Okay, I have held off on writing about this subject because I do not like appearing the pessimist, but somebody has got to say it. What is up with the Town of Nolensville and the "new town hall" fiasco? Why are the citizens of Nolensville being held hostage by a man who has, so far, proven himself incapable of delivering on his promises?

First of all, I do still fault the government of Nolensville, and in particular Mayor Beth Lothers who insisted that this was the only way to go, current alderman Jimmy Alexander who now has a reputation as the developers' puppet on the board, and one former alderman Ken Thomas who voted for it and then left town after ensuring  we incurred a debt of $4 MILLION dollars for something that should not have cost half that much. Well, at least he isn't paying for it. The bigger problem, now that our myopic government has legally embroiled us in this hoopla, is the man who is supposed to be getting it done.

Enter Bill Tisano. Do you remember how he said over and over to Mayor Lothers that he would have the old Piggly Wiggly torn down and cleaned up by Christmas? Well, here it is 2010 and the building is still standing. He cannot even handle simple maintenance items like most of the lights in the parking lot which are still broken. Apparently he either does not have the funds or the inclination to deal with the safety of the public on his property. I think that says a lot about his character.

When Mr. Tisano bought the shopping center from Kelly, I'm told he put down about $700,000. Even from casual observation most can tell that, over the few years Tisano has owned the shopping center, it is highly unlikely that what little rent he received is enough to cover his payments. How is he going to finish a new town hall? Should we have a Nolensville bailout program just for him? Oh, it looks like we already do. It is called "the new town hall."

Tisano made promises to Patrick Martin in order to get him to decide to move Martin's Bar-B-Q Joint across the street from his former digs and into the parking lot of the old shopping center. After  major delays, the building is finally standing (and taking up valuable parking spaces), and Uncle Bud's is the new eyesore in town (no offense to those who like Uncle Bud's ... it just looks awfully tacky right now). Well, I hope Martin's business improves in its new building in the run down slummy old Pig Center that's going nowhere and in no hurry.

It has now been five months since I wrote about delays, and there has been no progress. Zip. Nada. Zero. Nothing. It makes me wonder, "Were Nolensville's tax dollars well spent?" At what point will our town leaders admit they have been duped? I am not holding my breath on that last point, but I think that at the very least they owe us taxpayers an explanation of what is going on, or better yet why nothing is going on ... and just what we are really getting for our new unwanted but imposed indebtedness.

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written by Lynda , January 08, 2010

Daisy,
You asked what the tax increase was for. Below is a portion of the June '09 minutes. The minutes only scratch the surface of the poor mouthing that was going on during the meeting. Its strange that while the reality is that the town is broke, everybody is worried, and the government is making more and more rules that are running off businesses that would locate here if not for the codes, the mayor and alderman Alexander (and now gone alderman Thomas) ignored everything
said and voted to put Nolensville in debt for the first time to build a multi-million dollar town hall. Go figure.

Second reading of ordinance #09-05, an ordinance to adopt a Budget for fiscal year 2009-2010, Alderman Felts made a motion to approve this ordinance, Mayor Lothers seconded. Alderman Felts had concerns that a property tax increase is being implemented and the Fire, Police and Public Works funding is being decreased. He noted that it concerned him that a Police Officer’s salary was being omitted and the Officer was not sure he would be deployed for active duty. Mayor Lothers stated that the line item includes his salary until his anticipated departure. She reiterated that a COPS Grant had been applied for and if this does not go through she would sponsor a budget amendment. Alderman Thomas stated that there were $224,000 request submitted that did not get included in the budget. Alderman Dugger stated that the Budget Committee felt the tax increase was needed to stop the “bleeding”. He noted that the Town has had to dip into savings this past year and some employee positions were not replaced after leaving for other employment. Mrs. Carla Ediger, Budget Committee member, added that in the memo sent initially to various Departments an appeal was made that a 15% reduction be obtained in their budget request. Alderman Dugger added that reductions were made in the Engineering Department-11%, Police Department-16%, Codes Department-41%, and Planning Department-2% and staff has been asked to go without a raise this year. Mayor Lothers stated that in the budget although revenue was down there was a savings of 1.83% in expenditures. The vote was taken and Mayor Lothers, Aldermen Alexander, Dugger, and Thomas voted in favor of the budget ordinance, Alderman Felts voted against. Ordinance 09-05 passed by majority.

