Sweetwater commissioners on Monday night unanimously approved the historic guidelines for a proposed residential historic overlay district in Sweetwater with little fanfare.
The actual boundaries of the district must still be approved before the residential historic district becomes a reality and that will take a series of meetings through the Historic Zoning Commission, Planning Commission and Sweetwater Mayor and Board of Commissioners with opportunities for public comment.

In other business, commissioners passed the second and final reading of Ordinance No. 844, which requires a 72-hour waiting period before the city issues permits for door-to-door sales people.
The waiting period gives the Police Department time to run background checks on the permit applicants.

The commissioners approved the first reading of Ordinance No. 845, which will increase the fees charged to for-profit carnivals that come to town.
The carnival ordinance must still be approved on a second reading after a public hearing.
Commissioners Bill Stockton, Buster West, Tommy Haun, David Cleveland and Julian Walton gave the go ahead for the city to apply for a Tennessee Downtowns Program $15,000 grant.

The state in December announced the launch of the pilot Tennessee Downtowns Program, a competitive community improvement program for cities and counties seeking to revitalize traditional commercial districts.

The program is open to communities with downtown commercial districts established at least 50 years ago and ready to organize efforts for downtown revitalization based on the successful Main Street Program approach to downtown revitalization.

Tennessee Downtowns is part of the Tennessee Main Street Program and will award up to six innovation project grants. Successful applicants will also receive an 18-month program of technical assistance, which includes training on downtown revitalization and historic preservation, an introductory site visit, attendance at a two-day downtown revitalization workshop and the $15,000 grant, which does not require a match.

The city has established a steering committee made up of Jim Stutts, chairman; Brenda Bryan, Bobby Brown, Delane Dacus, Jerry Richesin and Jill Alliman.  
Receiving the grant would not make Sweetwater an official Main Street city, but is considered a step in the lengthy process toward full Main Street Program status.

City Recorder Jessica Morgan said some of the projects the steering committee is considering should the city receive the grant include the restoration of the old sidewalk drinking fountains if possible and building a replica of the old train depot.
The commission approved a May 8 car show date and Main Street closure for the 19th annual Valley Cruisers car show downtown from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

In his mayor's report, Mayor Doyle Lowe said the Economic Development Board has developed a list of five or six companies to talk to that might be interested in expanding to Sweetwater.
Lowe said thanks to Sweetwater resident Bobby Bright, a Swiss company recently visited the town, studying whether to locate here with a company that could bring 25 to 40 jobs.
The mayor said he plans to start recognizing citizens regularly by presenting them keys to the city.

The first recipients under the new recognition program will be World War II hero, The Rev. Clinton Riddle and Alice Worrell, who for years worked to bring arts and culture to the schools and community through the Sweetwater Valley Citizens for the Arts.

The Sweetwater Mayor and Board of Commissioners meet for a regular voting meeting at 7 p.m. on the first Monday of the month at City Hall and have a workshop on the fourth Monday of the month at 5 p.m.

tommy.millsaps@advocateanddemocrat.com |337-7101