Board of Commissioners - Regular Meeting

Welcome to the Mount Juliet Board of Commissioners. It is August the 11th. I'll call the meeting to order. We do have a quorum present pursuant to city code 62210. So, we'll proceed with the conducting of the the meeting. Our first item on their agenda is the actual setting of the agenda. So, at the request of the sponsor, we will be removing item number nine from there, which was an appointment. But other than that, are there any objections to setting the agenda as published minus item number nine? Hearing none, we'll hearing no objections, we'll set the agenda as published without the appointment. And with that, we will move to the next item, which is the invocation and pledge of allegiance. I'd recognize our city manager, Mr. Kenny Martin, if you would lead us in the invocation and pledge, please. Everybody bow your head with me, please. Heavenly Father, in our hearts, we plan our course, but we pray that you establish our steps. I pray that we seek your for advice. Let us not make decisions based upon what we know, but let us act based upon your wisdom. Please guide us, Lord. We place this meat in your hands. We place our hearts and our minds in your hands so that you may direct us. Jesus Christ's name we pray. Amen. Pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America to the republic for which it stands. One nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. [Music]

Thank you, sir. Next item is the approval of the minutes from our last meeting, which was July 28th. Is there any Is there a motion? Motion. A motion. Second. Any questions or comments? All in favor of the minutes, please signify by saying I. I. Any opposed? Any abstensions? Minutes do pass. Next item is citizen comments. If you'd like to address the board of commissioners, I'd invite you to to come forward to the podium. Give your name and address for the record and you'll be recognized for three minutes. All right, seeing none, we'll close citizen comments and we'll move to commissioner comments and reports. That'll recognize Commissioner Jiles for his comments and report.

Thank you, Mayor. Um, condolences to some of the the families in uh pro uh parish um subdivision which is in my district and uh so u just uh have some prayers please for for them in in this situation. I also wanted to uh say congratulations to Lieutenant Brockman and Ronin, Lieutenant Ronin for graduating from the intensive nationally recognized Northwestern University Center for Public Safety's School of Police Staff and Control, excuse me, command. This is really a prestigious school. My oldest son went through it and not very long after that he was promoted to captain in uh Metro Nashville. So, uh, thank y'all for putting these people through. It's really, really, really good. It's great. And then last but not least, I want to mention, if you'll look on the screen, we have our annual um BPAC sponsored greenway walk. It's this Thursday at 6 PM. And this time, we're going to um uh showcase the the greenway that's on Golden Bear. And a lot of people just don't even realize it's there. This is a 2.75 mile uh walk and we're looking forward to it. We've got I've got had a lot of people tell me they're coming. Um and so it's at six o'clock this Thursday. Please be there and uh it's a family-friendly event and we look forward to seeing you mayor. That concludes my comments. Thank you.

Thank you, sir. We'll recognize Vice Mayor Trevette for five minutes. Your comments, sir.

Awesome. Thank you, Mayor. And thank you for the folks that came out tonight as well as the folks that are online. I just make it short tonight. Um, first of all, uh, great job to the traffic control team at Mount Juliet PD for helping out, uh, our students, uh, get into all the different schools, uh, as as we kicked off. I heard, uh, great accolades, uh, from them. Um, obviously, I was out and about, seeing some of the traffic, and I know it's great to see our students coming back, but it was so smooth with all the different officers being out there being proactive. So, thank you, and thank you, city manager, for supporting that. Um, also just want to remind, you know, for the folks that are listening tonight and that's also in the room, just continue to uh think about safety when it comes to these students. Um, this past week I even reached out to some of our uh uh supervisors, our our chief and deputy chief when it came down to uh just contractors as well as just folks bypassing these school buses. So, please be alert and if you see something, say something, you can always call uh our non-emergency and report these uh people that are bypassing those uh those big yellow buses. Uh last thing is this is our first year uh without the construction for the roundabout over there in Willoughby and Hickory Hills. And I want to tell you guys thank you to the public works. Uh it's great. Uh as you guys all remember social media, everybody thought, you know, the roundabout wouldn't work. It wasn't good and and now all of a sudden all the haters have all disappeared and I think now they've all loved the new additional turns and all that. So now I'm looking forward to the next phase, which is getting that down to Mount Juliet Elementary, that extra turning lane. So no pressure on you guys. I know that's the next phase, but I am looking forward to uh you know, keeping our residents happy. And that roundabout's done a great job. I think I'd love to see if there's been any accidents. I don't think we've had any accidents over there in the last year since it's been completed officially, but uh it's just been great. And I just want to give a shout out to you guys because this is the the kickoff. So, every time we improve the roads and we make things more streamlined for our our residents

and students getting to school, it's just great. So, thank you gentlemen and the rest of your team. Mayor, that concludes my report. Thank you, Sarah. We'll recognize Commissioner Hefner for his comments and reports. Thank you, Mayor. I'm going to be really short. Uh, appreciate everybody coming out and those watching online. Um, I just want to say congratulations, Kenny. 35 years with the city of Mount Juliet. Uh, I want to be the first to publicly thank you for your 35 years of service. So, I know we've got something coming up um this week. So, um looking forward to uh looking forward to that. So, thank you for all your work, hard work, and efforts. So, appreciate you. Thank you. That's it.

