Chelsea will begin providing maintenance and funding for the Chelsea Youth Club sports organization after the city signed an agreement with the club during a March 16 Chelsea City Council meeting.

Through the agreement, the city will take ownership of all Chelsea Youth Club facilities, and will pay off the more than $6,000 in debts currently owed by the club, said Chelsea Mayor Earl Niven.

However, the city will lease parks and playing fields to the club for $1 per year, and the Chelsea Youth Club will continue to organize and coach the city’s basketball, cheerleading, baseball, softball and football leagues.

“We have been talking about this for several months with the Youth Club,” Niven said. “This is a great addition to the Youth Club and to the city of Chelsea.

“We think we can provide better facilities and better programs through this merger,” Niven added.

The City Council will appoint members to a committee to oversee the merged sports program during its April 6 meeting.

In other business, the council also voted to grant a retail beer and table wine license to the Walgreens store at 16468 U.S. 280.