Council Highlights June 19 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.

Under Councillor Announcements, Councillor Dumanowski acknowledged the importance of heritage in the community, and that this month marks the 140^th anniversary of the founding of the City of Medicine Hat.

Paul Carolan, Chief Executive Officer of HALO Air Ambulance, presented a funding request to City Council, seeking a $2.5 million investment over five years. Mr. Carolan spoke to the role HALO plays in providing comprehensive Helicopter Emergency Medical Services across their response area while simultaneously being available for public safety emergencies in the City of Medicine Hat. The ask will be addressed by City Council at a future City Council meeting.

Lyndon Grunewald, Executive Director of Canadian Mental Health Association presented a funding request to Council to support the Community Assisted Response Team (CARe). The CARe team provides mental health first-responders who respond to mental health calls with Medicine Hat Police Service (where there are no weapons or warrants). Following the presentation, City Council approved a motion to have administration work with Canadian Mental Health to develop an advocacy strategy to secure funding from the provincial government to ensure the program continues.

City Council adopted the minutes of the Audit Committee Meeting of June 6, 2023 into the corporate record.

City Council approved a motion to direct administration to review one-off options to explore possible rebates and/or other solutions to the shareholders in terms of their ownership of the electric utility and to include an examination of fixed vs. variable and other potential options.

City Council adopted the minutes of the Public Services Committee meeting of June 12, 2023 into the corporate record and approved:

1. a recommendation to award the two-year 2024-2025 Family and Community Support Services Contract Funding as presented for a total of $670,000.

Medicine Hat Family Service
To provide subsidized mental health care, and individual and group family counseling and family life education services on a sliding scale. $361,800

Community Food Association of South Eastern Alberta
To support two part-time positions to provide leadership and support for programs and events, including Good Food Club, Community Gardens, Food Forest, Growing Gardeners Education Program, Community Collective Kitchens Program, Hat Food Movement, and Healthy Eating on a Budget Program. $96,000

Medicine Hat Public School Division (MHPSD)
For a Cultural Liaison Worker to act as a systems navigator and advocate for families to help them build capacity in dealing with the educational and community systems. $75,000

Sanare Centre
To expand an existing school-based program to an evening community based program to develop social, emotional and leadership skills through mentoring by a group of adult men with a goal to reduce and ultimately end sexual and domestic violence. $50,000

LEARN Community Adult Learning Council
Imagination Alive! An intergenerational project between seniors with dementia in long-term care and high school students to create stories based in imagination. $30,000

Junior Achievement of Southern Alberta
To educate students about entrepreneurship, work readiness and financial literacy in the school system. $10,000

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Medicine Hat & District
To deliver Healthy Bodies Healthy Minds, a group mentoring program that teaches life skills and provides children and youth with the information and tools needed to navigate childhood while transitioning into adulthood. $47,200

Total $670,000

1. seconding the City of Grande Prairie resolution to be presented at the Alberta Municipalities 2023 Conference regarding municipal funding for Medical First Response by Fire Services in Alberta.