Update: December 12, 2011

Good Afternoon MJ:

Here’s some items of interest and FYI’s for our community:

A few weeks ago we posted a note about a benefit concert for Mr. Frank Scarcello, who was injured in aiding a citizen at the scene of an accident. The concert, originally scheduled for next Sunday, 18 December, has been postponed until February, to coincide with Valentine’s Day. Given the business of the holiday season, this is a practical move. We hope you’ll come out to support Frank in a couple months. Watch the city’s web page and Channel 3 for details.

Sales tax receipts for November were strong, with over $470.5k taken in compared to last year’s $455k, a $15.5k increase or about 3% more than last year. Year to date (Jan to Nov) we’ve seen close to $240k more in sales tax receipts compared to the same time period in 2010. Sales tax revenue represents nearly 60% of the city’s funding posture; and since they are unpredictable and can be unreliable, their continued growth is crucial to providing sustained quality services. Remember, particularly now during the holidays, to “Shop MJ First.”

Here’s some other data points for 2011 worth noting:

- Close to 300 new housing permits have been issued between January through November. At nearly one every business day that is a phenomenal number.

- In early November we were selected as the fourth “Most Business Friendly City in Tennessee” by the Tennessee Center for Policy Research. We’ve captured one of the top five spots for the last 4 years.

- Thus far in FY 2011 (July to Nov), we’ve issued nearly 100 new business permits; again nearly one every business day.

- Over 200 electrical permits were issued through November. Until this year, this function, and the revenue with it, was a purview of the state. Our Codes Team has received numerous compliments for the responsive, courteous “can do” attitude they bring to this initiative.

- Close to 150 fire inspections were made by city personnel this year; again, a completely new mission for this team. This work is being done without hiring any additional personnel, but through aggressive cross training and continued professional development.

- Despite several recent rounds of inclement weather, TDOT advises they are still looking to have all lanes of North Mt. Juliet Road under some asphalt within the month.

- East Division Street was repaved and there is some great development taking place on the Old Elementary School Property, the long vacant heart of our city.

- We anticipate starting the right of way acquisition process for the Eastern Connector in the next few months.

- Phase 2 of the Town Center Trail (formerly West Division Greenway) should be moving dirt early this Spring. The city has secured over $500k in federal funds to underwrite this project which will run the trail from 4th Avenue to Brookstone.

- The Board of Commissioners approved “seed” money to initiate the required legal work to establish a 501 3C non-profit organization for the MJ Parks Department. This is a tremendous move to provide citizens with a direct, private means to help fund park and recreation activities. Watch for more on this next year.

- The MJPD continues to have one of the best case solvability rates in the state. We currently stand at over 55%, while the average is close to 30%.

- Stats continue to be absolutely fantastic from the MJ Animal Shelter. With an unheard adoption rate exceeding 90%; volunteer hours in 2011 approaching 7k; and our 3rd straight year of feeding the animals at no cost to the city; the MJ Animal Shelter continues to be the best in the state.

On a final note, I’d like to extend an open invitation to drop by the Charlie Daniels Rec Center, this Saturday, for a farewell reception. It starts at 7 p.m. and goes to when we leave. With that in mind, this will likely be my last city update/blog as your City Manager. I hope you have found this forum useful and informative. I’ll end with two notes: first to Team MJ, thanks for your support and your selfless public service. In the last few years our city has undergone a positive transformation of tremendous proportions. You have been the spearhead for that change. Well done! Second, to the citizens of MJ, it has been an absolute honor and privilege to serve our community and Darlene and I will miss you. Thanks for your support.

Take care and God Bless.

Sincerely,

Randy Robertson

Update: November 4, 2011

Good Afternoon MJ:

After posting yesterday's update, several subscribers wrote and asked me to circulate some bits of additional info. With that in mind, here's a few additional items from around the community:

Update: City Housing permits remain strong this year (Jan thru EOM Oct) with 279 new housing permits issued during that time. That ranks well compared to last year's banner of 300 for the same time. To refresh your memory, for calendar year 2010, MJ issued more new housing permits than any city in Middle Tennessee . . . this includes Murfreesboro and Clarksville which are both over 100k in population. Another update, in late September MJ received state authorization for city personnel to conduct required electrical inspections of new or renovated facilities. Since that time city personnel have conducted over 130 inspections, generating close to $17k that now goes directly to MJ as opposed to state coffers. Equally important, we are now positioned to provide more responsive electrical inspection services than state personnel were enabled to do. Many thanks to Mr. Keel, Director of Public Works, Mr. Hicks, Chief Building Inspector, and the entire Building and Code team for this initiative. Good work gentlemen!

