The Luverne City Council approved a motion to set a public hearing date on the possible closing of a portion of East 2nd Street at the request of Luverne United Methodist Church.

A letter written by Brian Richardson, LUMC chairman of the Board of Trustees, to the council requested that the church gain approval for the portion of the street to be closed because of safety issues with children crossing the street to the play area on the adjoining lot and because of possible future construction on the lot.

The public hearing will be advertised for four weeks and has been set for Monday, July 23, at 4:30 p.m. at the Luverne City Hall.

In other business, resident Randy Smyth addressed the council over &#8220concerns for teenage leagues in the Parks and Recreation this year.”

Smyth said there was no 13-year-old league this year.

&#8220This same thing happened last year,” Smyth said. &#8220Something is wrong with how we're running our parkŠWe're losing our kids, and the park is too nice to be let go like it has.”

Luverne Mayor Joe Rex Sport told Smyth that he had been &#8220assured” that the Luverne Parks and Recreation would have a &#8220good schedule” before he left for a trip to England; however, when he returned, he discovered that &#8220we didn't have that schedule.”

&#8220We've got it set up to go in and do some grading and cleaning on the field, too” Sport said. &#8220Things shouldn't be this way next year.”

The mayor also reported that the Luverne Police Department had made several arrests for controlled substances, which he said was good work by the department.

In addition, Sport said that city sales taxes were down $4,000 this month when compared to this time last year. Overall, city sales taxes were $12,000 behind when compared to this same time last year.

The council approved for Ron Hackathorn, director of Love Youth Center Inc., located on 6th Street and Barbara Street in Luverne, to close off the street directly in front of the youth center on Saturday, June 30, from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. for a music fest that will be held that day.

The next Luverne City Council meeting will be held on Monday, June 25, at 5 p.m.