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VALLEY — On Monday, the Valley City Council set the new solid waste collection fees for city residents. Starting July 1st, the new fee will be $26 a month for most residents and $20 a month for seniors. “By waiting six months to do this, we will in effect be returning $36 to each customer,” Mayor Leonard Riley said. “ This is for the bad service they received in November and December.”

Former provider AmWaste was the subject of many complaints of poor service. Some Valley residents did not have their trash picked up for weeks at a time. It was a common sight along Valley streets to see overfilled roll-out carts sitting by the road with more bags stacked up on the side.

C&C Sanitation of LaGrange is the city’s new solid waste provider.

A first reading was held for an ordinance to rezone some property off 55th Street where a new ammo plant will be built. The 225-acre site will be getting an M-2 designation for manufacturing. 1776 Ammo is planning to build a manufacturing facility there that will employ an estimated 500 people within three years.

John Boles of the accounting firm Himmelwright, Huguley and Boles was present at the meeting to report that the city is in extremely good financial shape. His firm recently completed an audit for the previous year that was unqualified with no findings. That’s the best kind of audit a city can receive.

Valley Parks & Recreation Director Laurie Blount informed the council that the Valley Swim Team will be having a fun event at the Community Center on Thursday evening, April 6th. It will be taking place at the indoor pool from 6 to 8 p.m. EDT. It’s the day before Good Friday, and an underwater egg hunt will be starting at 6:15.

Blount said she was hoping for good participation on the annual Valley Clean Up Day, which will be taking place on Saturday, April 15th. It gets under way at the Community Center at 8 a.m. Volunteers turning out that day will be given gloves and trash bags to clean up litter from designated streets in the city. Those who sign up before April 14th will be getting a free biscuit that morning.

Extra trucks will be picking up household garbage and yard trimmings that week.

From 8 a.m. until 3 p.m. on Saturday, April 15th, e-waste recycling will be taking place at the Farmers’ Market Pavilion. Any electronic item with a cord C&C won’t pick up with the regular garbage can be brought there that day. Old appliances and old tires will be picked up that day.

A shred-it truck will be at the pavilion from 8 a.m. till noon on Clean Up Day.

The Community Center will be playing host to an indoor yard sale on April 15th. It will be going on from 8 a.m. until the noon hour. There’s a cost of $5 per family to sell items that day. Each family will be provided two tables. Extra tables will be provided for an extra charge of $5 per table.

Registration forms are available at city hall. Call (334) 756-5281 for more details.

The Valley High boys basketball team was honored on having recently won the 2022-23 5A state title in Birmingham. The team had a phenomenal 33-0 record. The council awarded plaques to Coach Marshon Harper on having been named the 5A Coach of the Year in Alabama, Cam Dooley, on having been named First Team All State; Brandon Thomas, Second Team All State, and Jamarious Martin, Honorable Mention All-State.

The team received a standing ovation from the council and the large crowd present in the council chamber.

It was Valley High’s first state championship since the football team won the 3A title in 1970.