Update: June 17, 2011

Good afternoon MJ:

Here's some items of interest and FYI:

1. Community Conversation: This Thursday (23 June), at 5:30, at the MJ High School, MJ will make history; come be a part of it. Through interactive technology, participants will answer questions about their vision of the city, what they think it should be, and the best way to proceed. The auditorium holds nearly 1100, but the first 600 will be issued devices allowing them to anonymously record their responses. They'll be some great prizes too including a $400 electronic starting mower from D.T. McCall's, a 32" color television, a handmade quilt from the Quilters Path, power tools and ceiling fans from H&H Suppy and Mayer's Electric, Corner Pub gift certificates and much more. Come talk with the MJ Board of Commissioners and County Mayor Hutto. We need every person coming to bring others. We want to especially invite our business owners and leaders and those who do most of their shopping in Mt. Juliet. See you there.

2. An MJ institution is leaving our city. Come wish Mrs. Mary Bacon, the long-time Chairman of the Board and President of the MJ Help Center, and her husband a fond bon-voyage as they leave for their new home in Arizona. Through Mary's diligence and persistence the Help Center grew to one of the most resourceful in Middle Tennessee. We want to wish Mary goodbye at a ceremony on Sunday, 26 June, from 3 to 5 p.m. at the Celebration Lutheran Church (at the corner of Woodridge Place and North Mt. Juliet Road).

3. Sales tax receipts for May came in this week, and we are about $20k higher than May of 2010. Even though this is great, we're starting to see a discernable slow down in the percentage of year-over-year growth in sales tax revenue. All the more reason to join us at the Community Conversation and to "Shop MJ First."

4. Looking for some great summer fun right here at home? Check out the Frisbee Golf Course at Mundy Park. It's open from dawn to dusk. If you don't have the disc you can rent them at the CD Rec Center. It's fun and cheap! Other upcoming Parks and Rec events include our 1 July Movie in the Park, The Goonies, the 4 July Firework Fest at Providence, starting at dusk, and the 23 July "Splash Day" with several water inflatable's, food and fun. As a reminder, the Charlie Daniels Gym will be close until 24 June due to resurfacing . . . it will be even better then.

5. Attention all cat lovers (and those who think they might want a feline friend). The MJ Animal Shelter has a deal for you - June is cat/ kitten month. The adoption fee is being picked up by the Volunteer Benefit Fund. Right now the Shelter has nearly 50 cats and kittens, so you'll get literally the "pick of the litter." Remember, the Shelter is always in need of volunteers. Whether you have a few hours each week or month. Even those who don't have a lot of time but can help in other ways. We need you! Call the MJ Animal Shelter at 773-5533 for more information.

6. Tired of fighting the traffic to get to work in Nashville? Financially pinched with the price of gas? Take the train. Last Friday (10 June), the Music City Star held 1455 riders . . . a record day. It's fast, easy and affordable. Tickets can be purchased at City Hall.

7. Got a gripe or concern about County services and want to be heard. The last Wednesday of every month, County Mayor Randall Hutto has office hours between 8:30 and 10:00 here in MJ City Hall. Accompanying him is the Wilson County Veterans Affairs Officer, J.C. Satterfield. If you’re a veteran or the family member of a vet, here's a chance to talk about benefits, educational issues, medical care, or any other veteran related matter. It's on a first come first serve basis, or call Rachael at 444-1383 for an appointment. The next MJ Office date will be Wednesday, 29 June.

Finally, congratulations goes out to Colonel Robert (Bobby) Hibbett of Mt. Juliet, on his pending retirement from the Tennessee Army National Guard. Not only has Bobby served our state and nation through the Guard, but he protects and serves daily as a Deputy District Attorney General for the 15th District. Well Done and thank you Sir. Hooah!

That's all for this week. See you at MJHS on Thursday, at 5:30. Take care and be safe.

R. Robertson

Update: 8/14/09

Greetings MJ:

I had the opportunity to ride in the locomotive of the Music City Star yesterday. Mr. Shannon Joyner, our Deputy Director for Public Works and I were invited to ride along and see how the Quiet Zone was working. Our train engineer for the day was Shawn, and he readily discussed the Quiet Zone and some of the concerns he’s seen since the whistle went silent along the Mt. Juliet portion of the tracks.

