Board of Commissioners - Regular Meeting

Consider the following. On March 9th, 2026 at 6:15 at city hall. We have two items for consideration for the public hearing. I'll read these. The first is an is an ordinance amending the fiscal year 2025 2026 budget ordinance 2535 to appropriate funds for debris removals and disposal and bree debris monitoring services from the January ice storm. The second one is an ordinance to amend the fiscal year 2025 2026 budget ordinance 2025 2035 to accept grants from the state of Tennessee Department of Health and appropriate funds for the Mount Juliet Fire Department. If there's anyone in attendance who would like to make a comment on either of these two items here for the public hearing, I'd invite you forward to give your name and address for the record. Okay, seeing none, we will close the public hearing. We'll reconvene at 6:30 for our regular scheduled meeting. And with that, the board of commissioners will be we will step away and we're going to go into executive session for an update from our attorney

Good evening everyone. Welcome to the Mount Juliet Board of Commissioners. Today is March 9th and we have five of our elected officials here present. So I'll call this meeting to order. We do have a quorum as stated in city code 62210. So, our first item of business tonight is to set the agenda. And if you need an agenda, they're in the wire baskets by the doors that you're free to follow along with. And I would propose moving 9 G as in George, I as an igloo, J is in James, and K is in kite to consent. None. G, I, J, and K. Just wait for objection. Any objections? All right. Any objections to setting the agenda as published minus the four changes. All right. Hearing none, uh 9G, I, J, and K are move to consent. The next order is our invocation and pledge of allegiance. And we are one city manager low who normally does this. Do we have anybody? Commissioner Giles, would you like to lead us in the invocation and pledge?

Let us pray. Father, we're sure glad you're our father and you love us. We thank you, Lord, for an opportunity to come and and uh make decisions for the the city, Lord. and we pray that you give us guidance and direction on what we're supposed to vote for and what we're not and what we're supposed to say. Thank you, Lord, for the opportunity and be with us and be with our city. We're so fortunate to live in a city of like Mount Juliet. It's it's fantastic and we thank you for blessing this city and we ask for your blessings, Lord. And uh we don't want to be guilty of not asking because your word says if you do ask and if two agree agree on anything, it shall be done. So we ask Lord for your continual blessings on our city and on our people and on our comingings and goings Lord as your word says. So we receive these and thank you for it in Jesus name. Amen.

To the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands. One nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. I'm sorry. I didn't know I was supposed to are we. Thank you, Commissioner Giles. Our next item on the agenda is the approval of the minutes. We have two sets uh both from February 23rd. We have a set of minutes from the work session and from the regular meeting. Is there a motion? Is there a second?

All right. Any any changes, questions or comments? All in favor signify by saying I. Any opposed? Any abstensions? The minutes do pass. Next item is our citizen comments. This is our opportunity. If you're here and you'd like to address the board of commissioners, I'd ask you to come forward and give your name and address for the record. And you will be recognized for three minutes. Okay, seeing none, we'll close citizen comments. We'll move we'll move forward with commissioner reports and comments. Commissioner Giles, you're recognized, sir, for five minutes.

All right. Thank you. You know, uh we was talking about our blessings and stuff or I was in the prayer. Um, we're also blessed to have a new fire station and and and it was great to be able to go to that and see what we've been blessed with. I I appreciate the fire department, Mark, all that you and Joey and all the the uh employees in our city has voted for to uh bring that to fruition because it was truly spectacular on Friday. Um, so if you hadn't seen that fire department and you know about it, don't know about it, it's on 01 and dirt road and it's fire station three and uh uh so uh it it was it was great. And I also want to say uh I brought I said something about one of our dance studios last year because the owners of them had I had booked a concert I do once a month about eight or nine months a year. And so they had come and I realized that studio was in my district. So I had a shout out to them on u on the VOCC. Well, little did I know and pay a lot whole lot of attention. There's another dance studio which, you know, it's also in my district. So, maybe I should take some dance lessons, you know, and learn to dance. Uh, but there's there's a dance studio called Malle Academy and it's Jennifer's husband's nephew and um I don't know exactly how many did win but the reason I'm bringing this I went to this this contest type thing which was called um um intensity dance and it was the state and they call it Nashville but it was it was in Lebanon. and you know um and um so I went to see it and the reason is is because my oldest grandson is six years old and he plays baseball here in Mount Juliet. He plays flag football here in

Mount Juliet and he dances at this studio and they won the state and I don't know how many other won but there's really some some good things and this is just something else people may not know about Mount Juliet but these dance studios and uh you know we're we're here there's a lot of musicians here there's a lot of professional musicians here and just to see this type of thing it was it was really spectacular so I just wanted to give a shout out to Mallem do for what they're doing for our community as well. And mayor, that completes my comments. Thank you. Thank you, sir. Recognize Vice Mayor Trevette.

