Decision on putting tax dollars into Hess Village policing delayed

Hess Village bar and restaurant owners are suffering dwindling sales, and struggling to pay a special fee for Hamilton Police to patrol the district, says a local councillor.

But the patio season is already in full swing, and they'll still have to wait at least another month to see if that changes.

Jason Farr,Ward 2 representative, is trying to convince fellow councillors to lighten the financial load onHess bar owners. He wants a pilot project where the city would pay 65 per cent of the roughly $115,000 per year in paid duty costs. The current system is unfair, he said, and making life harder on business.

But on Tuesday, his plan wastabled yet again.Now it'll be late June at the earliest before the city votes on whether to chipin tax dollars for the paid duty policing program.

"This should have happened four years ago," Farr said. "They've been patient. They may find now that their bottom lines are affected again. Patio season started this weekend."

• Farr wants taxpayers to help pay for Hess Village policing costs

But members of the city planning committee weren't willing to commit to the program yet.

Coun. Brenda Johnson from Ward 11 wanted more information, specifically crime and patrol stats from Hamilton police. She wants to hear from police, she says, on whether there really has been an attendance drop. That report is coming on June 16.

"We keep hearing that revenue is down andattendance is down," she said. "We've asked police to come forward and say if attendance really is attendance down."

Coun. Maria Pearson wants to see that information as well,including more information on business in the district.

"If there seems to be a shift of what's going on there, we need a better evaluation from the police," she said.

Meanwhile, more Hess Village business owner are rebelling against the costs. Several have appeared before the city's licensing tribunal over lack of payment. One business owner, Dean Collett from Sizzle/Koi, has launched a lawsuit.

On Friday, Tony Visca of Ora Italian Grill and Bar will face the city licensing tribunal on the same issue.

Farr says business has dwindled in Hess Village.

At one point, he said, the district had about 500 employees. Now there are about 250. Figures from previous staff reports show that the number of patrons during the patio season has decreased about 65 per cent, he said.

Farr proposes a four-year fund-sharing pilot, and establishing a Hess Village BIA. The money would come from a reserve.