First public Strong Towns presentation draws a full house

“It’s transportation, vehicle transportation, it’s cycling, it’s our infrastructure, it’s lots of things but what it really boils down to is the financial solvency for our city,” said Shawn Champagne, senior planner with the City of Medicine Hat.

“Just making sure before we make any decisions that we have all the data, we do the math so that we can establish first and foremost is this a good decision?”

Strong Towns founder and president, Charles Marohn, took the stage to highlight the lasting impacts a city can face after years of poor government decisions.

By providing examples from municipalities throughout the United States, Marohn showcased how impactful small projects can be within a community.

“I was involved when developing the city’s Master Development Plan which is kind of a master plan, broader long-term plan for the city and we included a lot of these kinds of Strong Towns principles within that document so it’s nothing really new for Medicine Hat. I’m glad to see so many people out here now that are willing to learn more about it,” said Champagne.

Champagne says council is embracing the idea to eliminate some unnecessary bureaucracy, a suggestion that was made by Marohn during last night’s workshop.

“Just looking at what is something small we can do to resolve an issue that residents are facing today. And not wait, but just do it immediately,” said Champagne.

The cost for Medicine Hat to participate in the Strong Towns program is $212,000 and was approved as a major operating expense last October.

The next Strong Towns public event is scheduled for June.

by Brendan Miller

First public Strong Towns presentation draws a full house

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