Oh, appreciate it. I'll recognize myself for my comments at this point. So, uh, I'll do it from here. I do want to say happy Lin Jagger Day in the city of Mount Juliet by a proclamation of the mayor. We have designated today as Lin Jagger Day who has been served as president of rehab 23 for now for 12 years. He's also served on the 911 board. Uh he serves on the industrial development board. So a busy man. But if you could, I'd like to ask uh Commissioner Hefner to join me up here. There's always hesitancy. I get to I get to do something, but at the same time, uh I won't be able to attend and and recognize Mr. Martin on Wednesday had prior arrangements, but um there's also someone else to be recognized just got five years of service and that's Commissioner Hefner. So want to press I want to Is there anybody can grab a picture? Justin is

ah there we go. Thank you. sir.

And there's there's one other that has been mentioned tonight, but as I was going through and signing all these things, you know, there's some five-year ones, and I can relate to five, and there's 10, and there's 15, and then you get over there, and you're like 20. I'm doing the math and I'm like I'd have to work till I'm almost 70 years old because I just got a new job, you know, during the day. Um like I almost worked 70 years old to work for 20 years and then 25 years and then it's like 30s people worked here for 30. I mean we had a lot of people that have served the city for a while but we have one and this was the highest number and it's been alluded to already celebrating 35 years of service. Our city manager Mr. Kenny Martin there. thought [Applause] pretty good for guys four years old.

Yeah, obviously started here when he was just a wee little lad. And with that, I'll close my comments and recognize our city manager for his.

Thank you, mayor, vice mayor, commissioners. Appreciate it. It's been an honor and um blessing. I'm very thankful for the opportunity and thankful to serve alongside everybody and and all the employees that work here and the ones that have been here a long long time. There's lots of them out there. I think it speaks volumes about this city and the support this elected body and community has for it. So, thank you very much. My comments, mayor, real simple. Thank you. Um, shop local as always. We talk about that all the time about especially with our mom and pop businesses, but all of our businesses is so vitally important with the needs that you see and the wonderful things that all these departments do that you can't really mention in a meeting and even in some videos that we shoot and put out to the public because with so much good news coming daily. A lot of those things get get lost and y'all don't get to bask in it that often. Like we were thinking about the grant that we got here recently because the public works working so hard, you know, $25 million of the city working hard to get these plans out there. I know how hard y'all work and it doesn't always get noticed. Um, but I really appreciate that because I know how many other cities probably would love to be in in in our position. Another thing I'd like to say, I appreciate everybody's patience. If you notice the last week or so, there's been a utility company that's been out in the rideways during the day in particular doing some work on the utility pose. I don't know if that's electric company or somebody else, but those things are important. Appreciate everybody's patience. We hadn't had a lot of calls about that, but everybody's been great about that. The other thing is with some of the local BLA blasting that's been going on our community. I know this commission stepped up and tried to enhance those rules, but unfortunately weren't able to enhance them to the level the city wanted to. So, we have to follow what the state guidelines are. Uh we've been communicating with the residents that do call us. Oftentimes, we fill those blasts from here at city hall with the Romans and things that nature. So, we're communicating with the state and with the individual residents. And most of the ones I've talked to wanted to say, "Thank you for your your your passion and your compassion for them and what they're dealing with." then we're taking good care of them. And then um again just reiterate, please please please shop locally and thanks

the staff for everything that they do. And that concludes my report. Mayor, thank you sir. With that we'll move into the business and we'll start off with 8A. An ordinance to reszone the property located at 8790 Sundersville Road approximately 1acre map 32H group A parcel 9 from RS40 to RS30. Have a motion and a second. Any questions or comments? All in favor, please signify by saying I.

Any opposed? Any abstensions? 8A does pass by vote of 40. The next item is 8B. and orders to reszone approximately 48 acres of property at 2190 North Mount Juliet Road, map 721, Group C, parcel 11 from CTC to CNS PUD, and to adopt the plinary master development plan for 2190 North Mount Juliet Convenience Store. Motion a motion and a second. Um 8B is on the table if anybody would like to be recognized. Uh, m Commissioner Heer,

maybe Commissioner Giles, U. I see came over from the planning commission with a negative recommendation. What were some of the what was the issues or concerns or John? Do you remember? Do you remember? Is it predate? It's been a while. Oh, it's been a while. Okay. Been a while. I was probably on there. That's a good point. I don't remember it. Okay. Yeah, it's been a while. Okay. All right. No, I was just curious. Could have been one that I missed. Take a stab at it, John.

