Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

VALLEY — Meeting on Thursday evening, the Valley City Council sold property and approved funding for a youth baseball team to participate in the Division II AAA World Series in Bossier City, Louisiana later on this month.

The rules were suspended and the property was sold following the first reading of an ordinance. Kobeck Properties LLC offered to purchase one of the lots for $56,000. The site is on 30th Street and will be the site of a future subdivision. The land will be divided into two smaller lots with new homes being built on each one. Dozens more new homes could be coming to the same area.

The other lots were purchased by Gordon L. Merritt Jr, and Betty F. Merritt, Michelle Payne and William C. Payne. The Merritts offered $9,752 for their tract, Michelle Payne $2,792 for her lot and William Payne $3,930 for his.

According to Mayor Leonard Riley, negotiations on these sales had been going on for several months.

Riley announced that a settlement had been reached on a large amount of sales tax that is owed to the city. Mathand LLC owes the city approximately $220,000 for racks the company installed at the WestRock distribution center on Valley Industrial Drive. To keep the matter out of court, they have agreed to pay $110,000 upfront and the remaining $89,000 in monthly installments over the next year.

Valley Parks and Recreation’s 9 and 10-year-old All Stars recently won the state championship in Headland, Alabama and will represent the state in the upcoming World Series in Louisiana. On Thursday, the city council approved a resolution to cover the cost for the boys and their families to stay in Bossier City through the tournament, which starts on Thursday, July 25. The championship game will be played on Monday, July 29, and if necessary, on Tuesday, July 30. It’s a double-elimination tournament.

The stay will cost somewhere in the neighborhood of $8,800.

The council approved a 20-item consent agenda. These items include a contract that will allow Valley Police Department officers to provide security services at some Auburn University home football games this fall; a contract for a school resource officer; alcohol to be consumed at some city-owned properties for some upcoming events; and weed liens on a number of properties in the city. The city-owned properties include Lakeview Cabin and River View School.

The consent agenda also included a condemnation action in River View. A house on Lower Street was declared a public nuisance with action being authorized to tear down the house and clean up the site.

The council’s next meeting will be taking place at 6 p.m. EDT on Monday, July 22. There will be a work session in the conference room at city hall at 6 p.m. on Thursday, August 8.