My primary reason for this blog is to encourage MJ residents with children to ensure their kids don’t walk or play along the tracks. Shawn told me of repeated instances where the horn is sounded because there are kids along the tracks, particularly in the Willoughby Station area. The Music City Star reaches 60 miles an hour . . . it takes an tremendous amount of time and distance to stop hundreds-of-thousands of pounds of steel moving at that speed. Kids mixed with railroad tracks is simply an invitation to an accident. If you see or know of children who hang out by the train tracks please take the appropriate action.

Congrats to our Parks & Rec crew in hosting last night’s “Bridal Gala” at the Charlie Daniels Rec Center. Ashley of “Bridal Elegance”, along with the MJ Parks and Rec staff totally transformed the gym into breathtaking mini convention center; with vendors catering too soon to be brides and grooms. The organizers told me the “Gala” was a great success and demonstrates the “out of the box” thinking the Mt. Juliet Recreation staff is doing to bring new, innovative programs to the community. Speaking of something different, I hope you can check out our first “Movie in the Park” effort. Tonight (Friday, 14 August) at dusk, we will have Madagascar II, Return to Africa, playing on the lawn at the Charlie Daniel Amphitheater. It promises to be a wonderful family oriented event. Bring your lawn chairs or a blanket. Finally, I hope to see you at our first ever MJ Community-wide Flea Market, on Saturday, 22 August, starting at 0700. Exotic items from around the world plus second-hand “steals” will all be on display in the parking lot of the CD Rec Center. If you haven’t secured your own booth it isn’t too late; just stop by the Rec Center and talk to one of the clerks. See you there.

Thanks to all of you who joined us Tuesday evening at the MJHS for a “Town Hall” meeting on the North MJ Road widening project. If you missed the session we’ve received a copy of the tape from the MJHS video broadcasting department and will be playing it back on Channel 3 most days next week. It’s a good way to keep current on what will be happening along North MJ Road over the next couple years.

Finally, we will be moving the MJ Sewer Department to its new home next week. Sewer billing and services will now be done out of the facility at 2365 N. Mt. Juliet Road, which is at the corner of East Caldwell and North MJ Road. This move allows us to link sewer billing services with our Finance Department; creating a one-stop budgeting synergy the city has never had before. It will take a couple days before we are up and fully operational, but once done we believe it will be far more convenient to our customers.

Take care and have a safe weekend.
R. Robertson

Update: 08/11/09

Good Afternoon MJ:

I want to extend this special invitation to all our citizens to join us tonight at 6:30, at the auditorium at Mt. Juliet High School, for a “Town Hall” meeting on the North Mt. Juliet Road (NMJR) widening project. It promises to be a unique opportunity to not only hear from City and State representatives but also officials from TDS, Piedmont Gas, MTEMC, West Wilson Utilities (water), and Comcast. We plan to open the floor to hear from you so come prepared with your questions. Whether a business owner along NMJR, a resident or just a commuter, this endeavor promises to be the largest and most challenging infrastructure initiative in our city’s history. We cordially invite you to be part solution. I hope to see you there.

Some good news. The state reports sales tax numbers about two months in arrears. We received our June figures and once again Mt. Juliet continues to exceed expectations. The city’s share for June 2009 was over $431k, a 12% gain from June 2008 with a reported $383k. We want to thank all our citizens for shopping Mt. Juliet first, and for the large and continually growing list of businesses that have their opens open to the public.

I visited the Animal Shelter today and want to share a great data point with readers of this blog. Despite the challenges facing other municipal and non-profit institutions the population numbers inside the MJ Animal Shelter are very, very low. That’s absolutely great news. Aside from a new born litter of kittens we had less than 30 pets in our control. Thanks to all of you who either have adopted an animal or who volunteer to make our shelter the best in Tennessee. Keep up the hard charge.

Speaking of great things inside the city; check out the first and only skate park in Wilson County, right here in Mt. Juliet at the Charlie Daniels Rec Center. Saturday’s ribbon cutting was flawless; the weather was great, there was a spectacular crowd, and the fellowship was phenomenal. What an auspicious beginning for our newest recreational program. If you were one of the hundreds at the park that day you also noted the tremendous progress being made on our new Rec Center expansion facility. The latest report is we might take possession in mid-to-late September. Speaking of the parks, we hope you are able to join us at Charlie Daniels Rec Center this Friday evening, at dusk (about 8:00 p.m.) for our first “Movies in the Park” showing. The feature presentation is Madagascar 2: Return to Africa. It promises to be a great evening; a free movie, great company and lots of refreshments. Our final note on Parks and Recreation is our first ever Mt. Juliet Super Flea Market, on Saturday, 20 August, Charlie Daniels Park, starting at 7:00 a.m. and running till about noon or later. Interested in getting rid of some of those household “treasures”. $20 will buy you a booth; basically the size of two parking spaces. Come on out and buy those one of a kind items, or simply make an offer the owner “can’t refuse”. There’s lot of new things going on inside the Mt. Juliet parks and Rec Department. Come be a part of it.

