VALLEY — The City of Valley is about to take action to relieve a continual flooding problem in the Shawmut community.

At the Monday meeting of the city council, a resolution was approved to accept an easement from the Shawmut First Church of the Nazarene to do some drainage work to protect both the church and the public right of way on 29th Boulevard.

Public Works Director Patrick Bolt said that the church’s family life center had been flooded several times due to this. Because of low elevation, the church is especially vulnerable during severe rain storms.

“The best option is to put in a curb inlet near the driveway and direct runoff water into a pipe,” Bolt said, explaining that approximately 140 feet of pipe will be needed to do this. “The water would eventually go into an open ditch on the church property,” he said.

This has been a problem, not just for the church, but anyone driving along 29th Boulevard after a heavy rain.

The church, said Council Member Paul Story, is at the lowest point along Boulevard, and that’s where the rain water tends to go.

“I’m glad to see us doing this,” he said.

Legally, the city could not take such action without an easement. Now that the church has provided one, the work can proceed.

In other action at Monday’s council meeting, the price for cemetery lots was increased from $200 for a single burial lot to $400. The effective date of this is Oct. 1. Anyone who buys a lot in any of the city’s six cemeteries before then, can get it for $200.

The council approved a request to serve wine at a wedding reception to be held at the River View School cafeteria on Saturday, April 28.

Authorization was approved for property abatements on 22nd Avenue, 15th Avenue and 23rd Boulevard.

The rules were suspended to approve on one reading a quit claim deed to sell some property. Randetricus Flowers has offered $2,000 for this lot in the Fairfax area.

Mayor Leonard Riley announced that a work session that had been scheduled for April 19 be postponed till 6 p.m. on May 3. The May council meetings have been moved up one week. Instead of being held on May 14 and the 28. They will be taking place on May 7 and May 14. The May 28 meeting would have conflicted with Memorial Day.