Council Highlights February 18, 2025

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 .

Under Councillor Announcements:

• Councillor Robins congratulated the Parks and Recreation department on successful Family Day celebration activities.

City Council received the following items into the corporate record: 

• Public Services Committee Meeting Minutes of January 27, 2025

• Development and Infrastructure Committee Meeting Minutes of February 6, 2025

• Energy, Land and Environment Committee Meeting Minutes of February 6, 2025

City Council received the following items for information: 

• Highway #3 Twinning - Status Update

• Public Services Committee Action Items - January 27, 2025

• Development and Infrastructure Committee Action Items of February 6, 2025

• Energy, Land and Environment Committee Action Items of February 6, 2025

Councillor Sharps requested that the Jurisdictional Scan Related to the kVA Range in the Medium Commercial Class be pulled from the information items in the consent agenda with the intent to make a notice of motion related to the item.

Under New Business:

Director of Economic Development, Selena McLean-Moore, presented a status update for the Rural Renewal Program. Following the presentation, City Council approved a recommendation to pause the Rural Renewal Stream application intake, with the intention of reviewing its status in January 2026. 

City council approved a motion to directs the City Administration to report back to Council by the end of Q2 2025 on the logic, clarity, and fairness of the current transformer replacement process and obligations especially with regard to how the City of Medicine Hat’s policy and/or Bylaw compares with practices of other similar providers in clearly and fairly allocating costs and responsibilities.

City Council approved a motion to direct Administration to include Mustard Seed updates on the Development and Infrastructure, Public Services and Administrative Committee Action Items list. 

City Council approved a motion to receive item 8.5 Jurisdictional Scan related to the kVA range in the medium commercial class for information. Related to this item, Councillor Sharps gave a notice of motion to direct administration to provide the potential financial impact to all ratepayers regardless of class by adjusting the medium commercial rates to 50 kVA with and/or a consumption greater than 5,000 kWh. By extension, this would propose making the small commercial classification be defined as those with a demand of up to 49 kVA and a consumption of less than 5,000 kWh per month. And additionally, that Council direct Administration to provide communication options to ratepayers when they exceed the threshold, including consideration of a 60-day grace period to understand and address the factors contributing to their increased consumption.