All right. Sure thing. Um, yeah, planning commission gave a negative recommendation. There was a couple issues. Uh, first of all, is lot coverage with a larger building and impervious surfaces. They're actually asking for a waiver now. I think it's 10% additional. Um, they had uh parking, you know, it's right next to the railroad right away and they had parking, some of their parking encroached into that right away. This plan removes that. Um, what else was there? Just things like landscaping. It's a it's a small little site. So, we had uh things like the landscaping setbacks aren't going to be met because of the small site. like the canopy is not 30 ft from the road like it should be. It's not going to be um planning commission. It's a putt because of these waiverss. That's why it's coming coming here for the reszone and getting the putt overlay. And the another main reason for the putt overlay is there's three pumps, six cars, two-sided and okay CNS zoning. They're allowed two pumps. So, they're going with the putt overlay because you all can grant additional pumps via a pud. Um, but yeah, a lot coverage, just a lot of little areas in which the code wasn't met. Correct.

But mo mostly because of the site and all that. But I got to say, you know, this uh you know, it would be an improvement. Correct. And uh yeah, you know, this re this revised plan here uh does address some of the Did he did he take out the um the restaurant or he's going to have some? No, the building's still the same same foot. That has not changed. And the appearance of the building's the same. It's masonry. And how many how many parking lots was he short? Oh. Uh so I believe they have 11. They need 24 and I think they've got 11 or so. They're requesting a variance for 15.

Okay. Yeah, I could look it. It's right in front of me. I'm just going off memory, but um that's one of the variances that or one of the things they're asking for is that the parking or that the pumps, you know, when you pull up through a pump that that count for parking. So there I mean there were 24 is what's required by code. They're getting 15 with the six spaces underneath the canopy, which our code doesn't necessarily it does not that doesn't count via our code towards parking, but and there's currently only two pumps there. Yeah. Yeah. Well, well, they don't I know they don't I don't really debatable that I've never seen any pump gas. Yeah.

Um but yeah, those are the ch that's basically a summary of what the challenges here are. So, what's been addressed since it went to planning commission. We got a a sidewalk connection to the rightway. We've got the waivers a little more sused out, cleaned up. So, you know, there more reasons might make more sense to, you know, clearer to ask here. Um, we've got the parking outside of the rail right away now. Um, you know, some circulation changes, things like that. Couple they picked up a couple extra spot parking spot. Well, with the parking is a yeah, parking is a big problem anyway. But yeah, that's those are some of the struggles with this one, but as we know, it's been a maintenance issue with the existing facility out there for quite some time.

It's a major eyesore. Yeah. and they've, you know, they've worked with us pretty well on cleaning up what's out there, but um, you know, this would certainly be an improvement. Okay. Appreciate it. Thank you.

So, this is a nowhere to go but up type of scenario. Uh, it nicely. I I got just kind of a start off with a somewhat petty thing, but to me, but I know on on the under planning under number 27, it's got a it's got an item that says consider. I don't know if I've ever seen a consider in there. Maybe it's maybe I've just missed it. Consider decreasing the size of the building to eliminate the fuel or eliminate the fuel pump to eliminate the parking and construction. So, it's just no, that's not typical. Consider I think was used there because they have some options. They need to figure out what one they need to wanted to go with, I think, is what we were trying to

Okay. How about But I agree that's not something that I would normally Yeah. Well, I got one under uh the architectural one. Consider spelling the city name correctly. Oh yeah. Darn that language. M O N T strikes again. Oh, my bad.

Vice Mayor. Yeah. Uh well, first of all, um I appreciate staff actually getting an opportunity to sit down with the uh owner and developer uh back in June. Um and and just so the commission uh knows that they had actually gone through the the rightway, the in-n-out uh the setbacks, the black top and u and concrete sidewalks, um the sitting area, uh the two park benches, the bike racks, the metal roof, all brick fencing around the back, parking, um uh and then the parking, you know, obviously on on the sides. And then of course um you know the design of what we currently have within the city. They're really going out of their way to make sure that the um I guess the new design is going to mirror with what the you know the downtown vibe is going to be looking like as it continues to grow. Uh so I just appreciate those folks. Um and yes it is kind of and you know it's an old building so I don't call it an eyesore. I just call it a good uh good landmark for all of us to see. Like the mayor said we're all going to go up from here. So, I'm excited about this project as well as uh you know, the owner. He's taken on a big gamble uh to try and really uh work with the city and and uh get this area, I guess, more modernized is what I'd like to call it. So, um but mayor, thanks. So, that's all I got.

