Medicine Hat CAO’s proposed committee changes are positive but bad timing, expert says

George Cuff, a renown municipal government consultant who spoke to council earlier this year, explained that Medicine Hat has historically blended political and administrative roles, an outdated approach

READ: Proposed committee review and changes coming to council in October

For example, Cuff said, there would be staff that served as chairs of committees when those seats should only be filled by elected officials with employees serving as advisors.

Mitchell’s goal of separating council committees from administrative or staff ones is the right way to go, Cuff told CHAT News.

“Is it best practice to have a combined political-administrative committee? The answer is no, that’s not best practice because that defies the sole separation of council and the chief administrative officer,” Cuff said.

He explained that for regular council committees, staff should be present in an advisory capacity only.

Mitchell’s proposed changes do align Medicine Hat with how most municipalities operate now, Cuff said.

However, the timing could undermine her effort.

Mitchell’s proposal came forward and was approved by the Administrative and Legislative Committee on Tuesday.

That’s a week after Mayor Linnsie Clark apologized for her actions during an August 2023 meeting when the Clark accused the city manager of restructuring city hall without the permission of council.

That exchange triggered a domino effect that led to a code of conduct complaint, a third-party investigation and report, a series of sanctions on the mayor and a judicial review.

Some members of the community accuse Mitchell of overstepping her boundaries and using powers that fall outside her responsibilities as an unelected official. Councillors and Mitchell deny she’s acting inappropriately.

Cuff said the heightened scrutiny of Mitchell in the community and from the mayor could create challenges for council to pass her proposals.

“The question becomes then one of timing, and the timing of this becomes the part that’s probably more curious and therefore more suspect,” Cuff said.

“I thought the intent of council and the administration was to take a more general look at its governance structures and administrative structures to see what policies and processes ought to be adjusted in order to get everybody back on the right playing field, and I think that’s really where that should start.”

Cuff pointed also pointed to the potential of a provincial municipal inspection, something that Mitchell and council have agreed could find the cobwebs and empower the city to update its policies and procedures

“Maybe they’re trying to get ahead of that. I’m not entirely sure that’s wise, but that might be the motivation that we’re trying to get some of these things done before that review that happens.”

Paul Salvatore, CEO of Municipal Experts Inc., agrees with Mitchell’s proposal to set up the administrative committee as a staff-only meeting.

“Inviting councillors to attend administrative meetings introduces the potential for operational interference by elected officials and is not acceptable practice, in my opinion,” Salvatore said.

Political consultant Jim Groom had a different take, saying it was a drastic step.

He said it’s been tradition going back at least to Mayor Norm Boucher that there’s been an elected ex-officio member of the administration committee.

Clugston and later, Linnsie Clark, were all members of the committee.

“By virtue of their position of mayor they have been on the admin committee on the past,” Groom wrote in a message to CHAT News.

“This change would further usurp power of council over admin,” he added.

“Power grab.”

Governance training, reports to council

The reformatted “admin” committee wasn’t the only change included as part of Mitchell’s proposal.

All boards, committee and commissions of council should have a clear mandate and terms of reference, Mitchell added.

Councillors should also attend governance training, she wrote.

She proposes in her report that members should provide a brief written report at the next regular meeting of council, a procedure common at other municipalities.

Council should consider integrating the Community Vibrancy Advisory Board, Municipal Planning Commission and the Municipal Names Committee, Mitchell writes.

She also says council should advise administration through a strategic planning session their direction for the external boards and should include a discussion on how these external boards fit into their strategic vision for the community and what the financial requirements or impacts may be.

READ: Mitchell claimed to have authority to revamp city hall she may not have had

Her final recommendation is to amend the administrative organizational bylaw — also known casually as the AO bylaw — to be “less prescriptive as described within this report.”

Mayor Linnsie Clark accused Mitchell of misusing the AO bylaw at a public council meeting on Aug. 21, 2023, saying the city manager restructured city hall without implicit permission from council.

Couns. Andy McGrogan, Allison Knodel and Robert Dumanowski, who make up the administrative and legislative review council committee, passed the proposal to a future regular council meeting.

Mitchell’s proposal will come forward for council consideration on Oct. 7.

by Eli J. Ridder

Medicine Hat CAO’s proposed committee changes are positive but bad timing, expert says

Governance training, reports to council

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