Well another school year started and despite the occasional local naysayer, the traffic flow to the HS worked great. A tip-of-the-hat to Principal Mel Brown and his staff for the great coordination they had with the MJPD. For those who haven’t been out there is the last couple weeks, the first let of the “Reverse L” is up and operational; significantly enhancing traffic headed to and from the high school. From the city side a personal thanks to Mr. Shannon (aka: Cajun) Joyner for his superb work on this project.

Finally, another plug for our emergency email alert system, Nixle. If you were haven’t signed up for Nixle yet I would strongly encourage you to do so. To check it out go to the city web page.

Until next time take care and talk with you later. Sincerely . . .

R. Robertson

Update: 7/29/09

Good Afternoon MJ:

Some items of interest to pass along:

Many of you know the city applied for a federal grant to supplement the force size of the MJPD. Basically, the COPS (Community Oriented Policing) grant, would have covered salaries of additional police for three years. Chief Garrett and his staff worked very hard collecting and analyzing data and developing a comprehensive grant application to submit for 8 officers. We learned yesterday that we were not selected. 168 cities and municipalities across Tennessee applied for the grant with only 19 selected. Of the 19, only one city, Nashville, was in middle Tennessee. The federal government applied an extremely complex scoring methodology to the decision process. The good news is while we didn’t rate a grant, MJ crime rates, a primary factor in the award process, continues to be one of the lowest in the region.

QUESTION: What do you get when you put close to 50 men and women in a room to talk about a building project?
ANSWER: The first full “pre construction” conference for the North Mt. Juliet Road (NMJR) widening project; the largest and certainly the most expensive infrastructure effort the city has ever undertaken. This morning representatives from TDOT, the Federal Highway Administration, West Wilson Utilities, Comcast, TDS, Piedmont Gas, the Mt. Juliet Sewer Department, MJ Public Works and Police Departments, Middle Tennessee Electric, and the Nashville Eastern Railroad packed City Hall for a round table planning discussion on this bold and exciting initiative. While most of the dialogue dealt with technical issues, there were several “takeaways” for the average resident and commuter.
First, the City will host a “Town Meeting” on Tuesday, 11 August, at 6:30, in Mt. Juliet High School auditorium. Representatives from all the utilities and the Tennessee Department of Transportation will be on hand to walk attendees through project plans, concerns and timelines. Whether you are a resident along the road, a daily or frequent commuter or simply interested in a project, this meeting outlines an initiative that promises to transform the face of Mt. Juliet. You’ll want to be there!
Second, we’ve spoken with the contractors and there is a high possibility of having a traffic light at the intersection of Charlie Daniels Parkway and NMJR installed early in the project. City leaders have pressed TDOT for a light at this intersection for years, but now, with the construction, there’s a good chance we can have a light installed in the next few months. I’ll provide more info on that issue as details unfold, but if it holds true what a welcome site for all of you who use Charlie Daniels Park during the football and cheerleading season!
Third, the tentative plan for the actual road widening is to start on the left side (western side) and then go to the right (eastern side). There will be lane closures so we’ve asked TDOT and the project manager to keep us up to date so we can use the web, Channel 3 and our new Nixle messaging system to post the latest info for you.
Fourth, as MTEMC replaces the poles along the route, the City will pay for upgrades to metal.
Fifth and last, 31 October 2011 is the estimated project completion date. Now remember, that’s an estimate and its over two years away. Lots can and will happen between now and then. It is a long and very complex project, but it is the price of progress.

