degree temperatures keep them down. Thanks ladies and Gentlemen for all you do! Keep up the hard charge.

9. On a final note, City Hall and other city facilities will be very limited between 11:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. on Tuesday, 29 June, for an employee luncheon and various training sessions. The doors will be open, but normal services may be slightly delayed until after 1:00 p.m.
Stay out of the heat, take care and talk with you later.
R. Robertson

Update: 7/9/09

Good Afternoon MJ:

Wow, what a Fourth of July weekend!!!

What started about 3:00 p.m. to be a perfect Saturday afternoon, with thousands of visitors streaming into Providence Market Place in anticipation of our 9:00 p.m. fireworks extravaganza turned into a rain soaked postponement. Those that were there can attest that we couldn’t have had better weather until about 5:00 p.m., when what we hoped would be a short-lived summer squall tuned into an all evening downpour intermixed with a couple breaks and then some building winds. However, in spite of the weather, I have heard nothing but absolute raves for the volunteers and city staffers who made this a 4th to remember. I particularly want to thank the MJPD and the MJ Parks Department for a rock-solid, military precise plan that worked as designed. The decision to not shoot was not made lightly; we understood thousands would be disappointed. But if hindsight is perfect, then we all saw that by 9:00 p.m. Saturday night, Providence Marketplace was under a deluge of water, with tornado warnings topping it off.

Plans for Mt. Juliet’s Fifth of July Fireworks show began about 9:30 pm on the 4th! The challenge was Sunday evening started out to look about the same as the night before. About 4:30 p.m. on Sunday it rain harder than anytime I can recall here in Mt. Juliet. Then, like clockwork the rain stopped, then started, stopped again, then started again. . . over and over until about 8:00 p.m. Until Tom Needham lit the first fuse it was a guessing game whether we would be able to shoot or not. But “Providence” was with us, both literally and figuratively; and at 9:10 p.m., Tom and his crew were able to get party started. And it was a fantastic party for the estimated 10k brave souls who trekked to south Mt Juliet; they were the recipients of a justly rewarded 45 minute pyrotechnical display. I left about 10:00 p.m., but as I understand, due to some wet wicks, Tom was “still cranking some rounds down range” for the next hour or so. Where else but here in beautiful MJ can one get this kind of entertainment for free.

There were hundreds of volunteers and countless businesses, churches, non-profits, scouts, etc., etc., etc., who made 4 and 5 July truly special for our community. I can’t name them all so I won’t try; they know who they are. On behalf of the Board of Commissioners, the City staff and the citizens of our community, thanks for all you did.

Finally, a particularly bright spot on Saturday’s activities was the volunteers who turned out to help the MJ Animal Shelter Adopt-a-thon turn into an unparalleled success. Seven dogs and cats found new, loving homes thanks to the “can do” spirit of Reverend Jon Gray and a handful of dedicated volunteers. A heartfelt thanks goes to these remarkable men and women because the gift of their time and energy will make a lifetime difference for a pet.

On a different note, construction progresses well for both the N MJ Road and Curd Rd. (Reverse L) projects. So far we’ve not seen any accidents directly attributed to activities around this large scale efforts. Remember, plan your trips accordingly, build a little more time into your travel, and above all remain calm. As Karen Carpenter says, “We’ve only just begun.”

A warm welcome to Andy Wright, who is replacing Judge Steve Grauberger as the new Mt. Juliet Municipal Judge. Andy, you have stepped into some big shoes. I know the men and women of the MJPD and Codes Department look forward to working with you in continuing to keep our streets safe and our city clean. Best of luck.

Finally, I want to thank the nearly 30 clergy who joined us last Thursday for a City Update. What a great start to this initiative. I’ve heard some very positive feedback, and will certainly look to do this event again later in the year.

