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Maryville City Council approved an ordinance on first reading to increase the number of taverns allowed inside the city from nine to a dozen.

There are currently eight taverns in the city and one other pending.

As a stop-gap measure, the council Tuesday night raised the number to 12 to give the city time to examine the situation.

Maryville City Manager Greg McClain said the plan is to look at an overlay for the downtown area and come up with a limit to the number of taverns allowed there.

At an earlier work session, Maryville Police Chief Tony Crisp said that other merchants downtown had complained about having to spend 45 minutes to an hour each morning having to clean up litter left by tavern patrons the night before.

Crisp said Tuesday night that he has talked to a number of tavern operators and they have assured him they'll work to clean up and police their areas. He will also talk to the Downtown Merchants Association Thursday about the problem.

Council also scheduled public hearings for 6:57 p.m. and 6:58 p.m. Aug. 5 in Maryville Municipal Building on annexation and a plan of services for land beside Camellia Trace Apartments off Big Springs Road and Camellia Trace Drive for expansion of the development.

An agreement between Sterling Engineers to share the cost of expanding a 10-inch sewer trunk line from Morganton Road To William Blount Drive was approved.

The city will pay up to $124,480 for the labor and equipment to extend the line to contractor Finchum Construction of Maryville. Sterling will pay for engineering, right of way acquisition and materials, said Maryville Assistant Director of Water Quality Control Jack Graham.

The total project cost as bid by Finchum is $221,480.

Graham said there will be other individual properties that could also tie on to the line.

Mayor Joe Swann was authorized to negotiate the extension of McClain's employment contract and execute the document.

Gerald Hines, who is retiring from Maryville Fire Department after 33 years, 7 months and 1 day, was given a plaque.

Maryville Fire Chief Ed Mitchell said Hines has seen many changes during his career and the way the department interacts with the community. He praised Hines for being one of the most competent driver engineers and for his insistence that the trucks be checked and that everybody be ready to respond at all times.

He also praised him for his years of singing in religious groups and his moral conduct.

In further action council:

Renewed three taxi cab franchises to Michael Ferguson for AAA Taxi Service and A Plus Taxi and to Donald Estes for Connections Taxi.

Appointed Larry Little, Shawna McConnell and Joe Tipton to Maryville Public Building Authority for terms to expire in August 2010.

Declared as surplus property an old recliner, plywood book shelves, filing cabinets, chairs, TV, fax machine, typewriters, dining table, consoles from patrol cars and wheel balancer and authorized their disposal.