6.
Commissioner Reports & Comments
Commissioner Hefner thanked everyone for coming out and encouraged citizens to shop local
for Christmas. He noted that with the weather dropping, residents should stay safe and check
on their elders. He also offered prayers for the victims of the Vanderbilt helicopter crash.
Commissioner Milele stated that, in anticipation of an agenda item not receiving a second,
she wished to share her comments in advance regarding the proposed one-year moratorium
on high-density and multifamily residential development. She noted that while the idea may
sound appealing and has support on social media, many may not realize its significant
impacts on the City. She explained that “high density” includes not only apartments but also
certain single-family homes and for-sale townhomes. She stated that growth is driven by the
market, not government, and that most infrastructure, including major road projects, is paid for
by developers, not taxpayers. Examples cited included Old Lebanon Dirt Road, Beckwith
Point, Benders Ferry, Nonaville Road, Pleasant Grove, South Greenhill, and Providence
Parkway. She explained these improvements relieve congestion and come at no cost to the
public. She warned that the proposed moratorium would halt future infrastructure and harm
the City’s progress. Commissioner Milele further noted that a moratorium would reduce
property and sales tax revenues and negatively affect retail growth, since retailers rely on new
rooftops. She stated that Mt. Juliet depends on sales tax to avoid higher property taxes, and
limiting growth would jeopardize that balance. She also expressed concern that the proposal
was inconsistent with Commissioner Hefner’s past positions and development votes. She
concluded that continued development is vital for Mt. Juliet’s long-term sustainability and
expressed hope the ordinance would not move forward.
Commissioner Giles offered thoughts and prayers for the victims of the Vanderbilt helicopter
crash. He congratulated Jacob Dean and Jason Brockman on their recent promotions and
announced upcoming community events, including the BPAC Christmas Lights Walk and the
City Christmas Tree Lighting. He thanked everyone for coming out to the meeting.
Vice Mayor Trivett thanked everyone for coming out and recognized the City’s Public
Information Officer for doing a great job keeping the public informed of events. He
encouraged everyone to shop local and noted that Veterans Day is tomorrow, thanking the
men and women who have served. He reminded citizens to stay alert regarding safety and
traffic “hot areas” identified by MJPD, to watch for children traveling to and from school, and to
help local police by locking vehicles and reporting suspicious activity. He also thanked those
who came out to speak about the City and encouraged residents to continue reaching out and
staying involved.
Mayor Maness stated he is not blind to the fact that there are traffic and congestion issues
throughout the City. He noted much of the growth occurs around Mt. Juliet, and that the City
continues to do a good job holding developers accountable for projects built within the City
limits. He explained that even if no additional development occurred within Mt. Juliet, traffic
would remain due to surrounding growth and the City’s proximity to the interstate. The Mayor
stated approximately 10% of Wilson County’s overall growth occurs within Mt. Juliet. He
explained that halting development would not stop growth but would instead limit the City’s
ability to accept voluntary contributions and improvements with developers, which help make
City projects more appealing to the State. He commented that while a moratorium may sound
good in theory, the proposed ordinance would not achieve what many believe it would. He
displayed a map illustrating what types of projects would be restricted. He further noted that