311 is now operational! If you need to reach the City of Mt. Juliet, you may dial 311 from any landline or cell phone within the city limits. (AT&T customers will not have this service for now, but it's coming soon.) FOR EMERGENCIES CONTINUE TO CALL 911, but for all other city business you can just dial 311 while within the city limits.

In honor of Veterans Day, here's a few special programs for the vets out there:
* Applebee’s is again offering a free meal to military veterans and active-duty service members on Veteran’s Day, Friday, Nov. 11, 2011.
* Chili’s is offering all military veterans past and present their choice of one of 6 free meals during business hours on the 11th.
* Golden Corral will provide a free meal, Monday Nov. 14 from 5 pm to 9 pm in all Golden Corral Restaurants nationwide. The free “thank you” dinner is available to any person who has ever served in the United States Military.
* Outback Steakhouse is offering a week of Free Bloomin’ Onions and Cokes Monday Nov. 7 – Friday Nov. 11. This offer is available to military personnel who have one of the following forms of identifications: U.S Uniform Services Identification Card, U.S Uniform Services Retired Identification Card, or DD-214.
* The Home Depot is offering all active duty personnel, reservists, and retired military a 10 percent discount off their purchases in honor of Veteran’s Day. The offer is valid on purchases of up to $2,000 for a maximum of $200.
* Fee Free Day at National Parks. To honor America’s service men and women, Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar announced that areas managed by the National Park Service would not charge entrance fees for Veteran’s Day weekend – November 11-13, 2011.

Notice the flag is back in place at Life Assembly? Thanks to Pastor Wharton and the folks at Life Assembly for this great addition to our city! Also, kudos to Seth McDowell, owner and developer of the Old Elementary School (OES) property, for how he and his team are rapidly transforming the center of our city. After a decade of an empty field, the OES is starting to look absolutely wonderful.

Tricia Swaney asked to have this passed along: The MJ Christian Academy's Shopping Extravaganza is this Saturday from 9 to 5 and it's FREE! Called the "Best Shopping Event in Wilson County" this year's edition has been upped from 50 to 75 vendors. The Christian Academy is located at 735 N. MJ Rd.

Ready to Walk? The last "Mayor's Walk" this year will be this Saturday, beginning at the Charlie Daniels Park Rec Center. Come join your friends and fellow citizens at 10:00 in a never ending quest for better health.

Four weeks from this Saturday (3 December) is MJ's annual Christmas Parade. With our own star, Gretchen Wilson, serving as Grand Marshal, this year's MJ Christmas Parade promises to be even bigger and better than ever. Application forms for floats, vehicles and walkers are on line at the city's web page. This year's theme is "Toy Soldier", and entry fees are only $10.00, or the donation of a cell phone that will go to a service member. It should be great day so make sure you put it on your calendar. For more info call Taylor Bates at 566-1660.

That's all for now. Take care and God Bless. Talk with you later.

R. Robertson

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

Update: February 2, 2011

Good Afternoon and Happy Ground Hog Day MJ:

Here’s some data that should be shared with the community. Every year Market Graphics Research Group collects and publishes new housing permits data for the 11 county region of middle Tennessee. The latest report documented 4,405 new house permits were issued in those 11 counties in 2010. The report also broke down permits issued either by individual cities or within the unincorporated portions of the respective county. Here’s a few numbers you’ll find interesting: Gallatin issued 112 new housing permits; Hendersonville had 136; Spring Hill ended the year with 122, and La Vergne did 57. Closer to home, 132 permits were issued in Lebanon. Want to look at bigger cities? Franklin did well with 287 permits authorized. Even bigger? Murfreesboro issued 346. How about us? In 2010 MJ issued 367 new housing permits. In fact, last year MJ issued more new housing permits than any municipality in middle Tennessee, with 367. This speaks volumes to the quality of life people see in Mt. Juliet, and the business friendly environment we’ve strived to build. Congratulations MJ!

Speaking of quality of life, the crew of the MJ Parks and Rec Department will be hosting a “Father-Daughter Dance” on Saturday, 5 Feb, at the Charlie Daniels Rec Center. The event starts at 6:00 p.m., and it’s the perfect gift for daddy’s and their little girls. Catering will be provided by “Signatures”, with finger foods, punch and a special “Chocolate Fountain” all included in the $15 per couple admission fee. You can sign up at the door, but we ask that you please try and get your tickets before Friday so the Parks and Rec Department will know how many to cater for. There’ll be a live DJ, with music that ranges from oldies to today; something for the very young to the young heart. For more info or to secure a ticket, call 758-6522.

