SWEETWATER, Texas (KTAB/KRBC) – The City of Sweetwater was awarded the Vernon Deines Award for Comprehensive Plan or Special Project Plan Honor Award. The award, presented by the Small Town and Rural Division of the American Planning Association, recognized the community for their work in creating ‘Ignite Sweetwater,’ the first comprehensive plan for the city.

Voters approved the city to begin working on the comprehensive plan in 2017. In 2021, the city began working on the plan with Verdunity. It is already being utilized by city staff, boards, commissions and volunteers, with the goal to “set the stage to create the best version of Sweetwater, where everyone can live, work, play, and do business.“

“We are proud of the work that so many put into our Ignite Sweetwater plan,” said Sweetwater City Manager David A. Vela. “We want to thank our city council for their support, as well as our consultants, city staff, and other key stakeholders. Most importantly, we want to thank the citizens, who participated from start to finish in the completion of the plan. Brighter days are ahead for Sweetwater, and we couldn’t be more excited about the future of our community.”

The city has worked to create interactive and innovative ways to inform community members through social media and through the website. Residents can view upcoming events, and projects and see a glimpse behind the scenes of city staff on these platforms.