Note: Before discussion can begin, someone must make a motion to get something on the table to discuss. That person may not necessarily be in favor or later vote in favor.

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written by Lynda , January 05, 2010

I was going to go to the Pig center and count lights and location just to know, but its too COLD brrrrr...and I've had a cold all year so far.

The plans include new poles. It will look NOTHING like the center Kelley built when its through.
poles are going to replaced when the big remodel is done.
That doesn't excuse not replacing lights for safety, but it is a factor.

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written by Lynda , January 05, 2010

Problem:
Developers save some trees along creekbanks, but bulldoze everything else in sight because nobody is watching and they can.

Solution: Do more than gripe to each other. Come to planning board meetings and speak on the record.
If you can't do that, call or email members. A link to the government website in on this website. (Its the same as ours except .gov instead of .net.)If enough people spoke up, something would get done about it.

Or make pix of large trees in pending developments to document.

Call members of the Trees and Trails Committee that are also listed on the government website and ASK what kind and size of trees.
I talked to Joyce Powers and Ingrid Curry, both sharp, super dedicated ladies who do more than sit and gripe.
They are very aware we have lost trees at a horrific rate, and assured me the trees planted are fast growers and shade trees will be planted at the schools.
Thank them for getting the grant and planting in the winter.
I believe the number I heard is 400 trees.

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written by Daisy , January 04, 2010

I don't have a clue as to what the trees will look like that will be planted. All I know is that there will be lots of trees planted at the schools and the parks and around town!

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written by Lynda , January 04, 2010

Problem: Lights out at Pig Center.
Solution: William Tisano is listed in Brentwood. Count the lights out and call him.

Comment: Unless this mall is different than most, the tenants are assessed a monthly "CAM" (common area maintainance) charge on top of their monthly rent. Each store pays according to the square footage of their inside space. Usually they pay the property taxes, insurance, and maintainance.

Each Jan. tenants get a notice telling how much they overpaid, if any, or how much they owe, and how much their CAM charges will be for the next year, based on projected costs.
Knowing that, the tenants who aren't open at night probably aren't complaining, and maybe the others aren't either.
Tisano is not your typical "Don't bother me" landlord or management firm.

When we had our South Plaza (where Lowes is now) store, tenants complained to the management company constantly, with good reasons, but the Texas owners responded months later or usually not at all. What little they did was usally so wrong, like spending a fortune to paint the metal trim turquoise and forcing merchants to buy new signs.

I read my lease, surprised to find out we had a right to an ITEMIZED report of the previous year.
When we got it we had a meeting and with the management company,
compared notes and
did some investigative work.
We found we, not the owners, had been paying outrageous charges (for years) for service calls that never occured or took multiple trips to fix and security guards that napped in their cars or gossiped inside stores rather than walk the area. Those maintainance and security companies were promptly fired. We watched and kept records of the new ones. We didn't get a refund, but our CAM charges dropped by half.

I don't know what the Pig center's situation is, but I'm saying there may be reasons the average person doesn't know other than calling Tisano a slum landlord.

P.S. If you not part of the solution, you're part of the problem.

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written by gardiner , January 04, 2010

Daisy, you say the Town will be planing "tons of trees." I appreciate your enthusiasm. I do not, however, currently share it. I'd love to, but I just have difficulty accepting "tons of trees" as being realistic. I certainly can fathom "tons of twigs"—those little faux trees you see planted all over in new subdivisions (like in Ballenger Farms) after the developers have cut down all of the real trees. Those things couldn't even provide enough shade for a cup of water. Now, if my perception turns out to be wrong, then I will offer a full retraction, and be happier at heart for seeing more mature shade trees. Will these twigs be spread around other public areas as well, or are they reserved only for those with children attending schools? :-)

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written by Daisy , January 03, 2010

The Town will be planting TONS of tree throughout the Town including Nolensville Elementary, Sunset Elementary, Sunset Middle, the Park, Historic District,etc. beginning in late January and February. The Trees and Trails is coordinating this with the schools and the local PTO's are involved (I am a PTO Member at SMS). It is going to make those schools look so much better! Thank you, Trees and Trails!

As far as the trees at the "Pig" those Bradford Pears do not last long but they sure are pretty. When I was at one BOMA and Tisno was there, he promised better trees that would produce shade.

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written by Lynda , January 03, 2010

John,
Could I get you to say "town" instead. "City" offends many folks, including me. We incorporated as a "town", like Franklin. Brentwood is a "city"
and they are welcome to it.