A tip of the hat to WEMA and the MJPD for their magnificent performance this past Monday during the natural gas leak on NMJR. The men and women of both organizations were on-site within a matter of a minutes after a 4” line was breached. They quickly assessed the situation, established a perimeter, evacuated the area and established a safety buffer zone, and sustained essential emergency traffic and communications the entire time. While television helicopters buzzed overhead, these brave civil servants maintained their professional demeanor as well as control of a dynamically developing situation despite the sweltering heat and humidity. Topping things off there was a citizen who decided to try and take the traffic measures in his own hands, “crashing” the police barrier. It was all in a day’s work and demonstrated the great cooperation, teamwork and superb inter-agency training between the MJPD and WEMA. Well done ladies and gentlemen!

A short note on the Nixle messaging system mentioned above. Mr. Taylor, the City’s Director of Information Technology, recently rolled out Nixle for city “alert” messaging services. For simplicity Nixle is basically a “pushed” emergency message notification that can go via email, text or website. Nixle will not only be used for emergency's, but if you choose the option, you'll get community and traffic alerts as well. We were amazed how many people let us know during the gas leak/NMJR road closure that they had received an timely alert message. For more info or to sign up go to the city home page or check out the advertisement on Channel 3.

Finally, the Charlie Daniels Skate Board Park is about done. We plan to have a ribbon cutting on Saturday, 8 August, at 11:00 at Charlie Daniels Park. Come check out the newest and only skate board park in Wilson County. We’ve got a great program lined up and hope to see you there.

That’s about all for now. 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

Update: 6/21/09

Good Afternoon Mt. Juliet and Happy Father’s Day!

Today I have just a few short notes to share with you. Before I begin, many thanks to those of you who wrote or called me to express your condolences about the passing of our best friend, Blaze. It is absolutely amazing how much a pet can find its way into your heart, but hearing from so many of you let me know how common, yet special that can be. Darlene and I appreciate your thoughts and prayers.

Work progresses well on both the North Mt. Juliet Road widening project and the “Reverse L“ portion of the Eastern Connector. Chief Garrett tells me that he and the members of the MJPD are very pleased that despite the blasting that is taking place and the construction equipment along N MJ Road, drivers seems to be handling things well. Remember, this is likely to be a two year endeavor, so patience is a key. On that note we are looking for a late July or early August time to conduct another “Town Hall” meeting about the widening project. Watch Channel 3, the city web page, or our own local papers for specifics.

A special “tip of the hat” goes out to Reverend Jon Gray who recently took on the role of Volunteer Coordinator for the MJ Animal Shelter. If you haven’t visited the Animal Shelter you owe it to yourself to take a look. This is one of the newest facilities of its type in the region and is truly a professionally run operation under the leadership of Sergeant Keith Youmans and his dedicated staff. But it takes a lot more than a handful of paid staff to keep the Shelter open evenings and weekends and take care of the animals correctly; it takes lots and lots of volunteers. Jon plans to have the volunteers bring some of the pets to Providence Marketplace during the afternoon of 4 July; he and his folks are hoping for the state’s largest “adopt-a-thon” that day. Interested in helping? Call the Animal Shelter at 773-5533. Thanks Jon and all our Volunteers!

Speaking of the Fourth of July, a special thanks to another group of volunteers who have been working since 5 July 2008 to make the 2009 version a capstone event. If the weather holds I’ve heard forecasts of 30k to 35k participants and spectators around Providence Marketplace on the Fourth. On behalf of the Board of Commissioners and the staff I want to thank all of the volunteers who have spent hundreds of hours since last year preparing for our fireworks show. There are far too many to mention by name, and I might miss some, so I’ll simply say we truly appreciate all you have done. There is still plenty of time though it you would like to help. It take thousands and thousands of dollars to make Mt. Juliet’s largest event a success. I want to thank many of the merchants and private donors who have stepped up, but the Fourth of July Committee is still in dire need of additional contributions. If you are interested please contact Mr. Dennis Buchanan or Mr. Taylor Bates, at the Mt. Juliet Recreation and Parks Department, 758-6522.