Thank you, Mayor. And uh thank you, Commissioner, for the prayers as well as the uh the flag and and also uh just bringing up the firehouse. I'll tell you, it was a great event, wasn't it? Um, thank you to all the men and women that were out there, especially our chief and deputy chief and um and all the projects, I guess the the builder from the from everything from start to finish. It was a beautiful building. Um, and compared to what uh what we had for those uh first responders to what they have now, it's like the Taj Mahal. Uh it's just it's very efficient. Uh if you are, I guess, a citizen that did not get a chance to make it out there, you missed out. and uh hopefully that they will open it back up to other citizens. I don't know how that works out, but uh but I think uh it's something that they can definitely arrange. It's just uh what an honor to have just another beautiful building that that our citizens are very um fortunate to have. And uh and you know, as we always talk about, uh this is where the money goes. You know, when you shop local, I mean, I know our city manager is going to talk about it. And I don't want to steal a thunder, but that's very important of uh you know the staff up here and then the you know our our departments make these uh um difficult decisions on where the money is spent and obviously this one's well needed. But uh for the folks that came out tonight, thank you for the folks that are in the audience as well as online. Um typically after these meetings, I'll get three or four phone calls um for either tonight or first thing tomorrow morning. So, thank you for the folks that are watching online and uh continue to uh ask us more questions about what's going on in our city. So, um also with the police um getting all these reports for the folks that are on social media. I'll tell you, our uh first responders are very proactive and um it's great to see some of the comments of our citizens that are very excited about seeing the first responders uh and our streets being cleaned up um from surrounding uh let's

just say communities that are coming to Mount Juliet. Um one more thing, just a reminder, spring break uh kicked off today for all the uh students in Wilson County. Uh so as you go off to work tomorrow morning, if you didn't notice, there was no school buses out there, but a lot more kids are playing in this beautiful day. Um we had a lot of kids around our pond here in our community, as well as just riding their bicycles. So for the family members that are coming home, heading into work, um please be careful, think about your surroundings, take your time, and uh be safe. Um I think I got some hacklers from the audience. Hopefully it was positive. Is that what I got there? Okay. Sorry. Okay. All right. Uh well, Mayor, that concludes my report. Thank you.

Thank you, sir. We'll recognize Commissioner Hefner for five minutes.

Thank you, Mayor. Appreciate everybody coming out uh as always and those watching online. Um echo and and ditto the comments made about fire station 3. I uh took a tour of it a couple of weeks ago and it's I walked out of there with just an overwhelming sense of pride. Um it was again once again like the police department. I mean, you didn't miss a single thing. I mean, you hit on every every aspect of what a a firehouse should act and and operate as down to the bathroom outside for uh for PD. I didn't realize that was an issue. Now, now it's been solved and fixed. So, so congratulations to to you uh Chief Folks and everybody that worked on that fire station. I'm very proud that it's uh in my district. So excited about that. So, good job. Um, also want to uh mention had a couple of birthdays. Uh, my wife Sheree Hefner March 4th and our city manager March 3rd, which March 3rd now has a different meaning to to many of us here, not just your birthday, but also the sixth anniversary of the tornado uh that swept through um Mount Juliet. So, um please be weather aware. It's that time of the year again. um make sure that your uh you got batteries, your flashlights are operational, all the things that you would need in the event of a of an emergency such as a tornado. So, um it is that time of the year. Um and then also to uh my thoughts and prayers going out to all the men and women of our armed forces, uh army, um air force, navy, marines, all the above, whoever is uh engaged in this uh Iran uh war. Um, thoughts and prayers are with you. I've got two cousins of my own that were just uh deployed called the one in the US Army and another one in the Air Force. So, thoughts and prayers uh are with them uh as they take on this uh very important battle overseas. And it's

not just overseas, too. Um you never know, things could be here domestic before you know it. So, keep an eye out, look around, see anything suspicious, report it. Um with that, that concludes my report. Thank you, sir. We'll recognize Commissioner Moretti.

