Blackhawk County approves participation in Waterloo evidence intake facility despite questions on invoices and long-term costs

Summary

Blackhawk County supervisors approved a revised intergovernmental (28E) agreement and a 50-year operating-cost schedule to share a proposed evidence intake facility with the City of Waterloo and Waterloo Police, while several supervisors pressed for clearer vendor invoices and documentation of operating expenses.

Blackhawk County supervisors voted July 22 to approve an updated 28E-style agreement and a separate operating-expense schedule to help fund an evidence intake facility to be built and owned by the City of Waterloo. The county will pay up to $750,000 toward construction and will make stepped annual payments to offset operating costs over 50 years.

The vote follows weeks of negotiation between county staff, the sheriff's office and Waterloo officials and comes after Sheriff Mark Ward provided detailed usage and cost figures. “We've taken 304 cases there over the last 3 years,” Ward said, adding that packaging and trips to an out-of-county lab amount to roughly “52, roughly once a week,” which he estimated costs the sheriff's office about $35,000 a year in travel and staff time.

The approved construction contribution remains capped at $750,000; the operating schedule approved separately sets county payments at $10,000 per year for years one through…

Blackhawk County approves participation in Waterloo evidence intake facility despite questions on invoices and long-term costs

Summary

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