Council Highlights July 15 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.

Under Councillor Announcements:

• Deputy Mayor Robins expressed gratitude to Larry Randle, who recently resigned from the role of City Clerk, and thanked him for his service, and shared that Tarolyn Aaserud has accepted the role of City Clerk and will begin in the role on September 3, 2024.

City Council received the following items into the corporate record:

• Public Services Committee Meeting Minutes of June 24, 2024
• Council Committee of the Whole Minutes of June 25, 2024
• Council Committee of the Whole Minutes of July 9, 2024

City Council received the following items for information:

• Unison at Veiner Centre Update
• Public Services Committee Outstanding Items of June 24, 2024
• Summary of Work for Requested City Hall Security, Space and FFE Upgrades: Council Chambers

Under Committee Business, City Council:

• Reviewed a recommendation from staff to
  • (a) create a grant called the downtown vibrancy/safety enhancement grant. This grant would be provided to support businesses in the downtown core making crime prevention through environmental design (CPTED) improvements or vandalism/property damage repairs on their property. Funds will be provided 50% from the economic development incentive budget and 50% from the business owner capped at $5K in city funding per application for CPTED improvements and $1K per application for vandalism/property damage repairs; and
  • (b) fund $100K dedicated annually as a grant focused on downtown enhancements and safety as part of the overall $2.6 million overall economic development incentive funding requested as part of the 2025 and 2026 budget deliberations.

  Following discussion, City Council approved a motion to refer the item back to Public Services for additional review and that this item be returned back to Council after the budget has been passed.

• Received the Chief Financial Officer Report for information. Managing Director of Corporate Services, Dennis Egert, provided a presentation on the report.
• Discussed the next steps for 2025-2026 Budget: New Growth Opportunities and approved a motion to direct administration to re-evaluate all new growth opportunities and the associated tax implications reassessing and providing scenarios at different tax rates below the rate of 5.6%.
• Approved a motion to direct Administration to research and review the implementation of a single-window 311 system to ensure easy navigation of City Hall and its services and provide option analysis and recommendations to Council for inclusion in the current budget deliberations, by September 16, 2024.

 

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