HERMANN — With the details worked out, the Hermann Board of Aldermen Monday night approved a contract that calls for Gasconade County Enhanced-911 Dispatching to provide overnight services for the next six months.

Faced with a shortage of dispatchers at its center in the Hermann Police Department, city officials agreed to the short-term service provided by E-911 Dispatching, which will include emergency dispatching for Hermann police, the Hermann Fire Company and Hermann Area Ambulance.

E-911 will provide dispatching service seven days a week from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. with service beginning Nov. 1 and running through April 30.

The city of Hermann will pay E-911 Dispatch $2,500 a month along with $2,000 to cover the set-up costs. Any additional expenses incurred by E-911 Dispatch while providing the service will be billed to the city, the contract said.

If the Hermann Police Department needs to transfer the dispatching duty to E-911 Dispatch during the city’s hours of responsibility, the countywide dispatching agency will charge Hermann $40 per hour.

In other matters at Monday night’s aldermanic session, City Administrator Patricia Heaney reported that the board needs to begin considering stepping up a level with the city’s contributions to employees’ retirement plans. Heaney said the city’s contribution to the Local Government Employees Retirement System (LAGERS) has not been increased from the time it began for city employees.

Heaney explained that Hermann’s participation is at the lowest tier offered, a position shared by only 5 percent of the municipalities that take part in LAGERS.

The city administrator said the level of LAGERS participation is an important factor in a police officer’s decision to work here or relocate to another community with a higher contribution to the retirement program.

The Gasconade County Commission recently approved moving the county up the ladder with LAGERS, a move that will cost the county an additional $30,000 a year for the next 20 years. Gasconade County employees also have a second retirement system they can tap when they retire — the County Employee Retirement Fund (CERF).

“I think it’s a good thing to start discussing” increasing City Hall’s contribution to city employees’ LAGERS accounts. “I think we’re kind of overdue for doing that,” she added.

The board confirmed the appointment of Mark Volmer to the city’s Utility Advisory Board (UAB). That panel advises the aldermen on issues involving the city’s electricity, water and natural gas operations. Volmer is the owner of Quality Custom Molding, LLC, which will be operating in the structure that previously houses Pretium Packaging.

Aldermen also gave final approval to a bill that increases the city’s various camping fees by $5 each. The issue was first proposed at a previous meeting.