This is a call to all clergy and church leaders in Mt. Juliet. On Thursday, 2 July, at 10:00, in the courtroom of the Mt. Juliet City Hall, we will be holding a special city update brief for leaders of all Mt. Juliet churches. These men and women touch and influence the fabric of our city. As community leaders they need to know what is going on inside the city . . . parks and recreation events, crime statistics, police activities, roads and infrastructure work, finances and economic development. This will be our first effort to bring this body together so if you are a minister, reverend, pastor, associate, lay leader, choir director, priest, etc., please make plans to join us. The point of contact is Ms. Sharon Bachelier at 754-2552. If you know someone who should be there bring them along as well. Sharon’s email address is: sbachelier@cityofmtjuliet.org

On a final note, I want to wish my alma mater a happy birthday. Last week was the 234th birthday of the United States Army . Every post, fort, forward operating base and patrol base containing America’s finest stopped for a few minutes on 14 June to commemorate this historic occasion. The tradition of service and professionalism of our great Army goes back to the inception of the Continental Army. Today’s soldiers . . . sons, daughters, husbands, and wife’s, from teens to their 60’s are among the best of their respective generations. They set the standard for valor, professionalism and integrity. No matter what the mission, our Army has always answered its county’s call. Darlene and I are proud to have been and will always be soldiers. Thanks and a hearty salute to the millions of others who have and continue to serve.

Take care and talk with you later.

R. Robertson

Update: 5/19/09

Good Morning MJ:


I hope this note find all those of you following my articles well. The other day I asked Mr. Taylor, the City’s IT Director, to give me an idea of how the “blog” is being received. I was pleasantly surprised to hear there are nearly 450 regular subscribers. I trust most of you are finding some value added in keeping up with city activities. As I understand there are subscribers in some of Darlene and my old hometown’s in Germany, Belgium and Kentucky. Greetings, Bon Jour and Guten tag to all of our friends. Things are challenging here, but the opportunities to make a positive difference are worth the effort.

Si je comprends bien il ya des abonnés dans certains de Darlene et ma ville natale de l'ancien en Allemagne, en Belgique et au Kentucky. Bonjour, Bon Jour et Guten tag à tous nos amis. Les choses sont difficiles ici, mais les possibilités de faire une différence positive valent l'effort.

Nach meinem Verständnis gibt es einige Teilnehmer in der Darlene und meine alte Heimatstadt in Deutschland, Belgien und Kentucky. Grüße, Bon Jour und Guten Tag an alle unsere Freunde. Die Dinge sind herausfordernd, aber die Chancen, einen positiven Unterschied sind die Mühe wert.

Now on to business. . .

Thanks to the nearly 50 people who joined us last night in City Hall to hear about the North Mt. Juliet Road (NMJR) widening project, and to the many who watched on Channel 3. From all indications the meeting was well received by all. As virtually every speaker noted, the NMJR widening project is possibly the most complex public works project the city has undertaken since its incorporation. The principle reason for the difficulties lie in what has defined us over the last few years . . . our unprecedented growth. The project will involve extensive coordination between all the utilities (i.e., water, sewer, electric, phone and cable, gas) as well as the Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT). With the proximity of homes and businesses along NMJR, and the volume of traffic that now travels this main corridor, ensuring this project successfully unfolds over the next 24 +/- months will take the utmost in diligence and oversight by all of those actively involved in the operational aspect of construction and extreme patience from those who travel and live along the road. I want to thank the reps from TDOT and all the utilities who made time last night to keep our citizens posted on this crucial project. We plan to periodically rerun the video on Channel 3 and anticipate another “Town Hall” in the next few months once TDOT has named the lead contractor.

Until next time take care Mt. Juliet. I’ll talk with you later.

Sincerely,

R. Robertson

Update: 5/15/09

Good Afternoon MJ:

Just a short opportunity to bring you up to speed on a momentous couple of weeks.

I hope you will join us Monday evening (18 May) at 6:30 for a “Town Hall” meeting on the North Mt. Juliet Road (NMJR) widening project. The meeting will be at City Hall and for those of you how can’t make it you can tune into Channel 3 for a live broadcast. Representatives from Middle Tennessee Electric, West Wilson Water, the Mt. Juliet Sewer Department, Piedmont Gas, and the Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) will be on hand to briefly walk guests through what promises to be one of the largest public works construction projects in recent years. Since the TDOT contract for the actual road widening has not been bided and let to a specific contractor, the meeting will focus on the utility aspects of the project. However, TDOT reps are prepared to hear the concerns of citizens, which are useful in developing and releasing the statement of work. As an added feature, if you can’t make the meeting, starting at 6:45 Monday evening you can call 773-6252 to raise any questions to the reps.

