Council Highlights May 5, 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 .

Mayor Clark advised that Item 9.1, the reimbursement of legal fees incurred by Mayor Clark to date in relation to the Giorno legal opinion, the Reorg, City Manager Mitchell’s defamation allegation, the Code of Conduct, the JR, or otherwise in the course of her duties, in the amount of $76,017.62, would be deferred to the May 20, 2025, meeting.

Under Councillor Announcements:  

• Mayor Clark recognized Red Dress Day, the National Day of Awareness for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls and 2SLGBTQIA+ People. Members of Council wore Red Dress pins on their lapels during the meeting.
• Councillor Sharps shared the positive experience she had attending the Citizenship Ceremony at the Esplanade on May 1 and encouraged others to attend a ceremony if ever able.
• Councillor Sharps recognized the incredible performance of the Medicine Hat Tigers in the WHL playoffs and wished them luck in the league finals.
• Mayor Clark acknowledged the efforts of local residents who organized the “Elbows Up” event over the weekend.

City Council received the following items into the corporate record: 

• Public Services Committee Meeting Minutes of April 14, 2025
• Development and Infrastructure Committee Meeting Minutes of April 17, 2025
• Energy, Land and Environment Committee Meeting Minutes of April 17, 2025
• Council Committee of the Whole Minutes of April 28, 2025
• Public Services Committee Meeting Minutes of April 28, 2025

City Council received the following items for information: 

• Community Vibrancy Advisory Board (CVAB) Meeting Minutes of January 29, 2025 & February 26, 2025
• 2025 Economic Development - Quarterly Report
• Land Use Bylaw - Clarity of Dates to Committee and Council
• 770 1st Street SE – Update
• Public Services Committee Meeting Action Items of April 14, 2025
• Development and Infrastructure Committee Meeting Action Items of April 17, 2025
• Energy, Land and Environment Committee Meeting Action Items of April 17, 2025
• Public Services Committee Meeting Action Items of April 28, 2025

Under New Business, City Council:   

• Deferred a decision on changes to Policy 8026 Compensation and Appeal Process for Designated Officers, to update non-union salary grids to align with current market to the May 20, 2025 meeting.
• Approved the available grant funding opportunity to update the Regional Emergency Management Plan (REMP). The REMP, a joint plan with Town of Redcliff and Cypress County, was last updated in 2020 and due to significant changes in provincial emergency management legislation over the past five years, the plan requires a major update. As part of the Alberta Community Partnerships Program, a $125K grant is immediately available, with $100K to be used to retain a third-party consultant to update the plan and $25K to conduct a regional emergency exercise.
• Approved the sale of 532 South Railway Street SE (the former Foodbank) for the negotiated purchase price of $172,000.00 on an “as-is, where is” basis” to the potential purchaser.
• Gave first reading to Bylaw 4852, an amendment to the Tri-Area Intermunicipal Development Plan.
• Received for information a presentation from Travis Tuchsherer, Director of Energy Marketing and Business Analysis, and Jasmin Gross, Business Analyst, on Ratepayers Class – kVA Range.
• Adopted the Community Well-Being Plan titled “Momentum”, which lays the framework for the community to collectively respond to ongoing and emerging issues and align and allocate resources based on identified priorities and actions that support well-being.

• Defeated the following motion: to suspend the code of conduct policy until a revised version can be drafted. Currently, the policy only allows administration to file complaints against members of the public, while not providing a mechanism for the public to file complaints against administration. Therefore, a revised policy should include provisions for complaints to be directed toward administration and ensure that all complaints are directed to an integrity commission commissioner rather than through city personnel. Council directs administration to present a revised draft by the end of Q2.
• Defeated the following motion: to direct administration to revise the indemnification policy to allow Council to seek independent legal advice without requiring city administration approval. The revised policy should also ensure that legal counsel is available in cases of accusations from any person, internally or externally. Council directs administration to complete the policy by the end of Q2.
• Received for information a summary of 2025-2026 Business License Fees. The report is to provide that information to City Council on specifics related to the Business License fee schedule and identify where there has been an increase in fees above inflation.
• Received for information a report on Electrical Service Updates Utility Financing Strategy.
• Approved a motion to postpone the Transportation Master Plan, Active Transportation Strategy, and Transportation Safety Strategy to the May 20, 2025 meeting.
• Approved a motion confirming that administration’s recommended updates to the process for public member appointments to boards, committees, and commissions as presented are in alignment with Council’s expectations and directing administration to prepare the policy for Council’s consideration.
• Approved appointments of public members to advisory boards as follows:
  • Assessment Review Board
    • Bill Corcoran
  • Community Vibrancy Advisory Board
    • Maria Hawee
    • Corissa Seavers