City council has made changes to how closed meetings will be scheduled. (CHAT News)

By Eli J. Ridder | @EliRidder

Start times for closed meetings of Medicine Hat city council now flexible

Mar 5, 2024 | 12:20 PM

Medicine Hat city council has dropped a predetermined start time for closed council meetings in favour of having a flexible approach to scheduling after final approval on Monday.

Closed meetings — where members of council discuss sensitive items out of the public’s view — were previously scheduled for 3:45 p.m. on regular council meeting days.

Several councillors found the start time unnecessarily early as the closed sessions would often only last a few minutes.

Council in December directed staff to look into the possibility of adding some flexibility.

The new procedure allows the agenda review committee — made up of the mayor, deputy mayor and relevent staff — to determine when the closed meeting will start.

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“It’ll be up to administration to look at it and say, ‘okay, we need something in energy, we have legal coming to talk to us, we probably have this time, so call the meeting for five o-clock,'” Coun. Shila Sharps told CHAT News.

“I don’t want to be sitting around all day…I’d rather work,” she added.

Coun. Shila Sharps speaking to CHAT News after city council on March 4. (Kevin Kyle/CHAT News)

Sharps was vocal in calling for the change, saying that the pre-determined start times ate into her work day. Many councillors have day jobs as council is a part-time gig.