I don't feel its the town dancing like puppets to developers, its citizens, and bless them, the poor merchants, that put up with so much disrespect its unbelievable that they don't all pack up and leave and no one else wants any part of the foolish manic control.

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written by Lynda , January 03, 2010

Yes, I believe the ordinance is still in place, and my memory tells me its 8" diameter.
Sometimes its obeyed, sometimes ignored, sometimes permission is given when asked.

As far as the maple trees at McCord's, I don't know of 2 cut lately.
The huge maple stumps at the road and to the right rear of the house have been there since long before the ordinance.
I was told by a McCord that he removed the one at the street that was diseased, and the other was growing into the kitchen.

Anything 20' either side of the electric line(as the front tree was) is in the utility easement and subject to
be trimmed, cut down, or cut in half and left as an eyesore by whatever company MTEMC hires.

A smaller maple recently removed had a diseased hollow spot down the center. That and an old pear and apple were removed to make way for moving the historic cabin and house, but that was not on McCord or McCanless property.

Bradford Pears live about 25 years and are prone to splitting.
Tisano told me about a year ago he planned to take them all out for those reasons.
They were magnificent, but messy, each Spring.
Some like the smell, some hate it, some say "what smell?"
Tisano isn't an idiot; he likes shade too. Whatever he plants back will be better in time. The plans show a redesigned parking lot too,
so now is an appropriate time to cut them.

If you don't know the people on the Trees and Trails committee, you would be pleased to know they are a fine bunch of smart tree hugging, non-political,
hard working lovely citizens. I enjoyed their presentation at the last BOMA and meeting the professional arborists working with them.
They understand and need help planting 400 trees locally this winter, in the park, Historic Village, and elsewhere.
The trees were purchased with a grant.

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written by gardiner , January 02, 2010

Lynda, correct me if I'm wrong here. I may be getting older (even though my wife says I'm getting "old"), so perhaps my memory is a little deficient. I think the Town has an ordinance about new development--which would include the changes to the Pig center--having limitations on the diameter of trees that can be taken down? (And, if my memory is right, Beth Lothers was instrumental in drafting and passing it as an ordinance.) If so, why were "they" (whoever "they" are) allowed to take the trees down in the old Pig center, and why was McCanless allowed to take down two beautiful old Maple trees on the McCord property? Just wondering ...

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written by Lynda , January 01, 2010

The last time was tonight, about 5:30 for milk from good old DG.
I’ve been in the center many, many times after dark, and never noticed the lights out because the businesses are well lit when I drive though from Nolensville Rd.
But we live where there are few lights even from neighbors, so its no biggie. We like it that way.
Granted, entering from Dortch is darker. Dark Nolensville has never scared me the way a few lights out used to when we had our South Plaza and Hickory Hollow stores.
I much prefer all 3 locations to Sam Ridley where we were last night. That’s super well lit, but its awful. Even so, we still prefer it to Nolensville Rd. peak traffic now.

I noticed the downed trees, even in the dark. I agree losing the shade trees is sad, but they are nearing their life expectancies. (That's political spin for "I agree with you completely about the shade and visibility".)Look on the bright side; the government will make Tisano plant twigs!!!

You and Daisy are the only non-government ones I have heard that sound like you want destruction/construction to begin, so its surprising considering your other statements.
I like it that nothing has happened. Each day there is still hope that $400,000 won’t be spent on the 8,000 sq. ft. area plus the drainage ditch.

I keep taking notes at government public meetings, but I haven’t posted much about them in months. I can’t keep the anger and negativity out of my comments after sitting there watching and listening. My fellow watchdogs can’t either, so they don’t post at all or speak on the record. Sometimes what they say privately comes out my fingers anyway. My mother didn’t practice it much, but she did preach if we couldn’t say anything nice, we shouldn’t say anything at all. A lot of people have trouble with that one. Righteous indignation gets the better of most people. I also feel why should I bother typing for hours when news travels fast so fast and accurately around here?

I don’t see Tisano as a villain.
He's been held hostage too. Lots of people say he’s a nice guy. I don't think HE is the snake charmer. He’s between a rock and hard place. Its not his fault he didn’t go ahead with his own leasing and facelift plans long ago. As he said there was no way he could win either way the BOMA voted last June. He lost long ago, when he gave up control to “the powers that be” who said we didn’t want a discount grocery in Nolensville when the Pig closed.
I don’t blame him for not spending any more money on the center, or on tenants that don’t take care of his property. I understand construction loans are rarely available, even in ideal circumstances, which this certainly isn't.

