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VALLEY — At its Monday meeting, the Valley City Council approved a resolution to provide an incentive to Urban Development Corporation, which intends to locate a new business in the city. The city will be providing an incentive of up to $400,000 in exchange for Urban Development investing an estimated $5 million in the construction and development of a new business. An announcement of what’s going there will be made in the near future.

In other business on Monday, the council held the first reading of an ordinance to sell a 5.5-acre site on Fob James Drive to Prime Space Holdings LLC for $220,000. The sale will become final following a second reading at the council’s next meeting on Monday, March 25th.

A second reading was held to sell an 11-acre site on Fairfax Bypass to Michael C. “Mikey” Givorns Jr. for $24,049. The council approved the sale in a unanimous vote.

Leases were approved for six new police vehicles. The agreement is for $141,000 and is covered in the city’s annual budget. The leases are for three years with payments being made to the Republic First National Bank. The vehicles are Dodge Chargers and will be acquired from the John Jones Auto Group.

Police Chief Mike Reynolds said he really likes it that the six Chargers have been fully outfitted and are ready for delivery. In recent years there have been extensive delays in getting new police vehicles. This has been happening when the vehicles are purchased. Leasing them shortens the process.

Chief Reynolds thanked personnel from all the agencies and the volunteers who assisted with a the search for two missing persons over the weekend. A father and his young daughter lost their lives in a kayaking accident on the river. “It was a terrible tragedy, but we want to thank those who helped with the search,” Reynolds said.

“Let’s keep that family in our prayers,” said Council Member Jim Clark.

Valley Parks & Recreation Director Laurie Blount told the council that Valley Clean Up Week will be taking place in mid to late April. On Saturday, April 20th, men from the Public Works Department will be at the Farmers Market Pavilion to take unwanted electronic items for recycling. A shredder truck will be there from 8 a.m. until 3 p.m. for those who want to shred old documents. “If we can get 10 people who want to do it we will have a yard sale that day inside the Community Center,” Blount said. “That morning we will be assigning streets to those who want to pick up litter and help make Valley a cleaner place.”

Allison Banks-Trimble asked to speak to the council about putting up some new signs at the city limits. “I think it would be good to welcome people to Valley, home of the 2023 5A state champions in boys basketball,” she said. “The starting five are all seniors this year. It would be nice to have some signs up before they graduate. We are proud of the recognition they brought out city last year and came very close to doing it again this year.”

Mayor Leonard Riley said he liked the idea, and other members of the council echoed that sentiment.

Last year’s state championship in basketball was the school’s first state title since a Lady Rams team won a state title in 1981. The football team won one in 1970.

The council approved a five-item consent agenda. This included permitting the consumption of alcoholic beverages at three upcoming events at Lakeview Cabin – a reunion for the Lanett High Class of 1968 on April 6th, a family reunion on April 13th and a birthday party on April 27th. Two other items determined public nuisances and authorized action to clean up dilapidated properties on Morgan Street and 51st Street.

A public hearing will take place prior to the start of the April 25th council meeting to confirm the costs of cleaning up a site on Bennett Street.

Greater Valley Area Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Carrie Wood reported to the council on the Chamber’s recent activities and its plans for the remaining year. The Chamber presently has ten board members, 16 ambassadors and 44 junior ambassadors. The biggest event for the GVACC is the annual Rockingfest in downtown LaFayette. It takes place on a Saturday in November with the feature attraction being the world’s largest rocking horse and the world’s longest slide. When the weather’s good, the festival draws huge crowds. More than 80 vendors were at last year’s event. Three of the vendors were local high school students who were selling craft items they had made.

Wood told the council that she had been extremely pleased with the participation at a recent event on the Valley campus at Southern Union State Community College. Over 600 local high school students took part. They were able to get lots of information on possible careers they could pursue.