The chair of Hamilton police services board is holding out hope a city rule that makes Hess Village bar owners pay to enforce its unruly patrons survives a vote at City Hall.

"It's all young kids who are fuelled up on alcohol," Coun. Lloyd Ferguson said Tuesday in response to a push to eliminate a paid-duty policing requirement for the bar district.

The 2010 arrangement that obliges is on shaky ground heading into Wednesday's council meeting.

Last week at planning committee, councillors voted 7-2 in favour of Coun. Jason Farr's motion to axe the program altogether. That decision still needs final approval from council Wednesday.

After a conference call with police Chief Eric Girt and Farr Tuesday afternoon, Ferguson said he was hopeful a "compromise" could be reached.

That would involve reducing the paid-duty officers Hess bar owners pay for to three constables and one sergeant two nights a week during patio season. That's down from the four constables and two sergeants proprietors paid for this year.

The proposal - which Girt makes in a letter to be discussed Wednesday - would have the police service continue covering the cost of one dispatcher and three constables dedicated to Hess Village. With that, the chief expects a "near even split" of the cost between police and bar owners at $48,000 each.

In his letter, Girt argues that without paid-duty officers at Hess Village, there would be an "increase in disorder . and policing would largely be reactive."

The chief also notes the program allows beat officers to respond to "other, equally emergent calls" elsewhere downtown.

Hess Village has a notorious reputation for hordes of drunken patrons who spill into the surrounding neighbourhoods in the wee hours of the morning, leading to mischief and violence.

In his letter, Girt says there were 675 calls to Hess Village from Jan. 1 to Sept. 20, representing 54 per cent of the 1,236 calls for downtown area. By comparison, the Augusta Street pub strip generated 341 calls.

Hamilton police declined The Spectator's request to speak to Girt and provide more detail about the calls.

Farr says Hess Village is not as rowdy as it once was, noting the number of patrons has dipped in recent years, while fewer owners are left paying for the enhanced enforcement.

Moreover, no other municipality in Canada makes bar owners in a particular zone pay for extra policing, the Ward 2 councillor said.

"It's something that only we do and that's the crux of the issue. That's the bare-bones basic argument from Day 1."

Farr said Tuesday's huddle with Girt and Ferguson was cordial but added his motion was on firm ground heading into Wednesday's council meeting.

"7-2 is a pretty healthy vote."

Farr dismissed a recent YouTube video of drunken Hess Village revelers.

"You could get that same kind of footage after a Ticat game."

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For Ferguson, the video is further evidence Hess owners ought to pay to police the antics of the type of patrons they attract, but not taxpayers at large.

"Some guy tries to stick his fist up the butt of a horse . That's the kind of nonsense that's going on," the Ancaster councillor said.

Ferguson also said the chief's proposal was reasonable, noting the program initially required 10 paid-duty officers. "We have come a long ways from 10 officers down to four."

- Extra police should stay until Hess Village bars serve responsibly