Council Highlights April 22 2024

This summary provides a brief overview of City Council meetings and does not reflect all discussion and debate. For full details, download the agenda package or watch the full meeting on the City of Medicine Hat’s YouTube channel.

Council added the following items to the agenda:

1. Naming rights
2. Council statement

City Council received the following items into the corporate record:

• Corporate Services Committee Meeting Minutes of March 28, 2024
• Audit Committee Meeting Minutes of April 3, 2024
• Corporate Services Committee Meeting Minutes of April 11, 2024

City Council received the following items for information:

• 2023 Supply Chain Annual Report
• 2022 Government Finance Officers Association Awards
• 2023 Capital and Major Operating Expense Over Expended/Under Expended/Cancelled as at December 31, 2023
• Capital Projects and Major Operating Expense (MOE) Carry Forwards as at December 31, 2023
• Tri-annual Management Report for the Period Ending December 31, 2023
• Police Commission Meeting Minutes of February 21, 2024
• Municipal Planning Commission Meeting Minutes of April 3, 2024
• Development Permits Approved February 12 - March 24, 2024
• Corporate Services Committee Outstanding Items of March 28, 2024
• Audit Committee Outstanding Items of April 3, 2024
• Corporate Services Committee Outstanding Items of April 11, 2024

Under unfinished business, City Council approved a motion to adjourn item 10.1 Information Request to a future meeting of Council to provide Council members adequate time to review the material supplied by Mayor Clark prior to the meeting.

Chief Murphy, Inspector Secondiak and Sergeant Bohrn of the Medicine Hat Police Service presented the 2024 Downtown Strategy to City Council. Highlights of the presentation included a summary of the current downtown challenges as well as the actions underway to address concerns with safety such as advising businesses on crime prevention through environmental design (CPTED). The presenters also advised council that the downtown is safe place to be and introduced the PEACE team. The Pro-Active Engagement and Community Enhancement Team consists of representatives from Alberta Health Services, Police and Crisis Team, Medicine Hat Fire Services, Community Housing, City of Medicine Hat Parks and Recreation Department and the Miywasin Center who will work collectively to identify temporary encampments and provide services to individuals in need.

Under unfinished business, City Council gave first reading to Bylaw 4735 to amend the Unsightly Property Bylaw. The amendments include adding a definition of “Reasonable State of Repair”, imposing a positive obligation to maintain a property in a Reasonable State of Repair, adding a definition of “City Manager”, adding a definition of “Dilapidated Vehicle”, adding a definition of “Occupier”, expanding upon the coating requirements for exterior doors, windows or other openings covered with wood, adding a new section prescribing minimum security standards, adding a  comprehensive new section prescribing property maintenance standards, creating new offences relating to property maintenance and obstruction, and increasing the fines for first time offences.

Under new business:

• Director of People Services, Karla Kochan provided a presentation to City Council on the City’s proposed updates to the Whistleblower Policy. Following the presentation, City Council approved a motion to refer Whistleblower Policy 8046 back to administration and be amended to reflect council’s will for an independent investigator and independent adjudicator, as well as consideration of including the City’s Fraud Policy 8042, by end of June 2024.
• Director of People Services, Karla Kochan provided a presentation to City Council on the City’s proposed updates to the Respectful Workplace Policy. Following the presentation, City Council approved a motion to refer Respectful Workplace Policy 8047 to Administrative Committee for amendments to return to City Council on May 6, 2024.
• City Council approved a motion to approve the naming of the Curling Club Facility as presented, at the April 22, 2024, closed meeting of Council, subject to the City and the Curling Club agreeing to any additional amendments to the current lease agreement as deemed necessary by the City Manager in consultation with the City Solicitor.
• City Council approved a motion to direct City administration to plan a video and statement for immediate distribution to the community. This video should involve all of Council to emphasize the importance of civility and respect as core values of the city. We deeply respect City staff and their mental health and physical safety and we, as elected officials, have not been able to ensure they have a safe workplace due to the abuse endured in social media and other forms of communication. These are not the values of the City of Medicine Hat and are negatively affecting the ability to recruit and retain talented people.

Under Committee Business:

• City Council gave first reading to Bylaw 4813 to amend the Land Use Bylaw to Rezone 512, 517, 625 and 650 13th Street SE to Business Industrial District. A public hearing will take place on May 21, 2024.
• City Council gave first reading to Bylaw 4818 to amend the Land Use Bylaw to Rezone 640 Clay Avenue SE to Business Industrial District. A public hearing will take place on May 21, 2024.
• Director of Finance, Lola Barta, presented the 2024 Property Tax Bylaw. Following the presentation, City Council
  • approved the revised Education, Cypress View Foundation and Designated Industrial Property requisitions in the 2024 Municipal Services Operating Budget, as presented.
  • passed Bylaw 4816, the 2024 Property Tax Bylaw. The bylaw update results in a 4.4% increase to the municipal tax rate for the median Single Family and Multi-Family Residential and a 4.2% increase to the municipal tax rate for the Non-Residential taxpayer.
  • passed Bylaw 4817, the Student Dormitory Taxation Bylaw; and
  • passed Bylaw 4819, the 2024 Supplementary Property Tax Bylaw.
  • approved the 2023 City of Medicine Hat Financial Statements.
  • approved the reappointment of MNP LLP for the City of Medicine Hat Annual Audit Engagement for the 2024 Financial Statements.
  • rescinds Development and Infrastructure Water, Sewer, Storm and Transportation Aging Infrastructure Policy 0154 and approves Corporate Asset Management Policy 0181