Council Highlights December 5 2022

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 offered a tribute to David Carter, a Medicine Hat lawyer and community advocate that passed away on November 27.

Mayor Clark recognized three City employees for their recent milestone accomplishments with the Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of Alberta (APEGA).

• Randi Buchner, Superintendent of Engineering, was recognized for five years of volunteer service.
• Adria Coombs, Manager of Environmental Strategy and Compliance, received her Fellowship of Engineers Canada (FEC, FGC (Hon.) designation) for 10 years of volunteer service with an Engineering Board.
• Derek Wingenbach, Municipal Engineer II, received his P.L. Eng. designation

Under new business, City Council appointed Alan Murphy as Chief of the Medicine Hat Police Service. Acting Chief Murphy has been in the role of acting Police Chief for the service since October 12 and will officially become chief on January 1, 2023.

Rochelle Pancoast, Managing Director of Strategic Management and Analysis (SMA), presented the 2023 and 2024 SMA budget to City Council.

City Council approved Relief Options for Low-income Residents, a program designed in response to the current economic climate to assist residents who qualify for the City’s Fair Entry Program (based on the annual low-income cut off as determined by Statistics Canada). The program will see a $300 rebate spread over six utility bills in 2023 to qualified applicants that hold an active utility account. This program is meant to augment the Province of Alberta’s recently announced Affordability Action Plan.

City Council adopted the minutes of the Council Committee of the Whole Meeting of November 16, 2022 into the corporate record.

City Council adopted the minutes of the Council Employee Committee Meeting of November 9, 2022 into the corporate record.

City Council adopted the minutes of the Energy and Infrastructure Committee Meeting of November 3, 2022 into the corporate record.

City Council adopted the minutes of the Public Services Committee Meeting of November 14, 2022 into the corporate record.

City Council received the minutes of the Police Commission Meeting of October 27, 2022 for information.

Managing Director of Corporate Services and Chief Financial Officer, Dennis Egert, provided closing remarks on the 2023 and 2024 City of Medicine Hat budgets.

In relation to the 2023 and 2024 proposed budgets, Council approved a motion to direct the Acting City Manager to implement a hiring freeze for all new positions within the organization with the exception of the positions for the Fire Department, Police Service, Coordinator of Safety Codes and four new positions under the Energy and Infrastructure division, respecting plant operations, until such a time that Council has by resolution, appointed a permanent City Manager, and the City Manager comes before Council and confirms the positions are required to meet Council’s strategic goals.

Council defeated a motion to activate a “Vision Zero” model to eliminate bike deaths in Medicine Hat and fund and enact the Active Transportation Plan and Traffic Safety Study in Q1 2023 so that our multimodal investments can be visible in the community no later than summer of 2024.

Mayor Clark moved Council direct Administration present to Council SMART corporate objectives directed at advancing Council's strategic priorities by February 1, 2023, and that Administration work with Council to arrive at a set of Corporate Objectives that are agreed to by Council and Administration by Q2, 2023 and refer this motion to the Administrative and Legislative Review Committee for further discussion.

City Council approved a motion to defer a vote on the 2023 and 2024 budget recommendations until the City Council meeting of December 19.

City Council adopted the minutes of the Administrative and Legislative Review Committee Meeting of November 28, 2022 into the corporate record.

City Council adopted the minutes of the Corporate Services Committee Meeting of November 24, 2022 into the corporate record and approved a motion to endorse an advocacy letter to Minister of Justice, Tyler Shandro, requesting that in light of recent significant surpluses reported by the Province of Alberta, the 40% of Provincial Traffic Enforcement fine revenue retained by the province be returned to the municipalities that generated the fine revenue.

City Council adopted the minutes of the Economic, Land and Strategic Planning and Development Committee Meeting of November 17, 2022 into the corporate record.

City Council passed first and second reading of the following bylaws to amend fees that are set to expire on December 31, 2022.

• Bylaw 4728, a bylaw of the City of Medicine Hat to amend the Amusement Arcade Billiard Room Bylaw.
• Bylaw 4729, a bylaw of the City of Medicine Hat to amend the Escort Services Bylaw.
• Bylaw 4730, a bylaw of the City of Medicine Hat to amend the Licensing Bylaw.
• Bylaw 4732, a bylaw of the City of Medicine Hat to amend the Vehicle for Hire Bylaw.
• Bylaw 4731, a bylaw of the City of Medicine Hat to amend the Safety Codes Permit Bylaw.

City Council approved a resolution regarding development service and encroachment fees, establishing a new schedule of fees effective January 1, 2023.

Under new business, City Council approved the 2023 Council meeting schedule.

Also under new business, City Council passed Bylaw 4733, a bylaw of the City of Medicine Hat to revise Bylaw 4727 the Electric Utility Bylaw. The amendment was necessary to address errors in the recent amending bylaw that was approved on November 21, and include the following:

• Section 2) b) pertains to repealing MCAF sections. These sections are removed as they reference Schedules A and B. Schedule B is not applicable as it applies to areas outside City boundaries, and the MCAF only affects properties inside City boundaries. Only Schedule A required amendment.
• Section 2) c) limits the MCAF amendments to Schedule A.
• Section 2) d) adds in “2023”.
• Section 2) e) inserts a missing zero.

City Council approved a motion to adjourn the meeting at 10:20 and defer all remaining items to the December 17 meeting of City Council.

The next Council meeting occurs on Monday, December 19 at 6:30 p.m. in Council Chambers.