EVANSDALE -- Mayor Chad Deutsch may soon pitch a proposal to Elk Run Heights to provide police, fire and ambulance services.

The Evansdale City Council Tuesday informally approved Deutsch's request to draw up a proposed contract. Deutsch said he hopes to submit an official proposal to its smaller sister community by the end of the year.

One of Deutsch's goals after being elected was grow revenue by convincing nearby communities to pay Evansdale for public safety. Deutsch said a partnership with Elk Run, batted around for years before he took office, isn't a done deal yet, but he floated the idea to Elk Run Heights City Council members at their Oct. 14 meeting.

Currently, Elk Run Heights pays the Black Hawk County Sheriff's Department $38,600 a year. Deputies patrol the streets at least three times a day and handle all investigations. For fire and ambulance service, the town pays Waterloo Fire Rescue $29,378.

Elk Run Heights renewed one-year protection contracts on July 1. State law requires cities to provide emergency services, either internally or externally.

With a little more than a 1,000 people, Elk Run Heights Mayor Bill Henninger said it's not cost effective to provide their own service. Ultimately, it will come down what's best for the citizens -- both safety wise and financially.

"We have no problem with (service) now. But we're always interested if there's something better for Elk Run," Henninger said.

Waterloo Fire Rescue provides immediate, around-the-clock service, said chief Doug Carter. While Evansdale's volunteer fire and ambulance personnel are capable of doing the job, he believes Waterloo Fire Rescue is a better choice.

"We're a full-paid department that's available 24-7. I think the differences are obvious," Carter said. "It's Elk Run's choice."

For medical calls, Deutsch disagrees. He said all Evansdale full-time police officers are trained first responders or emergency medical technicians with medical gear, such as defibrillators and oxygen, in their cars. Officers respond to every medical emergency.

Deutsch, an inactive reserve police officer, said fire and police response times from Evansdale would be a couple of minutes or less. Waterloo Fire Rescue can't match it, he said.

"There's no way a full-time service can respond that fast. That's critical in life-saving (calls)," Deutsch said.

Carter said losing the Elk Run Heights contract would impact his budget, but not significantly.

Evansdale officials said its seven full-time officers, along with its part-time and reserve force, can protect Elk Run without added costs. The idea is to save money for taxpayers of both cities.

"It's not a bad thing to grow," said Randy Weber, Evansdale police chief.

Contact Matthew Wilde at (319) 291-1579 or matt.wilde@wcfcourier.com.