Medicine Hat city council to rejig priorities with a year left before election

Building a resilient and inclusive community is the second priority listed in the strategic plan amendment. Its listed objective is to lead a provincial, municipal and community urgent response to social disorder.

Priority 3 is to foster a dynamic and thriving local economy and its targets include launching the Regional Economic Development Plan and creating business incentives while reducing barriers.

The final proposed priority — action recreation and wellness opportunities — includes developing a multi-faceted recreation complex in Medicine Hat’s south end and determining the future of existing facilities.

As council worked on City Manager Ann Mitchell’s performance evaluation this year, it also decided to carry out what was intended to be a regular review of its strategic plan, they said.

In private meetings last week, council decided it would lay out a few objectives it would focus on for the 12 months remaining in its term.

“I can confirm that we met to discuss our strategic plan and the important pieces we need to concentrate on for the last year,” Coun. Andy McGrogan said in a message last week.

“It was very positive and the details will be discussed at our next open council meeting I hope.”

Those meetings took place on Oct. 8 and 9, the staff report included in Monday’s council agenda revealed.

Coun. Ramona Robins said last week when council first worked on its strategic plan three years ago, it was intended to be a “living document” that was regularly updated based on council’s priorities.

But due to the lack of a permanent chief administrative officer for much of the term, the utility costs controversy of summer 2023 and an ongoing leadership crisis over the past year, council was unable work on an update.

“I enjoyed the process as we were able to look at the past objectively and then narrow down priorities for the next year based on what we have heard from citizens,” Robins said then.

Coun. Shila Sharps confirmed the “strategic refocusing held last week provided a valuable opportunity for everyone to realign with our mission and work towards achieving key objectives for our community.”

When asked who attended the strategic plan meeting last week, Sharps recommended reaching out to Mayor Linnsie Clark for additional comments.

Clark did not respond to a CHAT News request for comment sent Wednesday last week. The mayor has not granted an interview to CHAT News since after a news conference on Sept. 19.

In March, councillors voted to strip Clark of mayoral powers and cut her salary in half in response, saying she broke council’s code of conduct in her treatment of chief administrator Ann Mitchell at a public meeting in 2023.

Clark brought the city to court for a judicial review of the sanctions council imposed. A Calgary judge ruled council’s misconduct finding was valid but reversed many of the sanctions for being “disproportionate and unreasonable.”

Since the ruling, councillors say they have been trying to find ways to restore unity at council and continue to accomplish its objectives.

Monday’s public meeting gets underway at 6:30 p.m. and can be attended in-person at Medicine Hat City Hall or watched live via the city’s YouTube channel.

by Eli J. Ridder

Medicine Hat city council to rejig priorities with a year left before election

Our Community