VALLEY — On Monday, the Valley City Council unanimously approved a $7.5 million general obligation warrant with AuburnBank. Approximately $5.5 million of the loan will be new money that will be going to economic development, with the remainder retiring a 2015 warrant.

In a public hearing prior to the meeting, Mayor Leonard Riley explained that $2.8 million will go to a new, above-ground water storage tank in the industrial park. An estimated $1.8 million going to needed sewer line improvements for the John Soules Foods project, which could generate an estimated 500 new jobs in the city. Another $600,000 would be set aside for paving needs in the industrial park.

In the regular session, the council suspended the rules and adopted upon first readings two ordinances, one of which authorized the issuance of the bond as an economic development action with the other being a 22-page document spelling out the terms of the warrant, which goes into effect on October 9, 2018 and matures on October 10, 2033.

In other action, the city entered into a contract with Wood Real Estate for the purpose of selling the former senior center site and parking lot on Combs Street in the Fairfax mill village.

The council approved an off-premise alcohol license for the Triangle Store and an on-premise license for Cracker Jack’s Seafood Bar, a new business that will move into the old Burger King building on Highway 29.

Both requests had been approved by the state Alcoholic Beverage Control board and Valley Police Department.

Valley EMS is being phased out, in favor of the medical service being run by East Alabama and the affiliation with a fire department, as most EMS departments are in Alabama.

Valley Parks and Recreation Director Laurie Blount invited council members to come out and see the State Masters Games, which will be getting under way at Valley Community Center on Monday, October 15th. Over 500 people in the age 55 and older group will be here to build friendships and to compete in a host of events. The annual fall festival will be taking place from 6 to 8 p.m. EDT on Wednesday, Oct. 31st at the Sportsplex. Local churches, businesses and civic clubs can help by having booths to give away candy to children.

Blount said that east Alabama farmers would be having a pre-Thanksgiving treat by hosting a farmer’s market on Friday, Nov.16.

“They will be having their fall garden vegetables for sale,” Blount said. “It will be a good opportunity to get what you need for Thanksgiving.”

Blount said this year’s Valleywide Christmas parade will be taking place on Thursday, Dec. 6.

Council Member Randall Maddux said that he liked what Alabama Power was doing in replacing street lights throughout the city. Mayor Riley agreed that it was a good deal for the city. “At no cost to us, they are replacing all the street lights with brighter LED lighting,” he said.

Planning and Development Director Travis Carter reported to the council that he’d recently spent three days in Birmingham at a Brownfields conference.

“Hopefully we can get some grant money to help us with the cleanup of Fairfax Mill,” he said.

Carter invited everyone to go by the Bethlehem Church site. “It’s l0oking really good there,” he said.