The city of Valley Grande will allow a 15-year-old baseball tournament team to use the sports complex on a temporary basis.

Valley Grande officials voted unanimously at its 45-minute City Council meeting on Monday at Valley Grande City Hall.

“We need to make sure it won’t interfere with Valley Grande programs,” Valley Grande mayor Matt Dobbs said.

Scott Swanson addressed the City Council at the July 2 Council meeting for permission to use the facilities.

The council investigated how much it would cost Valley Grande because the city’s trying to stay on budget before the fiscal year ends on Sept. 30.

The city would only be responsible for the lights and cutting the fields. Valley Grande’s insurance covers the team as long as a city employee is present. City officials will also decide how much of the gate they keep. The league would pay the umpires.

Dobbs also met with the Dallas County Sherriff’s Department, who wants Valley Grande to purchase a new vehicle that would cost over $30,000. The city has $113,000 of its 2019 budget allotted to the Sherriff’s Department.

“We’ll have a future work session to discuss the Dallas County Sherriff’s department,” Dobbs said. “The previous City Councils have gone through this.”

The other new business items were the final passage of the Business License Ordinance and the Building Permit Fees Ordinance. The council unanimously passed both. The Business License Ordinance is based on a gross receipt, no longer a flat rate. The Building Permit Fees Ordinances changed the flat fee for mobile homes.

For old business, Valley Grande City officials were pleased with their Fourth of July Fireworks celebration on July 4. The new 100.9 ALEX-FM WALX broadcasted the show and it had a strong turnout despite the rainstorms that day.

“The firework show went well,” Dobbs said. “We need to keep WALX doing the show. They do a great job.”