Mayor Linnsie Clark on Monday appeared to change her mind on a strategic plan 'focusing' that she first raised several concerns with during the public council meeting. Eli J. Ridder/CHAT News

By Eli J. Ridder

Medicine Hat city council narrows goals with a year left before next election

Oct 21, 2024 | 11:30 PM

Medicine Hat’s city council narrowed down its strategic plan on Monday to a few goals it sees as achievable with a year left before the next municipal election, including an urgent response to social disorder, a south-end recreation complex and several other items.

It didn’t come without concerns raised by Mayor Linnsie Clark, who revealed that she intentionally skipped private council discussions last week when councillors worked the plan down to four broad priorities with several objectives contained within each one.

Clark was worried about the price of completing the updated goals and was concerned over whether business plans would return to council later for approval.

Chief administrator Ann Mitchell confirmed the implementation proposals would come to council in November, acknowledging that, with a year left, it was important for the horseshoe to hear the how council’s vision could be implemented as soon as possible.

After a lengthy back-in-forth, Clark said she supported the focused strategic plan “in principle” and joined the rest of council to vote in favour.

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The so-called “strategic refocusing”, as first reported by CHAT News last week, refines the objectives council will aim to accomplish after a year of division in the chambers and with less than 12 months remaining in its term.

Document/City of Medicine Hat

The first priority is aimed at improving service delivery and includes a status update on current service levels, defining desired service levels and implementation of a workforce strategy among its goals.

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.

Coun. Shila Sharps revealed she received confirmation from Premier Danielle Smith that her United Conservative government would work with council on a pilot project program featuring “forward-thinking” community projects.

“I am in,” Smith said, according to Sharps.

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.

Council decided it would work on an updated strategic plan while it was working on city manager Mitchell’s performance evaluation this year.

The closed council strategic plan meetings took place on Oct. 8 and 9, the staff report included in Monday’s council agenda revealed. Clark later added that council met at Desert Blume Golf Club, located south of Medicine Hat, to discuss the strategy.

Coun. Ramona Robins said last week that, 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 couldn’t find time to get it done.

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 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.

‘We’re listening’

Council’s approval of a priority goals shortlist reflects council’s ability to listen to what residents of Medicine Hat want to see from its council, Coun. Alison Van Dyke told reporters after Monday’s meeting.

“It shows that we’re listening to the community, because these are the priorities that we’re hearing from them,” Van Dyke said.

“The rec centre, social disorder in the community, cost effectiveness within the city itself, with the impacts that it has on taxation; these are the things we hear from people all the time.”

Coun. Cassi Hider, who was not at the strategic planning meetings last week because she was out of the country, said the goals council has laid out are achievable.

“We can’t keep lugging along facilities that don’t work. We cannot attract people to our community with aging facilities,” Hider told CHAT News, referencing the selection of capital projects council is considering as part of its next two-year budget.

Investing in better facilities can lead to cultural and economic benefits, such as the relatively new Co-op Place that could soon host a national hockey championship, councillors have previously. said.

“Just think if we had wonderful slabs of ice up in the north with a curling rink right off the highway, we could have maybe the brier,” Hider said Monday.

“So those things are not unattainable.”

Mayor questions value

Mayor Clark questioned the value of refining council’s goals with an election around the corner. She also had concerns over the cost of renting a space at the golf club and hiring municipal consultant Douglas Lagore for the planning sessions.

“I wanted it to come to open council meetings so that we could see how much it was going to cost and weigh that against the value. And it didn’t end up coming to council, and I have no idea how much it costs,” Clark told reporters.

“It was one of those things where if you let a camel keep putting his nose into your tent, eventually you’ll be sleeping with a camel. So I don’t really want to sleep with a camel.”

The mayor said she did not regret missing the gatherings in Desert Blume.

“We should know how much we’re spending on things before we do them. And so I felt that was appropriate and I still think that’s appropriate.”

Hider said she was disappointed Clark didn’t go the planning meetings.

“I’m sure Mayor Clark has her reasons for not attending, but it’s it’s a team effort,” the first-term councillor said.

“When there’s always one that doesn’t want to play with the team, it’s a challenge.”

Council will meet next on Tuesday evening for a committee-of-the-whole budget meeting. Its next regular public meeting is on Nov. 4.