A South Beloit resident told the City Council on Dec. 2 that he remains concerned about the fire department’s staffing and future capacity and urged the council to hold a town-hall meeting to discuss public concerns about emergency response.

Josh Lloyd, a resident who addressed the council during public comment, said the city’s historical staffing changes left the department with fewer guaranteed personnel than before and that citizens worry about long-term capacity. “We have nothing for the future, and the citizens are concerned about it,” Lloyd said during public comment. He suggested holding a town-hall meeting at the fire station or school district to answer community questions.

Council and staff then discussed a separate but related operational change: a city plan to move fire and police dispatch services to Winnebago County’s consolidated dispatch center. City staff told the council they expect the county dispatch center could be ready to assume services around Feb. 1; the staff recommended drafting termination letters to Mercy (the city’s current dispatch provider) but delaying sending them until the county board approves the intergovernmental agreement.

City staff said the county agreement (drafted as Resolution 6576) would make Winnebago County responsible for dispatch equipment, and that consolidating dispatch under one county umbrella should improve response and continuous updates while crews are en route — an item the city linked to improved ISO ratings for the fire department. The council laid Resolution 6576 over to the Dec. 16 meeting so the county can review city attorney edits and the city can supply a formal resolution in the packet.

The council voted to authorize the city administrator to draft termination letters to Mercy, with staff stating the letters likely will not be sent until county approval is confirmed. Council members and staff emphasized that equipment responsibilities and a final county sign-off remain to be clarified before the transition is finalized.