All right. Uh just a reminder if you're doing the uh walk across Wilson to enter your time um your minutes for each day. I've got to get mine entered today. Uh also there is three elections this year in case you didn't know. It's uh there's a county primary which is May 5th. There's federal and state primary, county general August 6th, and then the November general and city elections, that's November 3rd. So, we have three this year. And for the May 5th county primary coming up, if you haven't vote uh registered to vote, please do so. Your uh the last day to register to vote in that election is April 6th because early voting starts at uh April 15th. And um a lot of people don't vote in primaries and I think that's unfortunate because that's really where the battle is is in our own counties, our own backyards. So please get registered to vote. And the last thing about the new fire station ribbon cutting, it it was amazing. It truly was, but I want to tell you something funny that happened and I probably shouldn't, but I think it's funny. Uh so I don't care. So, it was either chief folks or the architect, I can't remember which, who said they actually had a fire in the kitchen at the new station. And so, um, I was standing off to the side and there were some firefighters there. And I said, "So, y'all had a fire?" And he said, "Well, when you go in the kitchen, um, look straight up." So, when we got to do the tour, I was going in there and I'm looking up at the ceiling and I don't see a burn spot. I'm just looking for a burn spot. And so, uh, I had to ask somebody, one of the rehab 23 guys there, I said, "Do you see a burn spot?" He said, "No." What they did before they put the the wood up over the middle

part, I don't know what y'all call that. Um, they torched the wood to give it an effect and then painted it so it kind of has this burn effect. So, that's what they were talking about. It was a joke and I fell for it, but I thought it was kind of funny. But it was a very, very cool effect in there. I thought it was really awesome. So, congratulations on your new station. That's all I have.

Thank you, ma'am. I just want to take a moment. We have We have some scouts here from Troop 3125. Would you mind standing up? They're here for the citizenship in the community and communications badges. Is that right? Does anybody have a speech ready to go? I'm just messing with you. But thank you for being here tonight. And of course, I think it's it's been said many times, the fire the new fire station, but you know, it it's been a long journey from the Hill Street station that that served the city for so long. Long before the city had a had a fire department through WEMA, then it was a combination st station with WEMA and the city then a city station and we used to always joke that that thing would be around forever and there's nothing taking it away other than us at this point. But the city's long outgrowing that station and I can't I'm very proud of this community and what we've been able to accomplish over just a short period of time with the fire department. and I'm very excited and very happy for their new home on that. And Mr. Martin, sir, you are recognized for your comments.

Thank you, mayor, vice mayor, commissioners, and um want to thank each of you. I'm I'm gonna embarrass them a little bit because I think this is pretty cool and and welcome everybody here tonight and those watching from home. But I gave them a little momento if they'll hold it up so y'all can see it. Y'all see that? And we tried to have those ready on Friday, but those are donated by Lowe's, but we put a little artsy work paint and some decals on it and got them inscribed with their names on them. That's a that's a token from us and the city and the citizens to the elected body because without you, we wouldn't have built three brand new fire stations in the last 13 years and a brand new police department, new fire station in the last year. So that's to commend each of you for making that happen. It doesn't come easy. It doesn't come without the support of the community and people spending our community which takes the entire team of people want to come here and patronize our community. So I encourage people to keep doing that. Uh and I hope that you begin to bask in the things that you're doing as an elected body and especially as a staff because when you reflect upon it back upon your career uh for example that you know I meet every day and some of you meet with different things and folks that want to come here and invest in our community. They're doing that because everybody's laid such a good foundation that people want to be here and hopefully we'll see a lot more of that in the future. So, that's just a small token to say thank you from us for what you do for us every day. And uh happy birthday to my fifth back there in the back. We always uh wish each other happy birthday the day before and this and so happy birthday to you. And uh always shop local, but uh I want to give a um thoughts and prayers to a dear friend of ours. Um, and I want to thank Deputy Chief Mullins for going with me to the uh uh church this past Friday to visit with Miss Quiner, a local resident here in Mount Dw. Many of you familiar with her. She's very involved in the community and her husband Henry. They live on York Road. Uh he's a Vietnam veteran. He served four years there and unfortunately we lost him recently. So for those who are able to go to service, thank you. If not, we went and and and

expressed your thoughts and prayers on behalf, but uh we're praying for Miss Weiner and the family and we'll miss Mr. Henry Weiner and good man. He got sick in January and it was rather quick and uh we're going to miss him dearly. Good dear friend. Uh used to have lunches with him and if you've ever seen his military collection, it's absolutely unbelievable. And there's not probably a better patriot around. True true patriot. So, I just felt like that uh let you know that we gave them your thoughts and prayers and the city turned out well to respect him in his life. He was 84 years old and heck of a man. So, that concludes my report, mayor, and God bless y'all.

