Council Highlights July 17 2023

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.

City Council approved a motion to direct the City Clerk to add an item called Next Generation Energy Innovation Challenge under New Business and update the agenda document for the public record.

City Council approved a motion to direct the City Clerk to add documentation detailing questions of Council and staff responses related to Procedure Bylaw 4725, to the agenda and update the agenda document for the public record.

City Council approved a motion to direct the City Clerk to move New Business ahead of Bylaw(s) for Second and Third Readings and update the agenda document for the public record.

City Council adopted the minutes of the Public Services Committee meeting of July 4, 2023 into the corporate record and gave first reading to Bylaw 4789, the Urban Wildlife Management Bylaw, a bylaw of the City of Medicine Hat to regulate human interaction with wildlife within the City of Medicine Hat. Council then approved a motion to approve a contribution of $500k per year for 2023 and 2024 for HALO operations, recognizing that future year contributions would be considered as part of the 2025-2026 budget and business plan process; and direct administration to provide advocacy on behalf of HALO to the Minister of Health to provide 50% operational funding for HALO on an ongoing basis.

Under new business, City Council approved a motion that Council approves a budget amendment in the amount of $870,000 and directs administration to:

• negotiate a purchase agreement, upon terms satisfactory to the City Solicitor and the City Manager, to purchase the Medicine Hat Curling Club building for $870,000, funded from Capital Reserves;
• negotiate an operating and maintenance lease agreement with the Medicine Hat Curling Club, upon terms satisfactory to the City Solicitor and the City Manager; and
• if required, prepare a loan bylaw for a loan not to exceed $870,000 to the Medicine Hat Curling Club, structured as presented, to address any funding shortfall remaining as at December 31, 2023 for the purchase of an ice plant and ice mats.

Under new business, City Council gave first reading to Bylaw 4791, a bylaw of the City of Medicine Hat to amend the Responsible Animal Ownership Bylaw. The bylaw amendments will allow for the “return/release” of a feral cat or feral domestic rabbit once spayed or neutered back to the location where the cat or rabbit was trapped.

Under new business, City Council approved a budget amendment to the 2023 Electric Distribution Tangible Capital Asset budget and directed staff to supply a letter of commitment to Decentralized Energy Canada (DEC) prior to July 24, 2023 to participate as a project partner in the Next Generation Energy Innovation Challenge subject to successful execution of grant agreements between Decentralized Energy Canada and other listed third-party funders. Total project costs are $2.405M with direct funding from the City of Medicine Hat totaling $850,000 (from reserves). The remaining $1.555M will be provided via government grant and other third-party funding by the DEC subject to City of Medicine Hat participation in the project.

City Council approved a motion to direct the following motions to amend Bylaw 4725:

• to provide clarity related to general consent.
• to allow Council to be consulted by the Mayor in advance of postponement or cancellation of Council meetings.
• to provide for a set start time and maximum meeting length for closed meetings.
• to require a motion to be passed before a meeting is adjourned or a recess is taken.
• to add “Emergencies” to the list included in section 4.37.
• to address potential replacement of referenced policies.
• to ensure that Council requests input from Administration through the City Manager.
• to remove section 9.11.
• to provide that any member of council may attend Standing Committees as an observer but only those members appointed to Standing Committees are allowed to make motions and vote.
• to provide for Council as a whole to make appointments to Council Committees
• to clarify and expand on the use of consent agenda (Schedule A).
• to remove the reference to Public Services Committee as an appeal body, and to ensure that the Public Services Committee has the same number of members as other Standing Committees.
• To ensure that all reports received by Standing Committee are also received by Council as a whole.
• to make amendments to Schedule C to reflect that a member must confirm that a remote location is secure.

Following the approval of the amending motions, City Council approved a motion to postpone consideration of second reading of Procedure Bylaw 4725 to the August 21, 2023 Regular City Council Meeting to allow administration to incorporate the amendments requested by Council.