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City Council
Until further notice, Valley City Council meetings will be held in the Crowder Room of the Valley Community Center at 6PM.
Council Agenda Monday, May 13th, 2013
The City of Valley has a council of seven members and a mayor for a total of eight members. This is an unusual structure since most Alabama cities the size of Valley have only five members and a mayor. Valley's district structure came from negotiations with the U.S. Justice Department and the City Council when the city converted from at-large voting to voting districts in 1992. Two "safe" minority districts were created and distribution of populations resulted in seven districts rather than five. Valley's district layout and odd seven member council scheme was approved by the U.S. Federal Courts.
The City of Valley does most of its planning and research in advisory committees. Committees report their findings and recommendations to the council for official action. Committees cannot take official action nor can they commit the city without authorization from the council. Two of these committees are the Beautification Committee and the Recreation Committee. Special advisory committees are created for a specific short-term purpose. Two of these have been the Millennium Community Celebration Committee and the Special Zoning Committee.
There are several important boards and commissions that have played a big role in Valley's progress. Some are the Valley Board of Adjustments, the Valley Historic Preservation Commission, the Valley Planning Commission, and the Valley Tree Board. Valley's success in these areas depends upon the patient dedication of the volunteers and appointees that serve on these boards. It is their hard work and sense of civic duty that create positive achievements in their board and commission areas of responsibility.
Annual Report
The Council enthusiastically approved the annual production of this report to its citizens. Communication is important and the successful execution of a democratic form of government depends upon an educated and informed citizenry. The council and mayor trusts that this report will help disclose what the City of Valley is doing and how the local government is working to accomplish a better quality of life for all of its citizens. The council, mayor, department heads, officials, and employees of the City of Valley are dedicated to providing first-rate government and to seeking a high-quality future for everyone.
City Planning
Valley aggressively pursues grant funds to finance city developments. Several large sewage grants and an ISTEA grant have been acquired to expand sewage and build the popular Chattahoochee Valley Railroad Trail. Grants have been received to plant trees, restore historic buildings, attend international conferences, do historic surveys, create long range plans, landscape city property, and purchase buses for recreation activities. The Valley City Council supports grants through matching funds and by approving the special accounting and documentation requirements that accompany most grants
The Council believes in planning. The city has hired consultants to help determine the city's assets and resources. This interest in formal planning has led to the participation in DesignAlabama and resulted in the special Design Valley conceptual plan booklet that was published in1999. Planning identified the Chattahoochee River as a special resource, encouraged the development of the Valley Community Center, and reduced the number of conflicts that may have arisen from individual political agendas. Planning has directly influenced cooperative arrangements between the city and local businesses and organizations. In short, planning has provided Valley and its citizenry with a positive future.
Education and Training
The Valley City Council stresses education and training for itself and for city employees. Valley is one of only a few cities to have its entire council certified by the Alabama League of Municipalities as Certified Municipal Officials. Several council members are only a few hours from receiving Advanced Certificates. This interest in training filters into all areas of the city as the council approves travel and expenses to support a large array of training courses for city employees.