The MJ Senior Citizens Center will be holding a “Sweetheart Serenade” at the St. Stephen Community Church on Friday, February 25th, from 6 to 9 p.m. There’ll be live music, a silent auction, and your choice of Prime Rib or Chicken. Corporate tables are available, or individual tickets at $40.00 ($25 for individual Center members). Info or RSVP by 15 February at 758-9114.

We want to welcome a couple new members to Team MJ. Mr. Dwayne Hicks joins us as our Chief, Building and Codes Department. Mr. Hicks comes from comparable duties in Tullahoma. He also served as an instructor with the Tennessee State Fire Academy, and has extensive credentials in that arena. We look forward to Dwayne’s efforts to move MJ towards greater fire protection services, as he takes on new responsibilities that we previously relied on state officials to conduct. We’re also pleased that Mr. Eddie Blackwood has assumed the position of Chief, Animal Control. Eddie has tremendous experience with Animal Control, having served as Director of Animal Control for Cheatham County, and also in a leadership position with the Nashville Zoo. Eddie and Dwayne have tremendous experience, training and credentials in their respective professions, and will be great assets to MJ.

Want to get involved with your community and help fight cancer at the same time? The team kick off for the MJ Relay for Life will be tomorrow (Thursday), 3 Feb, at 6:00 p.m. at the Charlie Daniels Rec Center. Here’s a great opportunity to see what you and your friends can do on “race day” (20 May) to be part of history in the making . . . the battle against cancer. Light refreshments will be served; see you there.

Here’s some news for the economic development front:
- There’s a new quilting shop and men’s/women’s clothing store opening in the next few weeks on Industrial Drive. Come join owner Marita Wolf and a fast growing community of quilters in what promises to be a great addition to our business community.
- The Tokyo Restaurant is scheduled to open its doors in March. They are located on North MJ Road, and will also be a wonderful compliment to eating establishments on that end of town.
- Welcome to the Party Zone, and to Angle’s Stop and Play, both located in Providence Commons, by Publix’s southern store. The Party Zone should on your shopping list for this weekend’s Super Bowl, and Angle’s is a really unique store providing quality child care on a drop in basis; just the thing for parents night out.
- Finally, though not a public business, here’s a warm welcome to employees of the Veterans Administration, Office of Clinical Oversight and Compliance, who will be reporting for duty over the next few weeks. They join the ever growing list of professional offices that are calling MJ home.

Remember to keep your dollars here - Shop MJ!

Take care and see you next time.

R. Robertson

Update: January 14, 2011

Greetings MJ:

It has been a challenging week, with weather related issues and closings abounding. I want to commend our citizens for the patience and care in driving on the snow; PD records reflect there were 10 weather related auto crashes, but none were serious enough to require hospitalization.

We received info on our share of November sales tax. MJ continues to do well with an 8% increase over November 09. Thanks to all those who understand and continue to support our “Shop Mt. Juliet” campaign. Here’s a few other data points for 2010:
1. Sales tax was up every month of the year compared to 2009;
2. We issued 367 building permits in CY10. Compare that to 217 last year; that’s nearly a 60% gain in a year; and
3. 179 new business permits were issued in CY10. Think about it . . . that’s a new business nearly every other calendar day; and
4. Police calls for service was nearly 83,000; about 6,000 more calls for your police department than last year; and
5. There were 210 auto crashes, with 58 injuries. There were also 117 DUI’s. That’s too many of both.
6. Close to 400 animals were adopted from the Shelter. The Shelter now enters its third year without having spent tax dollars for animal food; and
7. Over 6,000 hours were donated last year by Shelter Volunteers. This contribution would have cost the city over $100,000 if the Volunteers were paid; and
8. Congratulations to the citizens of MJ for being the rated by the Tennessee Center for Policy Research as #1 Business Friendly City in the State! 2010 was a good year!

Here’s a business update from Mr. Martin, Economic Development Director:
- Zaxby’s is under Construction
- The Corner Pub Between the Lakes build-out underway
- A branch of the Wilson Bank and Trust is under construction
- Grading Work is underway for a branch of Region’s Bank
- Paddocks Dental build-out is underway
- Tokyo Restaurant build-out is on-going
- Ballroom Dancing Studio build-out is underway
- A Sushi Restaurant is undergoing construction
- A Greek Cuisine and Grill recently opened
- There was a closing on property within Paddocks for Murphy Oil
- Construction should start on LEXON Insurance this Spring
- A build out for The Party Zone is underway
- Plans have been approved for a Super Speedy Car Wash
- A cell tower is being constructed at Life Assembly Church
Pretty impressive list isn’t it? We’re also gearing up to make a special announcement about a federal agency who will soon have a footprint right here in MJ. Stay tuned.

