Along with commending the turnout and effort at Saturday’s fundraiser to benefit Fire Chief Steven Kimmons, Mayor Bill Warren commended youth from a local church at the August 10^th council meeting. In conjunction with Serve Cherokee 2026 Cedar Bluff Baptist Youth Leader Kelly Hutchins brought four students to help with litter cleanup at the Kimmons benefit. Warren emphasized what an outstanding job the four youth, Jesse Hutchins, Will Warren, Brady Wheeler, and Serenity Glynn, did in their task.

In other business the council agreed to Resolution 2026-09, which supports development of the Sweet Trails Alabama Regional Trail Master Plan. Warren explained that the organization hoped to connect all Alabama counties. The part through Cherokee County would be by a 10-foot wide multipurpose trail. It would first wind from Cherokee Rock Village through Leesburg and Centre, connecting then to the Cedar Bluff Park. From there it would make its way to Cornwall Furnace before winding through Gaylesville and Little River Canyon. Mayor Warren emphasized that the town would have no funding obligation, the Alabama Sweet Trails will obtain that through grants.

The council passed ordinance 2026-16 which annexed 330 County Rd 131. Mayor Bill Warren explained that the area is in the town on both sides. Annexing would make it continuous and would avoid confusion by police, fire, and garbage services.

The council considered five Planning Commission recommendations. Chairman Tom Holland summarized the actions. Roger and Melanie Russell, who operate Russell Freight Services, LLC at their residence, asked that the council to zone their property as commercial and not R1 (residential). The council approved their request.

Billy and Denise Johnson, who live on County Road 131, asked that their property be zoned as a campground instead of RR (rural residential). The council denied the request for two reasons – the property around the Johnsons is all RR and because the property in question is less than three acres, the minimum required for a commercial campground.

The council also approved the following minimum home size changes: AG (agricultural) from 900 ft² to 1,000 ft²; R2 from 1,000 ft² to 800 ft²; Tiny Home from 600 ft² to 800 ft²; and ARU (accessory residential unit) from 600 ft² to 800 ft².

The final two zoning requests came in updating group homes and rehabilitation facility regulations. A couple of the restrictions included that the structures could not be permitted in the town center zoning district and that they could not be within 1,000 feet of another group home, residential area, public school, church, or licensed daycare center.