By Jay Sowers

The Selma Times-Journal

 

VALLEY GRANDE — Budgets, trash, donations and schedules were the topics of conversation this week during the city council meeting in Valley Grande.

Valley Grande Mayor Wayne Labbe said Tuesday’s council meeting included a discussion on the upcoming budget, which must be in place by Oct. 1, and is likely to be voted on during the council’s next meeting.

Labbe said one change that appears in next year’s budget might end up benefiting the players, coaches and families who participate in youth baseball games at the Valley Grande Sports Complex.

“We put in some money in the budget for a part-time city recreation organizer to help us out January through June, to organize the league, work with coaches and get the schedules together,” Labbe said.

He said once the budget is approved, the city would begin advertising for the position, which will be a paid part-time position.

Labbe added the amount the organizer will be paid hasn’t been determined yet.

“That’s one of our discussion points right now,” Labbe said Wednesday.

 

Ball park updates

The upcoming search for a part-time city recreation organizer wasn’t the only athletic development discussed during Tuesday’s meeting.

Labbe said a final inspection was recently completed on the new lights above the three ball fields at the sports complex and work has begun to select the new bleachers that will be installed around the fields.

“We are doing research on the footprint of the new bleachers for our ball fields,” Labbe said.

He added that all these moves are part of a concerted effort to make the sports complex a crown jewel for the community.

“With us trying to get the ball fields looking nice, it’s going to be kind of a push this year to get this all done,” Labbe said.

 

City Cleanup Day

Labbe said council members also discussed the upcoming City Cleanup Day, which will be held third weekend in October.

The event will start at 8 a.m. at city hall, where the volunteers will be divided up and sent out to clean up different sections of the city before a hot dog lunch will be served at noon.

Labbe said the clean up, which is held at least twice a year, is open to anyone looking to help out the community or collect service hours.

“We invite anybody that wants to come,” Labbe said “Will just divide people up, give them an area to cover and just turn them loose.”