I would like the center to be more profitable for Tisano and more user friendly for the rest of us, but the plans in the works won’t achieve either. There isn’t going to be enough parking for two floors of stores plus town hall, DUH!!! Completion could have, should have, been long over if Tisano hadn’t gotten messed up with Nolensville’s messed up government. So much turmoil would have been avoided if the best interests of citizens had been considered. Tisano stated repeatedly in the workshop that he would make a lot more money by only doing the façade facelift he had planned. He sounded like he was really, really hoping they would turn down his offer.

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written by gardiner , January 01, 2010

Lynda, when was the last time you were at the old Pig center at night? At least 3/4 of the lights are out, and have been for a least six months. I won't excuse that. "THE" pothole has held up pretty well this year in comparison to earlier years, however, there's a new and just as big one right around the corner from THE pothole. So, we'll call that one even. There's still a big hole there, and the lights still don't work. To his further discredit he had all the trees taken down so that we can all now stare at the unsightly new building and no one can have any shade. I will say one good thing about him. He does mow the grass in the summer. I still think the town sold us all down the river because he snake charmed a three politicians, and I do think the town government owes us all an explanation of why nothing is getting done with the Taj Mahal.

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written by Lynda , January 01, 2010

Daisy, the reason that was given publicly, several times by the long time Chairman of the Budget Committee, Vice Mayor Dugger, and others, was for the very sad "unavoidable hemmorageing of money" to meet yet another "bare bones budget" after cut after cut in department requests.

The past tax increase has NOTHING to do with paying for the town hall property or later building a building.

People really should get their heads out of the sand and pay attention to what is being done with their money before it is too late.

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written by Lynda , January 01, 2010

Gardiner, so that is what you do while others are celebrating or sleeping the old year out.
People would be surprised, given our very separate work on this website, how little we talk, see each other, have in common or think alike on most things.
You know I’ve gotta reply when I have time.

I agree more with Daisy, but since I attend the town meetings, and have talked to MANY people you haven't, including Tisano, and have a landlord, tenant, construction background and a major developer family member, I have a different perspective.


It takes a bucket truck to replace parking lot lights, so strip mall owners usually wait till several are out to rent one or hire a company.
Tisano lives close, not in another state like most. I've seen him and his family members doing maintaince on the property several times.

You've got to admit the site is aging and was a fixer upper for years before Tisano bought it and he does keep litter picked up much better than the former local owner, Ken Kelley.
There has been regular patching and finally long term success with THE pothole too. Tisano has spent a pretty penny on all those jobs, for sure.

A year in review is in order, for all the new people reading our website.
I urge everyone reading this to read the Nolensville GOVERNMENT website minutes.
That website keeps being incorrectly billed as the “town website”.
To avoid confusion with the MANY Nolensville websites that concern the goings on in the entire community of citizen's perhaps
as a New Year’s resolution, some people would start policing their own thoughts and speech instead of trying to control others.

Citizens won’t find the truth in the Dispatch either, as anyone who attends the public meetings can attest to. But copies of the CDs to find out what REALLY was said, in meetings at least, are $5 apiece at town hall.
No minutes or recording kept of the workshops, although it would be very inexpensive to do so. I find that very telling. Workshops are VERY informative, but few citizens attend.

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written by John , January 01, 2010

The new martin's barbeque building looks nice but all of the air-conditioning units and equipment on the roof is exposed and is an eyesore. I agree that Rio Verde is getting squeezed out and they deserve better. Did Tisano buy the city when he purchased the shopping center? It sure looks like it since he can do what he wants and the city dances like a puppet on a string.

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written by Daisy , January 01, 2010

I have been wondering what is going on, also. I thought it would be done by Christmas, too! Our tax dollars (our taxes went from $22.00 to $80.00) and for what?

As for Martin's BBQ, who cares! His food is terrible but all he wants is more money.

Poor Rio Verde! They have been there much longer than Martin's and what do they get...an ugly building to look at! Tisano has made promises to him but has not held up his end of the bargain.

As for Uncle Buds...they are working on the inside of the building that Martin's trashed. They will get it fixed and they want it to look good. Let's give them a chance!

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