The city has agreed to spend nearly a million dollars to help Hamilton Police Services build a new investigative services building downtown, but one councillor worries it's setting the city up for a future money crunch.

City council will either debt finance or spend the police budget surplus to contribute $900,000 to the $5 million municipal contribution to the new building. The rest will primarily come from police reserves and the sale of a Mountain station.

Police are cutting deep into their reserves without a solid financial plan, said Coun. Chad Collins of Ward 5, the sole councillor to vote against the project on Wednesday.

I just think it’s fiscally irresponsible. - Coun. Chad Collins

So when the next urgent capital need happens, the service won't be able to handle it, he said, and the city could end up going farther into debt to cover it.

"I just think it’s fiscally irresponsible," said Collins, who supports the project otherwise. "It’s a last-minute amalgamation of funding sources that essentially drained everything they have in the bank and leaves them no financial capacity to pay for future hits."

Everyone else on council supported the 53,500-square foot building, which will include three forensics labs — one for evidence from victims, one for the accused and one for the crime scene.

Police will use the commitment to apply for $5 million from both the provincial and federal governments, for a total of $15 million.

What is going on now must be addressed. We are at a critical stage. - Chief Glenn De Caire

Lack of space is hurting cases

Chief Glenn De Caire acknowledged that the plan depletes the service's reserves. But that shows how badly the building is needed.

"We are at a stage where this project must take place," he said. "What is going on now must be addressed. We are at a critical stage."

Coun. Aidan Johnson of Ward 1, a former Legal Aid lawyer, agreed.

De Caire has warned councillors that the lack of enough forensics lab space could potentially impact cases. Johnson said that's already happening. People who are possibly guilty walk free, and potential innocent people are convicted, over the mishandling of evidence, he said. That includes in Hamilton.

One wonders how some of these cases would have turned out if there had been proper handling of legal evidence. - Coun. Aidan Johnson

"I saw parties who were acquitted because there had been mishandling of forensic evidence and the defence was able to establish it," Johnson said at a council meeting Wednesday. "One wonders how some of these cases would have turned out if there had been proper handling of legal evidence."

The first space needs analysis for the building date back to 1995, De Caire said. The service will continue talks with other levels of government about the rest of the money for the building.

Checking on the gasification plant

Including the new building, police have identified $43,259,000 in new capital projects they needs over the next decade, including a $4-million expansion to their marine facility, $19,674,000 for a new division four station and $1 million for new horse stables.

Council passed the 2015 capital budget on Wednesday. The budget is a 0.5-per cent increase from last year, which amounts to $15 on the average tax bill, said finance head Mike Zegarac.

Council also voted Wednesday to have staff report back on whether Port Fuels and Materials Services Inc. is acknowledging that it has to follow the city's planning process for its planned Pier 15 gasification plant. Collins moved that motion.

The company plans an energy-from-waste plant on Hamilton's waterfront, but hasn't acknowledged that it needs city approvals on elements such as zoning and a site plan.

Collins, who moved the gasification plant motion, has predicted that the city and the company are headed for a "procedural showdown" that could end up in court.

Coun. Sam Merulla of Ward 4 had strong words for the project on Wednesday, calling it a "potential environmental disaster."

Who voted in favour of the investigative services building:

Aidan Johnson, Jason Farr, Matthew Green, Sam Merulla, Tom Jackson, Mayor Fred Eisenberger, Doug Conley, Maria Pearson, Brenda Johnson, Lloyd Ferguson, Arlene VanderBeek, Judi Partridge, Robert Pasuta

Opposed: Chad Collins