The Sweetwater Economic Development Board is assessing the community's strengths and weakness when it comes to attracting and keeping businesses and industry.

During the monthly meeting May 27, board members worked with Sweetwater City Recorder Jessica Morgan to complete a long list of questions, such as what are utility rates, tax rate, distance to airports and many other questions.

Community leaders can then assess the information and have an overall picture of what the city has to offer businesses and plants and where it might be lacking.
Board members also recently appeared before the City Commission to update city leaders on what board members are doing to help foster growth in Sweetwater.

Chairwoman Tamra Chaney said the Economic Development Board is often only thought of in terms of its desire and work last year hoping to build a community center in Sweetwater.
"I understand we have the cart before the horse," Chaney said.

The center has yet to be built, however Chaney and Economic Development Board member John Seiler said the board continues to work on other ideas to help the city and wants to be a resource for the City Commission.
One of the ideas the Economic Development Board is investigating is how a biodiesel program could help the community by recycling cooking oil waste and turning that into fuel.

Chaney said implementing that kind of program keeps that oil out of the wastewater system by putting individual oil receptacle jugs in every home in the Sweetwater area.
The machine that converts the oil cost about $38,000.

Economic Development Board members next week will attend a renewable energy conference at Fall Creek Falls State Park on the recycling program through the University of Tennessee Municipal Technical Advisory Service and the Tennessee Renewable Energy and Economic Development Council.
The members can then give city leaders more information on the program for them to decide if it's something that can help Sweetwater.

Economic Development Board members are Chaney, Seiler, Mayor Jim Stutts, Code Enforcement Officer Scott Wilson, Louise Barnes, Sweetwater Utilities Board General Manager Robert Bettis, Ron Johnson and Monroe County Economic Development Director Shane Burris. City Commissioner David Cleveland and Monroe County Chamber of Commerce Director William Wells attend the regular monthly meetings but are non-voting members.

The Economic Development Board meets at noon at City Hall on the last Wednesday of the month.

tommy.millsaps@advocateanddemocrat.com | 337-7101