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VALLEY — The Valley City Council has made a zoning change that could result in some transitional housing being built in the city. This housing would provide places to stay for single women with children until they could get some stability in their lives and move on to something more permanent.

The council suspended the rules and adopted on a first reading an ordinance to rezone an 8.4-acre site near the junction of Huguley and Cusseta roads. The city presently owns the land and is not far from a new water tank off Fairfax Bypass.

City officials are considering turning over the site to the Chambers County Circle of Care Center for Families. Jonathan Herston, the executive director for the Circle, was present at Monday’s council meeting and was well pleased with the council’s decision.

“We couldn’t do anything until the zoning was changed,” he said. “This is the first step in our goal of providing transitional housing.”

The site was previously zoned R-3 or medium density. It’s now R-6, or high-density.

The proposed change first went to the city’s planning commission, where no opposition was expressed. It then went to the city council. Anyone opposing the change could have spoken up at a public hearing preceding the council meeting, but no one showed up to do so. Seeing no opposition, the council went ahead and approved the request.

The council suspended the rules and approved on a first reading the sale of some property. Barrett Watson purchased a 1.5-acre site off Cusseta Road from the city for $5,000.

In other action, the council approved a two-item consent agenda. Approved were requests for the public consumption of alcohol, one for a family reunion at Lakeview Cabin on Saturday, July 1st and another for a wedding at the Community Center on July 29th.

Public Works Director Patrick Bolt advised motorists to be careful when driving along Martin Luther King Drive in Valley this week. Bolt explained that the street is being milled and paved. Paving has also been taking place on Harmon Street near the new water tank.

Council Member Jim Clark thanked Bolt for his input on a project being considered for the Shawmut Mill village area. He also asked pet owners to be more careful about keeping their dogs leashed behind fences in the late evenings. “Some people like to get out and walk in the evenings,” he said. “They have been telling me they have been seeing some dogs running loose.”

Council Member Henry Cooper thanked Bolt for his department having done some needed work this past week in his district.

City hall will be closed Monday, July 3 and Tuesday, July 4 for the Independence Day holiday.

Casey Chambley will once again be doing the fireworks show at the Sportsplex on the Fourth. The show will get started when it’s good and dark, usually around 9:45 p.m. EDT. For those who come early, there will be some food trucks and an ice cream truck on site. They will be there around 3 p.m.

The Community Center will have regular hours on Monday, and will be open from 7 a.m. until 4 p.m. on July 4.

The next council meeting will take place at 6 p.m. on Monday, July 10.