Until next time, take care MJ and talk with you later.

v/r

R. Robertson

Update: 6/28/09

Good Afternoon MJ:

Some items of interest:

Are you a Minister? Reverend? Pastor? Lay Leader? Choir Director? All of the Above? If you’re any kind of Mt. Juliet church leader I would like to cordially invite you to a “City Update” brief, to be held at 1000, Thursday, 2 July, in City Hall. Ms. Sharon Bachelier, at 754-2552, is the point of contact. Even if you aren’t church leader but just interested in what’s happening in your city, then come on down! Sharon’s email address is: sbachelier@cityofmtjuliet.org

I want to extend my and the staff’s thanks to the Mayor, Vice Mayor and Commissioners of the City of Mt. Juliet for their leadership in developing and passing the FY2010 city budget. While it certainly wasn’t a totally painless process, it did demonstrate the spirit of collegial cooperation and compromise needed to continue our move towards the vision of this city they developed over a year ago. This is a solid, doable budget. Again, thank you.

I hope to see all of you and your family and friends at our 4 July Fireworks extravaganza! It will be at the Providence Market Place with festivities starting on Saturday at 3:00 and the fireworks lighting the sky starting at 9:00. A special thank to Mr. Tom Needham and his staff for the thousands of out-of-the-pocket dollars and the hundreds of hours he and his crew have spent on this year’s event. Tom tells me it is truly a labor of love. He also has promised that there will be more fireworks than ever! Again, many thanks Tom! As a reminder, there is no alcohol or grills allowed at Providence. The MJPD plans to be out in force to ensure we all have a great time. While you are there, up until 6pm we plan to showcase some dogs from the MJ Animal Shelter. If you’re looking for just the right “best friend” we hope you’ll see one at Providence on the 4th. Another special thanks goes to Reverend Jon Gray and all the volunteers of the Animal Shelter are donating their time and energy to make our “adopt-a-thon” a truly extraordinary one.

Next time you are in MJ City Hall, take a look at our new Police Department Dispatch Center. We just opened it up last week with two “Viper 911” emergency systems that provide real time call servicing and location directional finding for inbound emergency calls. This state-of-the-art center was recently accredited by the Wilson County 911 Board; and I am advised it is one of the best in Middle Tennessee. Again, my and the staff’s compliments to the MJ Board of Commissioners for the vision and resources to accomplish this desperately needed upgrade. As a bi-product of this initiative, we’ve also established a central server room in a “hardened” vault inside City Hall, as well as installing an automated generator capable of running emergency operations. These robust capabilities provides the police and other essential city services with the ability to seamlessly operate during a power failure for 2 days without refilling the tank.

The second set of construction workers at the intersection of Division Street and North Mt Juliet Road starting work on our sewer line relocation project. Work on the water lines is progressing well, with activity fast approaching the MJ Library. I make note of this because there are now two sets of construction workers along this portion of the road . . . please use every precaution and adjust your speed while in the area.

Our IT Director, Mr. Travis Taylor, has told me that the city manager blog seems to be picking up steam every day with more first time readers and new subscribers. If you want the blog “pushed” to you each time I post, simply go to the bottom of the page and follow the menu instructions. I hope those of you who do read this feel it is value added and remains true to the original posted precepts . . . this isn’t a place to banter personalities and relook ancient history about Mt. Juliet, or to cast aspersion, insinuation and innuendo on others; there’s other places for that. This is a forum to share information about your city. If you have things you would like me or the staff to look into, please let me know. Again, thank you for your support.

Finally, on a personal note, Darlene and I send our condolences to Mrs. Filiz Gencer and Mr. & Mrs. Doruk Gencer of Ankara, Turkey, and Mrs. Defne Gencer (nee: Robertson) of Washington, D.C. in the passing of Murat. Murat was a absolutely brilliant man and a loving and devoted husband and father. A man of the highest principals and values he leaves an unparalleled legacy of service and contributions to his nation and to humanity. He will be sorely missed but very fondly remembered.

Sonunda, kişisel bir notta, Darlene ve ben bizim baş sağlığımız ve göndeririz ve ( nee: Robertson) Washington , D . C . Murat geçiyor. Murat oldu her kesinlikle parlak adam ve seven ve adanmış bir koca ve baba. Her bir en yüksek müdürler ve o leave değerler adamı hizmet ve onun ulusuna ve insanlığa katkılar mirası. Fena halde o kaçırılacak ama çok sevgiyle hatırlanacak.

Take care MJ and see you on the 4th.

Sincerely,

R. Robertson