The BOC will be holding another special work session on fire protection issues on Wednesday, 19 January, in City Hall starting at 4:00 p.m.

Make plans for a Father/Daughter Dance, hosted by the MJ Parks at the Charlie Daniels Rec Center, on Saturday, 5 February. It’s a perfect Valentine’s day gift for daddy’s little girl. For more info or to register, call the MJ Parks Department at 758-6522. Some other Parks and Rec coming initiatives are Zumba classes (a Latin jazz style of aerobics) and our own “Sarge’s Fitness Boot Camp”. Both are fun ways to help stick to that New Year’s resolution. Both programs will likely start in early February. For more info, call 758-6522.

Several adorable puppies at the Shelter looking for homes. There are Chow and Lab mix, or full Labs that are ready to leave now; the perfect Valentine’s Day gift for that special person. Speaking of the Shelter, don’t forget we still have some 2011 Animal Shelter Calendars and Commemorative bricks for sale. Your contribution will go straight to support the work of the Shelter, and its continuing mission of serving both our animals and the health and safety of our community.

On a final note, if you know anyone who might be interested in donating a couple acres on the south side, please give me or Kenny Martin a call at 754-2552. We’d be happy to talk about potential tax implications and good will associated with this initiative.

Have a safe Martin Luther King Jr. holiday. For those of you that have time on Monday, here are some local ceremonies honoring this great American.

• Martin Luther King Jr. Day March
  Nashville's Annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day March usually begins at around noon on Monday at Jefferson Street and following the march there's also normally a MLK day convocation scheduled at Tennessee State University.
• Scaritt Bennett Center
  The Scaritt Bennett Center also offers their own Martin Luther events, every year that includes lectures and/or workshops all about Martin Luther King.
• Discovery Center
  On Monday, the Children's Museum at Discovery Center at Murfree Spring usually hosts a Free Admission day in honor of the life and achievements of Martin Luther King Jr. There's always plenty of special activities for the day
  
  Until next time, stay safe and God Bless.
  
  R. Robertson

Update: January 7, 2011

Good Afternoon:

It’s been some time since I last posted a note. I hope those reading this had a safe, and blessed holiday’s.

Have you clicked on the Tennessee Center for Policy Research logo at the top of our home page? It takes you to the articles about MJ’s selection as the “Number 1 Business Friendly City” in Tennessee. It’s an extraordinary honor to be selected as #1 from a pool of several hundred cities. Take a few minutes to read the articles and see why MJ came to the top.

Work progresses well on the North MJ Road widening project. The wooden utility poles are down; replaced by new metal ones paid for by the city. Drivers will see substantial work has been done on sidewalks and curbing on portions of the project. For the most part, all utility work has been complete, so the project is now focusing towards road widening.

Several new businesses have opened their doors in the last couple months: the Sonic near Publix #2; a Greek restaurant in the Valley Center, and Cheddars in the Paddock’s complex. By all accounts all are doing well.

CoC members and other business owners are encouraged to attend the Chamber’s next monthly luncheon, on Wednesday, 19 January, at the Rutland Place, starting at 11:15. Mayor Elam will be delivering the 2010 State of the City address, so it should be an interesting and educational presentation. For more details or to make a reservation, call the Chamber at 758-3478.

The Shelter needs your help. We’ve got 12 puppies looking for good homes. They’re a mix of Chow and Sheppard, making them absolutely adorable and friendly fur balls. If you didn’t get what you wanted for Christmas, here’s a chance to pick out your own personal friend and companion. Speaking of the Shelter, the year end stats are in, and thanks to our volunteers nearly 6,300 hours were donated last year. If we had to pay prevailing wages for their work hours, it would have cost us nearly $100k. Many thanks to this cadre of individuals whose call to duty is “Everything we do, we do for the Animals.”

Another interesting year end data point came up last week. We issued 367 new housing permits for 2010. Compare that to 217 for 2009. It’s easy to see why MJ is one of the state’s fastest growing cities.

On a final, personal note, all of us here at Team MJ, express our condolences and sorrow at the loss of Commissioner Jim Bradshaw’s daughter last month. Jim, our thoughts and prayers have been with you.

Until next time, take care and God Bless.

R. Robertson

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

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