City budget stalled but council approves $250,000 downtown redevelopment plan

According to Robins, who is also the chair of the committee, which oversees recreation, the Moose Recreation Centre and Crestwood Pool are not included in the 2022 budget, and if the budget was passed,those facilities would remain closed.

Robins move to postpone the budget was supported by eight members of council including Coun. Alison Van Dyke.

” We want to make wise and careful decisions and I think moving ahead of something when we haven’t even had our chance to have a tour, and get some of the information about the previous cuts. I think it would be negligent in my duty to do something like that.” Coun. Van Dyke said.

But long-standing councilor Robert Dumanowski expressed his opposition noting adjustments to the budget can be made at any time throughout the year.

” I’m hesitant to see the budget delayed again, and in two weeks’ time it will come back, it will be necessary to delay it again because there will be new impacts that we will have to get staff to understand,” Coun. Dumanowski said.

But Coun. Andy Mcgrogan disagreed and noted that postponing the budget to get additional information before a decision is made is not a bad thing.

” I can’t see the negative other than there may be more questions, and I think that is what we are here for is to ask questions,” he said .

While approval of the entire budget was put into limbo for another two weeks, council did approve a $250,000 addition. That addition is for a downtown area redevelopment plan, which will study what is possible for development in the downtown core. The motion to approve the $250,0000 plan was brought forward by Coun. Allison Knodel.

” I see the value in having funds that support this research because we have people who are now investing, and organizations that are now investing into the downtown core, I see it as a potential missed opportunity,” Coun. Knodel said.

Coun. Cassi Hider expressed similar sentiments about the need to move forward with the
plan.

” I don’t feel we should stagger or stall right now. We have investors interested and I think the progress would be well received by the city,” Coun. Hider said.

But not everyone was on board with spending that amount of money. Mayor Linnsie Clark, Coun. Van Dyke and Coun. Sharps voted against the new budget addition.

” We are about to ask citizens for a potential increase in their taxes and we are spending this kind of money. We have got potentially recreation facilities closing. I think we owe the community a lot more due diligence. $250,000 seems like a drop in the bucket but it really isn’t. This is their rec facilities. It is not just downtown, ” Coun. Sharps said.

Similar redevelopment plans exist in other areas of the city including River Flats, Riverside, and the Herald neighbor. Earlier in the year the city presented the downtown waterfront district, and a concept was displayed at the 2021 State of the City address.

The approval of the downtown redevelopment plan, according to the city will allow
planning and engineering to conduct background studies, and designs which will then be brought forward for the public’s consultation.

Medicine Hat city council will square off once again on the city’s budget at their Dec. 20 meeting.

by Tiffany Goodwein

City budget stalled but council approves $250,000 downtown redevelopment plan

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