VALLEY — On Tuesday, the Valley City Council approved an emergency purchase of a heater system for the pool at Valley Community Center. Including the delivery charges, the item will cost around $16,400. The pool has been closed for  the past two weeks due to the lack of heating. Valley Parks and Recreation Director Laurie Blount told the council that the heating system has arrived and should be installed in a couple of days. “We hope to have the pool back open by Monday,” she said.

The council approved an incentive agreement for Cracker Jack’s Seafood Bar & Grill, which is locating in the former Burger King building on Highway 29. The building is being leased from Schuster Enterprises, and the business should be open in the near future.  According to the agreement, the city will rebate back to Cracker Jack’s fifty percent of the sales taxes collected from the business over a five-year period providing that owner Russ Russell invests $80,000 in the new business (including building improvements, machinery, equipment, furnishings and fixtures) and hires between 10 and 15 people.

A contract in the amount of $208,660 was awarded to Chris Clark Grading & Paving, Lanett, to pave the new road that’s being built in Valley Industrial Park. The new road will link Valley Industrial Drive with the site in plain view of I-85 where the Four Star Freightliner business will be built. It’s expected to open in 2019. Chris Clark was the low bidder for the project, which includes sub-grading, final grading, stone, curb, gutters and paving in a 38-acre site.

The council suspended the rules and approved on a first reading an ordinance to sell a 60-foot by 60-foot city-owned lot on 42nd Street to Richard B. Snider for $500.

Laurie Blount said that Valley Farmer’s Market would be open from 3 to 6 p.m. EST on Friday. Some local farmers will have some fresh picked collards, turnip greens and kale for sale. Blount said these locally-grown items will be ideal for Thanksgiving dinners.

The Community Center will be closed on Thanksgiving Day, open from 7 a.m. till 4 p.m. on Black Friday and 8 a.m. till noon on Iron Bowl Saturday.

“The Merry Go Round will be arriving this Thursday,” said Blount. “A snow storm is expected in Missouri and Mr. Tinsley (the owner) wants to get out ahead of it. It will be here a week early because of that.”

The Merry Go Round will be opening at 5 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 30th.

This year’s Valleywide Christmas Parade will roll at 6 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 6th, starting in Lanett, proceeding through West Point and concluding in the Walmart parking lot in Valley.

The next council meeting will take place at 6 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 26th. At the conclusion of the meeting, the annual tree lighting will take place in front of city hall. A public hearing will precede the meeting to confirm the cost of demolition of properties at 113 North Railroad Street, 206 Williams Boulevard, 223 South 1st Street, 215 South 1st Street, 1255 California Road and 1012 Plantation Road.