Medicine Hat city council met Monday for the first time since sanctioning Mayor Linnsie Clark. (Eli J. Ridder/CHAT News)

By Eli J. Ridder | @EliRidder

BREAKDOWN

Five takeaways from Monday’s Medicine Hat city council meeting

Mar 26, 2024 | 1:56 AM

Medicine Hat city council met Monday evening for a committee-of-the-whole meeting with two items on the agenda unrelated to the recent sanctions imposed by councillors on Mayor Linnsie Clark.

Here’s five takeaways from the meeting:

1. Mayor Clark has support

At least 70 people showed up to council chambers that are typically empty during meetings to applause and chant Mayor Linnsie Clark’s name on Monday.

It’s marked a show of support for Clark, who was elected in the 2021 municipal election with overwhelming support.

IN THE COMMUNITY

'Compassionate Friends' offer peer support for bereaved in Medicine Hat

10h ago

POSTAL STRIKE

Donations to Medicine Hat non-profits drop over Canada Post strike

10h ago

IN THE COMMUNITY

Medicine Hat's Adopt-A-Rink program still seeking volunteers

19h ago

Most of those in the gallery remained for the entirety of the two-hour meeting and many stayed afterwards to speak with Clark when she took the unusual step to exit through the public doors.

2. No timeline on reversing sanctions

Coun. Allison Knodel, speaking on behalf of council in her role as deputy mayor, said there is no timeline for restoring Mayor Clark’s powers and salary, echoing what Coun. Andy McGrogan said last week.

“The decision to not put a timeline on Mayor Clark’s sanctions was in order to ensure that we can continue to do work,” Knodel told reporters after the Monday meeting.

Coun. Allison Knodel chaired Monday’s committee-of-the-whole. (Eli J. Ridder/CHAT News)

“Council and staff have to work in a fashion that is collaborative. And in order for us to work in a way that is collaborative, we need to ultimately have respect around the table,” she added.

Knodel added that there could always be a review by council to undo the sanctions.

3. There’s distrust of council

Several Medicine Hat residents jeered when a city employee was unable to answer a question related to process asked by Mayor Clark.

It appeared to reflect the distrust that some residents feel after the mayor was stripped of her powers without the report being released.

Medicine Hat resident and former political staffer Alex McCauig said council breached procedure by accepting a report from a third-party investigation in open council without releasing it.

“I’m not sure how much can be trusted with this council right now, I think they breached the public trust in such a way to diminish any faith in them whatsoever,” McCauig told CHAT News.

“If they’re going to sanction the mayor, you need to bring the receipts.”

4. Council operating as normal, mostly

Perhaps the most striking part of Monday’s council meeting to some was how normally it operated despite the swirling tensions around the mayoral sanctions.

It started late — and without a customary Indigenous land acknowledgement — but with Coun. Knodel chairing the meeting in her deputy mayor role, others were still able to ask questions.

Clark, as typical, asked in-depth questions about procedure while Coun. Robert Dumanowski did not shy away from lengthy inquiries and anecdotes, a tendency he’s acknowledged in the past.

If it weren’t for Mayor Clark being moved from the head to the side of the horseshoe and Knodel taking her seat, there wouldn’t be much different in terms of how things were ran on Monday compared to two weeks ago.

5. Clark speaks out

Mayor Clark told reporters she would be releasing a statement at 11 a.m. on Wednesday. Beyond that, she had no comment to give following Monday’s meeting.

Wednesday will mark the first time she’s spoken publicly about the sanctions imposed on her since last Thursday when she called council’s actions “disproportionate” and said she was looking into legal options.