Thank Thank you, Mr. Martin. And I appreciate you mentioning um Mr. Queener and and of course, all of our thoughts are with Mrs. Queener and the family. I know that they they've still got children that live here in the community as well. So, with that, we'll move into the consent agenda. I'll read these. Uh we have 8A, an ordinance amending the fiscal year 2025 2026 budget ordinance 202535 to appropriate funds for debris removals and debris monitoring service from the January ice storm. Then we have 8B, an ordinance to amend the fiscal year 2025 2026 budget ordinance 202535 to accept funds from the state of Tennessee Department of Health and appropriate the funds for the Mount Juliet Fire Department. 9G which is an ordinance to amend the preliminary master development plan for the Golden Bear Place planned unit development ordinance 2024 04 located at map 78 parcel 17.01 01 in the city of Mount Juliet 9 I which is an ordinance to amend the fiscal year 2025 2026 budget ordinance 202535 to transfer funds from the police department's personnel budget to the operate operating budget 9J a resolution to approve a memorandum of understanding with the mental health cooperative and 9K a resolution declaring the city of Mount Juliet parks department property as surplus to be disposed of at gov deals auction. Is there a motion? Motion. Motion to second. All in favor of the consent agenda, please signify by saying I.

Any opposed? Consent agenda does pass. Next item is 9A, an ordinance to adopt a fee schedule for the Mount Juliet Parks Department and to amend the city of Mount Juliet's code of ordinances chapter 24 regarding parks fees. Motion second. Motion second. Any questions or comments on 9A? All in favor, please signify by saying I.

Any opposed? Any abstensions? 9A passes. 9B, which is an ordinance to adopt the fee schedule for the Mount Juliet Fire Department and to amend the City of Mount Juliet's code of ordinances, chapter 12, article one, regarding fire related fees. Have a motion and second. Any questions or comments on 9B? All in favor, please signify by saying I. Any opposed? Any abstensions? 9B passes on first reading. 9C, which is an ordinance to adopt a fee schedule for the mount for the planning department and to amend the city of Mullet code of ordinances, chapter 26, article 6, section 26,47 regarding fees. Second.

I have a motion to second. Any questions or comments? All in favor, please signify by saying I. Any opposed? Any abstensions? 9 C passes on first reading. 9D, an ordinance to adopt a fee schedule for the building codes department and to amend the city of Mount Juliet code of ordinances, chapter 8, article 3, section 859, regarding fees. A motion and second. Any questions or comments? All in favor, please signify by saying I.

Any opposed? Any abstensions? 9D passes on first reading. 9E, an ordinance to amend the city of Mount Julie code of ordinances, chapter 2, article six, to establish reasonable court cost, litigation tax, and an ecitation fee. A motion second. Any questions or comments on 9E? All in favor of 9E, please signify by saying I. I. Any opposed? Any extensions? 9E passes on first reading. 9F, an ordinance to amend the city of Mountula's code of ordinances, chapter 28 to adopt street, excuse me, state traffic offenses and rules of the road and to repeal section 2866 regarding reckless and careless driving.

Motion have motion second. Any questions or comments on 9F? All in favor of 9F, please signify by saying I. Any opposed? Any abstensions? 9F does pass. The next item is 9H, an ordinance to amend the fiscal year 2025 2026 budget ordinance 202535 to appropriate funds for a cost of living adjustment for city employees. Have a motion and second. Uh we have two sponsors on this. Commissioner Mi Commissioner Giles, will you like the floor?

Commissioner Mlei recognized. Okay. So, this was on last month's agenda and um it didn't unfortunately didn't get a second. So, uh I want to thank Commissioner Giles for uh helping to bring it back for a vote. Um the our city employees didn't get their cola during last budget because our budget was so tight and then we agreed to visit visit it again during midy year which we just had the work session on the midyear budget and our financial director uh felt okay about moving ahead with the 2% and um so anyway it's back on tonight's agenda And so that's up for a vote. Anything you want to say?

You know what what really touches me too is that I've had one or two of the employees, the head, I guess department heads say that, you know, because insurance went up, which obviously I'm an insurance and we know we know what it's going what's doing right now. and the employees are bringing less than home than they did last year. So that it it bothers me. So Commissioner Hefner,

um Mr. Martin, what were there some updates that you wanted to share with us from the time we had the workshop? Some some changes that that you're Could you cover those? What we Mr. Martin, you're recognized. Oh, sorry. Sorry, Mayor.

