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VALLEY — The Valley City Council did something at Monday night’s meeting that hadn’t been done in the city’s 40-year history. The council purchased a brand new, first-class dump truck for the Public Works Department.

“This is a really nice dump truck,” said Mayor Leonard Riley. “It’s the kind of purchase we have never made before, but having it will allow us to haul rock and not have to depend on someone else to do it for us.”

The city’s membership in the HGACBuy Cooperative Purchasing Program allowed for the purchase at a discount rate. The 2020 Western Star box-style dump truck is being purchased through Four Star Freightliner at a cost of $163,996.

Public Works Director Patrick Bolt was pleased with the move.

“We will be putting it to good use,” he said.

Police Chief Tommy Weldon told the council that a new officer had joined Valley Police Department and that two more new officers would be starting in a couple of weeks.

“We are getting up to full force,” he said.

Valley Parks and Recreation Director Laurie Blount said that youth basketball season had been proceeding pretty well, given this COVID-19 period we’ve been going through.

“We had to cancel a couple of games because some players had the virus. Overall, it hasn’t been that bad,” she said. “Signups for spring sports start Monday. We will be having Clean Up Valley Week the week before and the week after April 10. We will be picking up yard debris and garbage at that time. We will have more details later.”

The council had the first reading of an ordinance to sell 12 lots in the Valley Overlook Subdivision to Chris Clark Properties, LLC in the amount of $77,000. It could be approved following a second reading on Feb. 8.

On the consent agenda, an expenditure in the amount of $30,200 for the Valley Police Department and $59,600 for Valley Parks and Recreation were approved. The police department purchases include four laptop computers, eight body cameras, four radar units and a BEAST evidence management system with accessories. The purchases for Valley Parks & Recreation include a Catwalk for the pool, a new metal building and some new flooring for the Community Center’s Hood/Gray Room.