The Waterloo City Council on Monday night approved an amendment to a city ordinance allowing for a new brew pub to operate in town.

The action clears the way for Hopskeller Brewing Company, a proposed seven-barrel brewery to be located across from the Monroe County Courthouse at 116 E. Third Street, to open this fall.

Once open, possibly in October, Hopskeller will be able to serve 107 persons in its building and allow for packaged snacks on premises along with draft beverages.

The zoning amendment passed through both the city’s ordinance and planning and zoning committees with unanimous recommendation for council approval.

Earlier this month, the Monroe County Board accepted a request from the Monroe County Economic Development Council to approve a revolving fund loan to Hopskeller owner Matthew Schweizer.

Lately, Schweizer has made his beer available for tasting at local events such Waterloo’s PumpkinFest and Gibault’s “Taste of the Region,” getting the word out about his company.

“We almost ran out of beer (at PumpkinFest),” he told the Republic-Times in a recent article. “The feedback was great. People are really excited about this.”

Keep up with the brewery’s happenings at www.facebook.com/hopskeller.

Another brewery, Stubborn German Brewing Company, also has plans to open a similar operation in a building on West Mill Street sometime in 2016.

Stubborn German is the creation of Chris and Tammy Rahn, owners of Rahn’s Hometown Auto Repair in Waterloo.

The Rahns are still in the process of working on licensing, paperwork and approvals for their future brewery.

For more information on Stubborn German, visit www.facebook.com/StubbornGermanBrewingCompanyWaterlooIL.

In other recent city council action, aldermen approved civil site improvement plans for a new memory care facility to be built next to the existing Legacy Place senior living community off Hamacher Street near Oak Hill.

On Monday, the council also authorized Mayor Tom Smith to sign an Illinois EPA permit for the proposed memory care facility, which will consist of an estimated 30 beds.

During its Feb. 17 meeting, the council approved the purchase of a Waterloo Fire Department Memorial Bell Plaza tribute paver in the amount of $500, to be paid out of the Downtown Beautification/Video Gaming Fund.

The council also approved the low bid of $255,632 from Virginia Transformer for two electric pad mount transformers that will bring the city’s substation up to code.

On Monday night, the council approved the purchase of a lift station alarm monitoring system in the amount of $37,462 from Vandevanter Engineering.

Tim Birk, Waterloo Director of Public Works, told the council that city workers used 450 tons of salt on Friday and Saturday for the most recent winter storm.

The council recently approved the following appointments and re-appointments: Bill Boothman and Ron Hagenow to the zoning board of appeals, Sandy Ziebold to the planning commission, and Jared Nobbe to the library board.