This week we also got the green light to start utility work on the “Reserve L” portion of the Eastern Connector. This long awaited project, which will take place in the Curd Road/MJ High School area is the third part of the eventual link between I-40 and Lebanon Road. Thanks to a special TDOT program approximately 50% of this multi-million dollar project will be underwritten by the state. Depending on the weather, projections to complete this project are about 8 to 10 months from now.

Sales tax receipt are up again for the month of March (last reporting period). While the rate of increase wasn’t as dramatic as in prior months it was still about $48k more than March of 08. Speaking of budgets I want to thank the City’s Finance Director, Mr. John Rossmaier, for a superb job in developing this year’s budget. John has over 30 years of budget experience in the commercial world but this was his first time developing a municipal budget. While we are early into the budget hearing process, through John’s adroit skills and professionalism the Commission’s concerns seems to be minimal.

Finally, I want to say thanks to Pastor Jon Gray and all the volunteers at the Mt. Juliet Animal Shelter. Our numbers are going up, but are our adoption rates. Thanks to Jon and a core group of dedicated volunteers, by every comment we would match our Shelter against any in the county. We have invited Jon to play a more active role in the Shelter and hope he is able to do so.

Till next time take care.

Sincerely,
R. Robertson

Update: 1/31/09

Hello MJ:

Greetings on this sunny Saturday afternoon. Here’s a few items of local interest to share.

By most all accounts feedback from last Thursday’s citizens forum on fire protection has been positive. I understand this issue is fraught with emotion for many; some thoroughly convinced we must have greater capability to prevent and react to fires within the City; while others concerned with how it will be paid for. Whatever the outcome; be it status quo, providing greater support to WEMA, or initiating action to start our own fire department, it will be a decision made by your Board of Commissioners (BOC). I urge those of you who have thoughts on this issue to contact your Commissioner or the Mayor. A listing of the BOC with their phone numbers can be found on the city’s home page. However, short of sustaining the current course, please know that whatever is decided will require extensive fiscal resources.

On another note, we had tremendous interest in the bids for the Charlie Daniels Skate Park. In addition to building the skate park we will be do some long overdue storm water abatement efforts in changing the contour of the land around the Rec Center. Along with that, we anticipate work to start on the Rec Center expansion project, courtesy of Panattoni Corporation, within the next few weeks. Visitors to the park will notice prep work has begun for the expansion, so be prepared for a little dust and disruption both inside and out of the Center itself. Visitors will also note a new pavilion has just been completed near the back of the park, significantly enhancing our capability to host picnics and other special events. Many thanks to Mr. Dennis Buchanan, Director of Parks and Recreation, and his great crew for all the work they’ve done to improve park and recreational opportunities for our community. And speaking of new recreational opportunities, we hope to see you at tonight’s “Open Mic” inside the gym, at 7 p.m. This is the first time the Parks staff has tried this kind of event, so we have high hopes it will be well received and attended.

I’ve had a number of questions regarding signage at the I-40/S. Mt. Juliet Road overpass. Please know that the Tennessee Department of Transportation (which is responsible for the road) has designed and is fabricating signs and connections for the poles that are now in place. I am advised this area receives a substantial amount of wind, and the previous signs TDOT installed were removed due to vibrations caused through wind shear. As I understand the new cable support system has springs and buffers that allow acceptable movement during windy periods. While on the subject of roads, like many of you, here in City Hall we await outcome of the President’s economic stimulus package since the widening of North Mt. Juliet Road (from Division St. to Lebanon Rd.) is the only “shovel ready” project TDOT has approved in Wilson County. I want to thank Mr. Shannon Joyner, Mt. Juliet’s Assistant Director of Public Works, and the team at Grisham, Smith Engineering who did a remarkable job this last year in keeping land use changes along this portion of the road posted with TDOT so the widening project would be ready once funding was secured.

For those of you who live or regularly drive along W. Division you’ve seen new delineators at the Greenhills/W. Division intersection. This is part of the required quiet zone equipment. From all accounts work progresses well on the QZ, and testing should start soon, with concurrent training of the railroad engineers. The Federal Railroad Administration requires a 21 day notice posted implementing a quiet zone, but we hope soon after that the horns will be quiet.

Finally, here’s another pitch for our new Animal Shelter. We have over 30 dogs and cats that all need good homes. We also have numerous volunteer opportunities at the Shelter. If you haven’t visited the Shelter yet, it is located at 115 Industrial Drive. On behalf of all our “guests” we extend a hearty welcome.

Take care and talk with you later.

R. Robertson