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QUINCY, ILL. -- Every time a toilet flushes in Quincy, it costs the taxpayers.

But over the next five years, it is going to cost over one million dollars less than the previous five years.

The Quincy City Council has approved a five year contract with a private firm from O'Fallon Illinois to run the wastewater treatment and sludge facilities.

EMC has been running both plants for several years under an existing contract.

At one time, the city had 19 workers at the plants. Next year there will only be 8 workers on site.

Several aldermen expressed concern about the way EMC was chosen, but all agreed the one million dollars plus in savings is a good deal for the city in the long run.

A Quincy restaurant will get to expand it's parking lot.

The city council voted last night to accept the recommendation from the plan commission to allow Tower restaurant on Broadway to add 37 more parking spaces behind and to the west of the eatery.

An ordinance will be drafted that must come for a final vote in the weeks ahead, but there is no opposition on the council to the Tower expansion plan.

A neighbor, John Gebhardt of 502 North 28th, is against the expansion.

He also fought the original parking lot construction which was approved in 2003.