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VALLEY — At a Thursday evening work session, Valley Mayor Leonard Riley told members of the city council that he’d be asking them at Monday’s council meeting to approve some incentives for new businesses that are looking to locate in Valley. Nothing is official at this point, but it does look promising that some new business is heading this way.

It was recently announced that a new Chick-fil-A is coming to Highway 29. Construction is well under way at a site between Terri’s Mill Village Cafe and Bradshaw-Chambers County Library. It’s a fast-track project, and Chick-fil-A’s newest location could be open by this Christmas.

Work is also proceeding across the highway for an expansion of the Village Square Shopping Center in Valley. According to its web site, Five Below, Petsense and Marshall’s are among the new businesses that will be locating there.

What’s now being discussed is a new shopping center on Fob James Drive. A development group from Atlanta is planning on building it on a 12-acre site next to Valley Collision. The incentives the mayor discussed on Thursday would be for new businesses interested in locating there.

Farther east on Fob James some new housing is planned. The first eight houses of a planned 54-home subdivision could be going up soon. Nearby off King Road, some senior housing has been planned.

Work is also picking up at the end of 30th Street near Todd Addition. The city has already invested in some water line and sewer improvements at the end of 30th.

Mayor Riley said the city stands to get its money back with the sales of lots on a site for future development. The city presently owns the land.

While there has been some gloomy talk recently of a recession, business has been very good lately in Valley. Riley informed the council that sales tax is up some $630,000 over what had come in this time last year. He’s expecting a significant increase from that when the new Chick-fil-A is in business next year. Chick-fil-A is a juggernaut among fast-food restaurants. A typical one generates more than $7 million a year.

The four lane heading past the new Chick-fil-A will look a lot different when all the work is done. Some trees near the road will be coming down, and 33rd Street, which runs between the restaurant site and the library, will be widened. The new Chick-fil-A will be much like the ones at Tiger Town in Opelika and on Vernon Road in LaGrange. The building will be approximately 4,000 square feet in size and there will be two partly covered drive-in lanes.

The city will be doing some of the work on 33rd.

“We are having to wait on the approval of ALDOT (the Alabama Department of Transportation) before we can move,” Riley said. “I don’t want Chick-fil-A to be waiting on us.”

Riley said that recessions are unpredictable.

“You know it when it hits and not before then,” he said. “I went through this when I was the superintendent of Chambers County schools. It’s important to have a good reserve to help you through it. If one does happen, I think we are in good shape to weather a recession in Valley. We have a good reserve. I won’t be laying off any of our employees.”

Riley added that that won’t mean someone won’t be fired if they deserve it.

Some discussion took place on the city’s budget for the 2024-25 fiscal year, which gets under way on October 1st. An increase of as much as five percent could be coming on health insurance costs.

The city will likely have an increase in its support of the Chattahoochee Humane Society.   

“They are looking at a $280,000 expansion,” Riley said.

“They are trying to do better, and I think they are,” said Council Member Jim Jones. “We do need to help the situation we have had with dogs running loose at night. Things have gotten better recently in my neighborhood in Fairfax.”

Riley said the city could offer some help in the planned improvements at the animal shelter off Fairfax Bypass.

“They have a new director,” the mayor said. “We need to work with them or get out to have our own service. We won’t let anyone run over us.”

The cities of Valley and Lanett along with Chambers County will be helping pay for the new construction that’s needed at the animal shelter.

“As long as they work with us, I’d like to keep the present arrangement we have,” Riley said.

The cities will likely be paying more next year for the prisoners being housed at the county jail. The cost for housing them, feeding them and their insurance is likely to increase.

Riley said the cost for motor vehicle insurance for city vehicles would be “out of sight” next year. All city departments will have higher costs next year for salaries and retirements.

Building maintenance is also a concern. A huge air conditioning unit on top of the Community Center will have to be replaced in the coming years. That alone will cost more than $130,000.

There will be a slight increase in recreation fees next year.

“We will still be lower than anyone else around us,” Recreation Director Laurie Blount said.

There was some good news on planned street improvements coming out of the work session. Each council representative will be getting $700,000 in planned work for their district. That’s up from $600,000 that had previously been discussed. Planned projects in District One, represented by Jim Clark, includes a big project for 49th Street (off 55th), and additional work for 30th and 34th streets, 27th Avenue, 56th Street west and 22nd Avenue.

Some sidewalk work in Jim Jones’ district has been completed. Paving is planned for Lanier Street, West Sears, Bland, Spring, Denson and LaFayette streets.

In Randall Maddux’s district (Todd Addition) projects are planned for 31st, 32nd and 33rd streets, 14th, 15th and 16th avenues, and 26th and 27th streets.

For Marquetta Madden’s district, projects have been completed on Glass Road, Greenberry Circle. Booker Drive, Wimberly Drive and Chambers Drive. Work in the new year will be taking place on Wilson Avenue, Rebel Road, Mindy Lane, Ronald Avenue and Leta Lane.

Projects scheduled for Kendall Andrews’ River View district include Library Street, Middle Street, the boat ramp road, GI Street. the Farmers Market side of 59th Street, 58th Street and the Brown Circle reclamation.

Henry Cooper’s district will be getting improvements on portions of 26th Avenue, Fairwood Drive, part of Summerhill Road, Stanfield Road and Bennett Street.

Jimmy Gilson’s district is slated for projects on Margurite Street, 21st Avenue, part of Summerhill Road, 59th Street and 60th Street.

Riley gave each council member a packet on the proposed budget and asked each one to study it. The council has a few weeks left before implementing a new budget.

The council will be having a regular session at city hall at 6 p.m. on Monday.