Council Highlights November 2 2020

City Council held the annual Organizational Meeting to approve appointments of City Council Members to City of Medicine Hat standing/special committees, external boards and quasi judicial tribunals, and to approve the 2021 Council and Standing Committee Meeting calendar. The appointments are in effect from October 19, 2020 to October 18, 2021.

Appointments to committees reporting directly to council

Special appointments

Civic Functions
Councillor K. Samraj

Community Futures Entre-Corp
B. Mastel, Commissioner of Public Services

Highway 3 Twinning Association
Councillor J. Turner

Regional Drainage Committee
Councillor K. Samraj

City representation on other boards, committees and commissions

Medicine Hat Women’s Shelter executive director, Natasha Carvalho, and community education and awareness coordinator, Peggy Revell, presented to City Council to raise awareness of Family Violence Prevention month. Ms. Carvalho and Ms. Revell shared with Council the impact of family violence in the community and the role the shelter takes to protect and support those affected.

John Michalopoulos, Manager of Treatment Plants, Environmental Utilities, provided an overview of the City of Medicine Hat’s water treatment plan, including the treatment process, and current challenges.

Through Corporate Services Committee, City Council received a report on the establishment of fixed rate tax penalties and tax discount rates (Bylaws #4641 and #4642), and penalty rates on utility arrears (Bylaw #4644).

Also through Corporate Services Committee, City Council approved Policy 8043, City Council Remuneration Policy. This policy will provide a transparent means to determine Council compensation, and will replace the current practice of setting remuneration by a resolution of Council. The policy includes a provision that enable members of Council to opt out of salary adjustments, and will be in effect in 2021 for the next term of City Council. With this change, Policy #0106, Per Diem Allowance – Alderman, and the current Council Compensation Resolution were both rescinded.

Through Administrative Committee, Council received for information RFP Recommendation IM20-111-Northwest Industrial Park Area Structure Plan and Functional Servicing Report Amendments. The tender was awarded to the best-evaluated bid meeting specification, Stantec Consulting Ltd. for $510,568. The project will see high level planning revisions to the existing Box Springs Business Park Area Structure Plan from 2013 to facilitate a potential heavy industrial user interested in developing in Medicine Hat. The process incorporates public input, including from the Town of Redcliff and Cypress County.

City Council received for information the minutes of the Heritage Resources Committee meeting of October 13, 2020, the Municipal Planning Commission meeting of October 14, 2020 and the Police Commission meeting of October 15, 2020.

City Council approved 1st reading of Bylaw #4639, a bylaw of the City of Medicine Hat to amend Bylaw #4168, the Land Use Bylaw. The amendment will see 104-20 Street NE rezoned from medium density residential to low density residential.

City Council referred Bylaw #4641, a bylaw of the City of Medicine Hat to amend Bylaw #3191, the Tax Penalties Bylaw and Bylaw #4642, a bylaw of the City of Medicine Hat to amend Bylaw #3198, the Tax Discount Bylaw back to Corporate Services Committee to explore alternate options. The proposed amendments would have seen current tax penalty rates increase from 7% to 14%, and current tax discount rates for pre-payment decrease from 1% to 0.5%. These changes were recommended to better align with other municipalities and best practices after an analysis revealed that the City’s penalty rates were very low in comparison. A new recommendation will be brought forward to Council.

City Council approved 1st, 2nd and 3rd reading of Bylaw #4644, a bylaw of the City of Medicine Hat to amend Bylaw #3210, the Utilities Penalty Bylaw. This change will see a fixed penalty rate on utility arrears calculated annually based on the average of four comparator municipalities. As a result of the change, the current penalty rate will change from 2% to 2.56%.