City agrees to put Hamilton police forensics building 'on the credit card'

Hamilton Police Service is finally getting its long-awaited new forensics facility in downtown Hamilton, despite one city councillor saying it's being paid for "on the credit card."

City council's general issues committee voted 11-4 Wednesday to borrow just over $14 million on the service's behalf for a new investigative services building in Beasley.

The two-storey building will replace the current cramped quarters, which Coun. Robert Pasuta said Wednesday is so small that it's set up less efficiently than his workshop at his Flamborough farm.

With Wednesday's approval, construction should start next year on the $24 million facility, with a scheduled opening in early 2019.

• Hamilton police ask city to help borrow $14M for new forensics building
• Police want to borrow $14 million for new forensics building

Not everyone was happy. Councillors Matthew Green and Chad Collins both argued that the project should be deliberated in November, when city council will approve its capital budget. By approving it now, council isn't able to look at it alongside the city's other needs. 

"Every time we put it on the credit card, so to speak, we have less to deal with that infrastructure list," Collins said, referencing a list of needed projects.

"The more creative we are sometimes, the more we hurt ourselves."

Chief Eric Girt says the service will find $428,782 in its budget for 15 years to pay back the loan. 

By 2020, the service will also have paid off its Mountain division station on Rymal Road. Then it can put those annual payments of $716,000 toward the building loan.

The service will also cover $10 million through a pair of reserves.

City council will vote to ratify the decision on Sept. 28.