Black Hawk County, Waterloo discuss regional evidence-processing facility; no funding decision yet

The Black Hawk County Board of Supervisors on March 25 heard a detailed presentation about a proposed regional evidence processing and storage facility and discussed partnering with the City of Waterloo to build and operate the site.

Sheriff Nate Knapp said the county’s current evidence-processing space “has no running water…no ventilation for any chemicals,” and lacks heat and air conditioning, making it unsafe and inefficient for routine lab work. Knapp told the board the county previously estimated a standalone facility at the sheriff’s range would cost about $1.5 million; partnering with Waterloo would allow a larger, better-equipped shared facility for roughly the same or somewhat higher cost.

The proposal presented by Waterloo officials would place a building on roughly 7 acres off MLK Boulevard; Chief Rob Duncan of the Waterloo Police Department said the city council has approved an architect contract and estimated the standalone facility at about $3 million, with land and other commitments pushing total costs higher. Quentin Hart, Waterloo’s mayor, said the city is ready to partner and requested clarity on the county’s level of participation.

Supervisors raised financial and governance questions: whether the county would be a co-owner or a contracting user, how costs and debt would be allocated, whether the county might bond for its share, and what service levels the county would receive. Supervisor Linda (last name not specified) said she favored moving forward but asked for detailed cost, usage and financing information before any commitment; she asked county staff to compile questions for the sheriff and Waterloo and requested supervisor participation in architect meetings.

Knapp and Duncan said the partners would include county staff in design meetings if the board signals interest. County staff and Waterloo officials confirmed roughly $500,000 in land and about $200,000 in architect fees have already been committed by the city; participants said those amounts may or may not be counted inside a final project budget (estimates given ranged from about $3.0 million to $3.5 million including land and related costs).

Supervisors and the city agreed to continue discussions and scheduled a work session; the board asked staff to circulate written questions and to return to the full board for a decision on April 22. No formal motion to commit construction funds or to enter a binding agreement was adopted at the March 25 meeting.

"This partnership… lets us use a bigger, better building," Knapp said, arguing the shared approach would be more efficient and safer for investigations. Mayor Hart said the project advances public safety and urged the board to review questions promptly so cities and the county can proceed.

The board directed staff to (1) gather detailed budget and financing scenarios including bonding options, (2) ensure sheriff’s office representation in architect meetings if the county decides to participate, and (3) hold a work session to resolve outstanding questions prior to the April 22 meeting.

A timeline presented by Waterloo staff suggested schematic design could take a few months and that, if bids and financing align, occupancy could be targeted roughly a year from now; officials cautioned that those dates are preliminary and depend on design, bidding and funding decisions.

The discussion also covered operational matters: whether Cedar Falls or other municipalities would pay capital or operating shares (Cedar Falls officials said they might use parts of the facility but indicated limited interest in capital contributions), and whether the county would be a passive payer or active planning partner. County legal, finance and facilities staff will be asked to provide templates for possible intergovernmental operating agreements and examples of 28E-style partnerships that show how costs and governance could be structured.

The board did not approve any capital appropriation or enter an intergovernmental agreement on March 25; supervisors said they wanted more specific cost, usage and financing information before making a commitment.