Absolutely. Yeah, I mean, we we understood the difficulties the last two budgets cycles and we understand when the commission had to make some decisions had to make, but we feel like we've since that time, since the budget passed, everybody here, every department head has worked hard to try to cut costs where they could, have savings where they could. I mean, Matt in particular is always reaching out for the grants. Uh other things that we've done is for example is um we'll be getting a pavilion built at no cost to the city for the veterans park. That's a pretty substantial donation and also our city chambers of old police department. Uh I found a sponsor for that. So we'll be getting that done minus the IT equipment at no cost to the city. And then we've purposely delayed bringing on some personnel for some openings. And I got to commend the particular apartment heads because they went without these employees for an extended period of time and hunkered down and pulled up their bootstraps. I think as Commissioner Mley said today to make ends meet so we could build a bit of surplus and every employee nobody's, you know, bemooned about it or or groaned about it. They've stepped up. They understood the situation we're in and they've been a part of, I guess you say, producing a solution to the issues that we were in. And of course, we feel like everybody here feels like they're um desiring and and deserving of of the cola. I hope that was what you were wanting me to explain to, but Commission after Thank you. No, thank you for for pointing that out because that is important um to mention that you are making some cost savings efforts to help offset if this were to pass. Um the only other thing I wanted to add, you know, cola's cost of living increases are usually based on previous year CPI um consumer price index. Um but unfortunately the times that we're living in today um this is prior and this was prior to the Iraqi the Iran war conflict. Um

everything is going up. Um gas is going up. Anything that has anything to do with oil is going up. Um so I do sympathize uh with our employees uh will be supporting this going forward. So, vice mayor.

Yeah, thank you, Mayor. You know, there's one thing, you know, just for the citizens and uh you know, that did talk about this over the last meeting. You know, uh this commission had asked uh our finance director some questions that she didn't get all the numbers in. So, you know, you know, it's it's important for this commission also to be able to know the data that we have, right? you know, uh, so when we start looking at numbers, um, it's important to make sure that, you know, that we are looking at every penny spent, you know, because it is taxpaying dollars. Last thing we want to do is is vote on something that's not going to be financially set, whether if it is cost of living or or or uh surplusing vehicles or anything else like that. So, it's u it's important for this commission again to, you know, to, you know, take the citizens money and um and be, you know, very uh uh fruitful with it. So I am glad the commissioners brought it back tonight and thank you Miss Dana for u you know for giving all the numbers that I've reached out to you over the last week and a half as well as each department. Um it is important to go ahead and make sure that you know that we don't have any u fluff in the budget you know is what I like to call it because sometimes it's uh harder to come back with a commission to be able to ask for more money later on when there's things that we cannot uh predict. So, um I I've said it in the past, I'll say it again. You know, it's a lot easier to, you know, to make sure that, you know, that budget is very tight, um and it's accurate and then if we have to come back and ask for amendment or ask for additional fundings, um that, you know, it's a lot easier to come back to the commission and be able to explain those situations. So, uh thank you commissioners for bringing this back. That's

Thank you, sir. I'll just add, you know, we we had a we had a very tight budget this this last time around and you know, one thing you hate to do is not be able to provide a just this the simple adjustment to the employees. And the employees have have have pressed forward without one for six months. And I've not just just to speak to our employees, I've not heard one complaint. I've not I think everybody understands the situation we've in. I should say I haven't heard one complaint about from current employees, but I think everybody understands the situation. I I appreciate everybody that's worked so hard and diligently with us through this process. So, I'm grateful that this is back on the table tonight. We ready to vote? Commissioner Ley,

just one more thing. I don't I just want to tell everybody this is not an increase for this BC. It's for city staff. Okay? So, we get no benefit from that. So, that's all. That's not what Facebook said. Yeah. Really? All right. Mr. Martin.

Yeah. Just real quick, thank you. Thank you all for, Like I said, the mayor's right. Nobody's complained whatsoever. We understood. They understood. Uh, but they've worked extremely hard. They're good people. You know, I feel like we've got the best team that there is. and uh got the best city that there is. So, thank you so much on behalf of the staff. I understand it's first reading, but thank you. All right. All right. All in favor, please signify by saying I. I. Any opposed? Any abstensions? All right. Now, we've reached the uh item number 10 on the agenda, which is adjournment. Any objections to adjournment? Hearing none, we're adjourned.