The Waterloo City Council on Monday approved its end of a three-year agreement for emergency dispatching services provided by the Monroe County Sheriff’s Department.

The Monroe County Board is set to take up the matter at its next meeting set for Oct. 7.

Terms of this contract, which will take effect Oct. 1, call for Waterloo to pay $175,000 in the first year, $190,000 in the second year and $205,000 in the third year.

A disagreement concerning the amount Waterloo pays the county for dispatching services boiled over during the Aug. 5 meeting of the Monroe County Board. 

The issue first arose in April when Monroe County Sheriff Neal Rohlfing told commissioners the cost of taking emergency calls for Waterloo was much greater than what the city was reimbursing the county. 

At the Aug. 5 city council meeting, Waterloo Mayor Tom Smith appointed aldermen Steve Notheisen and Stan Darter to meet with the commissioners in an effort to come up with an official contract for dispatching services.

“It went smoothly,” Notheisen said of discussions with the county on this contract.

Prior to the contract,  there had only been a verbal agreement on what the city should pay the county for these services.

“You need a contract,” Monroe County Board Chairman Bob Elmore told the Republic-Times on Tuesday. “Sometimes, a gentlemen’s agreement can get out of whack over the years.”

The contract terms are closer to the amount Rohlfing had recommended for Waterloo’s share of dispatching services.

“I’m just glad we got a contract done,” Smith said.

In other action from Monday, the city council approved an agreement with the county for proposed pedestrian traffic improvements at the intersection of HH Road/Country Club Lane and Route 3.

The county will apply for an Illinois Transportation Enhancement Program grant to pay for this project. ITEP is a federally funded grant program that promotes alternate modes of transportation.

The project, which includes a signalized pedestrian crossing across Route 3  from Country Club Lane to HH Road and a sidewalk west on HH Road, would connect with a new sidewalk just installed on Country Club Lane near Human Support Services east to Rogers Street.

The project cost is estimated at $300,000.

Waterloo Director of Public Works Tim Birk reported at the meeting that the asphalt overlay project in the Sterritt’s Run and Quail Run subdivisions is expected to begin Wednesday.

The council approved the re-appointments of Carol Vogt and Daniel Lutz to three-year terms on the Planning Commission. 

With all aldermen voting in favor except for Russ Thomas, a Downtown Beautification Grant for WEL Properties was approved at 736 N. Market Street. This is the site of a future business building to be constructed at the site of the former McDonald’s, which was demolished last week.

The next city council meeting is set for 7:30 p.m. Oct. 7 at Waterloo City Hall.