Council Highlights March 2, 2026

Mar 03, 2026

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.

Sports Wall of Fame Recommendations was added to the agenda.

Councillor Reynish advised that the Community Foundation has opened up their Top 7 Over 70 program nomination process and encouraged the community to nominate worthy individuals.  

Councillor Reynish shared his positive experience in attending the Future Forward event held at the Esplanade on February 20. The event was dedicated to inspiring the next generation of Black leaders across Medicine Hat.  

Councillor Hellman advised the community that the now released provincial budget includes an increase to the provincial education tax which is collected via municipal property tax bills. The 2026 Tax Rate Bylaw scenarios will be presented to Council beginning April 20, 2026 and May 4, 2026, for final approval. 2026 Tax Notices will be mailed on May 21 with the tax payment due date of June 30 being the last business day of June for all property types.

Councillor Phaff attended the activity expo at the Medicine Hat Mall put on by the Medicine Hat Sport and Event Council. She commended the Sport and Event Council and shared that there were about 70 different clubs and events that participated. 

Councillor Young shared his experience in attending the Coldest Night of the Year fundraising walk that took place on Saturday night. He thanked the Mustard Seed for their ongoing work and for putting on the event.

The Consent Agenda is used by City Council to streamline meetings by grouping routine, non-controversial items - such as approval of previous minutes, standard reports, and minor administrative actions - into a single agenda item. These are approved in a single motion without discussion, though any member can request an item be removed for separate consideration. This process saves time and lets Council focus on more complex issues.

City Council received the following item for the corporate record.

  • Public Services Committee Meeting Minutes of February 9, 2026 

  • Corporate Services Committee Meeting Minutes of February 12, 2026 

  • Energy, Land and Environment Committee Meeting Minutes of February 19, 2026 

  • Administrative and Legislative Review and Government Relations Committee Meeting Minutes of February 20, 2026 

City Council received the following items for information. 

  • Community Vibrancy Advisory Board (CVAB) Meeting Minutes of December 3, 2025

  • Medicine Hat Resilient and Inclusive Community Task Force Meeting Minutes of January 21, 2026

  • Public Services Division Capital and One-Time Operating Projects, Policies and Bylaws in Force / List of Outstanding Motions

  • Municipal Tax Customer Lifecycle and Tax Recovery

  • Annual Community Warmth Update

  • 2025 Annual Summary of Utility and Taxation Collection

  • Corporate Services Division Capital & One-time Operating Projects, Policies and Bylaws in Force / List of Outstanding Motions

  • Land and Real Estate Annual Report – 2025

  • Energy, Land and Environment Division Capital & One-Time Operating Projects, Policies and Bylaws in Force / List of Outstanding Motions

  • Quality Management Plan (QMP) Agreement

  • Public Services Committee Meeting Action Items - February 9, 2026

  • Energy, Land and Environment Committee Meeting Action Items of February 19, 2026

  • Administrative and Legislative Review and Government Relations Committee Action Items - February 20, 2026

Councillor Hellman spoke to the Annual Community Warmth Update, and shared that the program is available to City of Medicine Hat utility customers who are experiencing financial challenges beyond their control and are having difficulty paying their CMH utility bill. Individuals may be eligible for assistance if they have received a Disconnect Warning Notice, have not accessed Community Warmth support within the last year, and are willing to meet with The Salvation Army to complete an application and provide current-year income documentation for all household members. In 2025, the program received $24,369 in donations, which supported 25 families with utility assistance.

Bylaw 4874-2026 - Debenture Bylaw 

Council approved Bylaw 4874-2026, to incur indebtedness by way of issuing debentures in the amount of Sixty-Five Million Seven Hundred Fifty Thousand Dollars ($65,750,000) for the purpose of the Saamis Solar Final Investment Decision. First reading of the bylaw occurred on February 2, 2026.  

Rural Renewal program status 

Council approved a motion to resume Rural Renewal program operations effective May 4, 2026. The Rural Renewal Immigration Program is an employer-driven program to support the attraction and retention of skilled workers in our region. The program is administered by the City of Medicine Hat on behalf of City of Medicine Hat and Town of Bow Island. The program was paused in February 2025 and will now resume in May. 

Budget Amendment - Digital Evidence Management System Grant 

Council approved a 2026 One-Time Operating Initiative budget amendment in the amount of $380,340 for costs related to Digital Evidence Management System as part of the Medicine Hat Police Service’s implementation of Body Worn Cameras. The initiative is fully funded by a grant, but a budget amendment is a technical requirement to ensure funds are accurately captured in the current budget.

Sports Wall of Fame 

Council approved a motion to induct the following nominees to the Sports Wall of Fame in 2026: 

• Robert (Rob) Grisonich for his contributions to the sports of volleyball and basketball. 

• Wade Petersen for his contributions to the sport of boxing. 

• Wes King-Hunter for his contributions to the sport of volleyball 

The inductees will be recognized at a ceremony at a future date.   

Downtown Enhancement & Safety Grant 

Council approved the Downtown Enhancement and Safety Grant program. The purpose of the grant program is to provide City of Medicine Hat funds to support commercial property owners and/or their tenant(s)/business owners with permanent property improvements that enhance security and crime prevention measures. The available grant funding will be $70,000 for 2026 and will be available on a first-come first, served basis. Additionally, $30,000 will be committed to improving downtown cleanliness via a service agreement with a third-party provider. Full details regarding the application process will be announced soon. 

State of Parks and Recreation – 2025 Community Report 

Scott Richter, Manager of Recreation, and Lisa Kennedy, Special Projects, provided a presentation on the report. They outlined a number of events, initiatives and achievements that occurred during 2025 including a new parks bylaw, a grant-funded initiative to plant 2,400 new trees, a streamlined event application process, and the Rec ’n Ride Program, which provided low-cost transit and recreation access for youth during the summer months.  

Tax Sale 2026 

Council approved the minimum sale price (reserve bid) and the sale conditions that apply to the Public Tax Sale Auction in accordance with Section 419 and 436.1 of the Municipal Government Act as presented. Each year prior to March 31, a tax notification or tax recovery lien must be registered against the properties or designated manufactured homes that have tax arrears greater than one year. If the arrears are not paid, each municipality must offer for sale by public tax auction any parcel of land or designated manufactured home any time after March 31 following the year of registration of the tax notification or tax recovery lien up to March 31 of the second year.  

Bylaw 4869-2026 - Dishonoured Payments Bylaw 

Council gives first reading to Bylaw 4869-2026, an amendment to the Dishonoured Payment Bylaw No. 3224 to reduce the 2026 fee for dishonoured payments from $44.00 to $10.00, effective April 1, 2026, aligning with the federal regulation capping NSF fees charged by federally regulated banks. The dishonoured payment fee is designed both to encourage customers to avoid insufficient funds transactions through their financial institutions and to offset the City’s administration costs associated with processing, reversing, rebilling and collecting new payments. The City processes approximately 1,327 dishonoured payments per year. 

Committee Meeting Agendas and Minutes
medicinehat.ca/AgendasMinutes 

 Next City Council meeting to be held in Council Chambers in City Hall on
Monday, March 16 at 6:30 p.m.

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