Mayor Linnsie Clark was the sole vote against approving the action plan for its strategic plan goals shortlist. Eli J. Ridder/CHAT News

By Eli J. Ridder

CITY HALL

Medicine Hat council approves action plan for goals shortlist, mayor sole vote against

Nov 18, 2024 | 7:47 PM

Medicine Hat will develop a road map to build a south-end recreation centre, start working on a “social disorder” task force and begin creating a regional development blueprint after approving an action plan for council’s strategic goals shortlist.

Mayor Linnsie Clark was the sole vote against the action plan proposed by city administration, which sets out specific timelines for the four priorities council identified last month.

Clark raised concerns over the lack of a definition of “social disorder”, the cost of a collaborative task force and if such an effort was something local agencies wanted.

Coun. Shila Sharps claimed responsibility for the phrase, saying that goal’s intent is only to look after the city’s most vulnerable people.

City Manager Ann Mitchell said potential stakeholders in a community task force — such as non-profit organizations like the Mustard Seed, the Medicine Hat’s Women’s Shelter or the Salvation Army — have already been consulted by staff.

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It would be the task force that would come up with the definition of social disorder, as a group, said Mitchell.

Sharps added that she spoke with Premier Danielle Smith about the idea in October when the Brooks-Medicine Hat MLA visited the city. Smith said “I am in” to the idea, Sharps said in October.

The mayor wasn’t convinced.

Clark said during the Oct. 21 meeting she was worried about the price of completing the updated goals and was concerned over whether business plans would return to council later for approval.

Attaching a price tag to the action plan is not immediately possible because some of the items would not receive a finalized budget until the next term — such as the south-end recreation centre idea.

Clark previously revealed that she intentionally skipped private council discussions when council was working on them.

What’s the goals shortlist?

This term of council set out its priorities at the beginning of its term in a strategic plan, a common approach by councils.

However, council wanted to “refocus” its strategic goals with an election under a year away, narrowing its focus to a few objectives.

There are four priorities, each with their own goals. For each target, staff have outlined what needs to be done, how to measure success with included timelines and the risks involved.

As part of the action plan, staff will propose a “scope and vision for a multi-faceted recreation complex on the south side” by the first quarter of 2025.

Council will consider signing off on a land acquisition for the project, carry out public engagement and learn about potential partnership funding arrangements.

However, as is also the case for some of the other council objectives, the rec centre project will not be completed by the time this term of council leaves office.

That means that approving the cash to build the rec centre and the development of a tender for construction companies to bid on — planned for 2026 — will be decisions left to the next council, who may have their own goals in mind.

At least one of the items in the action plan is already being worked on.

Council’s shortlist goal of a regional economic development strategy — an effort focused on attracting business and investment to the area — will come forward for approval in the first quarter of 2025.