Hey, John. Question on here. Um looking at the staff report, there's request for six variances. Am I see any in the ordinance? Have they been recaptured in a way that they're they're worded a little differently? Because I was looking for um like the 70% max, 80% max that staff supports. I know sometimes you may not automatically include the ones you don't support in here, but there's two that are supported. Um are we are we good on these? Are they checked or There's a new list on here.

It would be and I that's another thing too on here we got to codify. They've left they've missed a few like for instance the six the six handles three pumps it's not listed on this BOC submitt here from them. So if you want we'd be going what's Yeah. If it's not capt if it's not a no in the staff report. I mean that was for planning commission though. So they gave a ne negative recommendation didn't so you don't update anything.

Yeah. So they didn't recommend positively on anything. But I mean, this one would be the waiverss on the uh on the cover sheet. There is what they're asking for plus the it's not listed there, but they need the one for the extra pump. I should have brought my glasses. All right, I'm all right. I see the waiverss here. to reduce the number of parking styles requested from 24 to 16 including the parking at the pump. Um the second one reduce the front to back requires required from 30 to 23 for the fuel canopy. The existing fuel canopy is approximately 4 ft from the property line. The third to reduce the street landscaping to the area shown on the plan. Uh the fourth to increase the maximum imperial surfaces ratio allowed from 70% to 80 and six to allow the development to use a building material facade that is not masonary. It is not masonary brick on the north and south end of the fuel canopy. I don't I guess the only one that I really got is the imperable surfaces from 70 to 80 on that's just number four. So I'm going to make I'm going to make just a motion to adopt one two three. Well they

it's misnumbered. It's okay. I see a one, two, three, and six. So, I'll make a motion to adopt one, two, three, and the fifth one that's numbered six. But, I got a second. Any questions or comments on these? All right. All in favor of the ordinance to adopt these four variances, please signify by saying I.

Any opposed? Any abstensions? All right. So, that's adopted. We're only ordinances once amended. Just a question. I I guess this is going to impact storm water utilities with the All good. No concerns. That was quite the maneuver there. Shane Shamer, director of engineering. Considering the site is I don't I'm going to use the word 98% impervious. So this is a nowhere to go but up scenario as well.

There's nothing to change. It's already a sea of asphalt or concrete and it's going back in as a sea of asphalt and concrete. So I believe the ISP is more of a planning number just to meet code. Yeah, just to meet code or to meet the waiver. All right. Well, I'll make a motion to adopt number four as well. Second. Any questions or comments on four? All right. All in favor of adoption of number item number four, please signify by saying I. Any opposed? Any abstensions? That's adopted. We're on the ordinance. It's twice amended. John, you look like you have something to add.

We'll need to read the uh three or three pumps, six handles into as a waiver, too. That's not on here, but they need it for this to be for them to build it this way. Or there'll be a pump short. Or there'll be a pump short. Yeah. Just uh you know, not saying I want it. I'm just reminding you. Well, maybe they didn't want it. Keeps coming back that way.

I I'm going to guess it's it's drawn on here. Yeah, it is. C2.

Wow, that's a that's a lot. Yeah, you can see from the canopies got the three stacks I'll second that. That's motion toclude six cars. Yeah. Yeah. So the way it reads in staff report is three pumps in le of the t in lie of two maximum permitted in CNS zoning. So good

Mr. Martin mayor this this may help and John and I were talking about for memory sake I think what it used to be is two pumps which is there now that they quit utilizing but there one one handle pumps and there used to be a diesel pump I think that was just south of that along the tree line that absuts the other building. So I guess the difference is that pump would go away and instead of a diesel pump, it'd be an additional gas pump with double handle if that makes sense. Okay. Are any questions or comments on the pumps? All in favor of the variance to allow the three pumps in le of the two maximum permitted in CNS zoning, please signify by saying I.

Any opposition or any abstensions? That passes. The ordinance is now amended three times. Any other questions or comments? All in favor of 8B as amended three times, please signify by saying I. Any opposed? Any abstensions? That does pass on first reading. I believe that'll bring this back for the first meeting in September. Thank you all. Next item is 8 C. A resolution supporting application for the state of Tennessee 2026 statewide partnership program SP. Second.

Any questions or comments on 8C? All in favor, please signify by saying I. I. Any opposed? Any abstensions? That does pass with a vote of four to zero. uh 8D, which is a resolution of the city of Mount Juliet, Tennessee, approving the first amendment to the development and reimbursement agreement between the city of Mount Juliet and Costco Wholesale Corporation. Motion a motion. Second. Motion second. Any questions or comments on 8D? All in favor, please signify by saying I.

Any opposed? Nay. That passes by a vote of 3 to one. And with that, we're at adjournment. If there's no if there's no objections, we hearing none, we're adjourned.