Final Council Meeting Before Election - Recreation, Legal Fees and Whistleblower Policy
Medicine Hat City Council will hold its final regular meeting before the October 20 municipal election this Monday, with a packed agenda featuring several consequential votes.
The Regular Council Meeting on Monday, October 6, 2025, will see decisions on preliminary funding for a major recreation facility, a vote on reimbursing the mayor's legal fees, and a proposal to expand the city's whistleblower protections. The outcomes will be among the last official actions residents see from the current council before heading to the polls.
Recreation Centre Design Funding Up for Decision
A significant item on the agenda is a request for preliminary funding for future recreation infrastructure. Administration is asking council to approve $3.9 million from capital reserves for preliminary design work on new recreation and wellness opportunities.
A background report links this funding to "Council Priority #4" and states it would advance one of several concepts, including a "multi-generational recreation and wellness centre," based on results from a public survey. The report clarifies this is a step to define the scope and cost of a potential future project and does not constitute final approval for construction. The decision comes amid ongoing public discussion about city spending and property taxes.
Mayor's Legal Fee Reimbursement Returns for Council Vote
Council will once again vote on whether to reimburse legal fees for Mayor Linnsie Clark. The recommendation is for the city to pay $59,675.68 to cover costs the mayor incurred defending against a Code of Conduct complaint and a subsequent Judicial Review.
According to previous reporting by Owl News, the original Code of Conduct complaint was filed by Councillor Shila Sharps. A prior motion to reimburse a portion of these fees was defeated in an open council session earlier this year. The new request cites a section of the previous Council Code of Conduct Bylaw as the authority for the reimbursement.
Proposal to Expand Whistleblower Protections
Councillor Shila Sharps has sponsored a motion to direct administration to significantly expand the city’s Whistleblower Policy. This initiative comes just over a year after the policy, known as 8046, was last updated in September 2024.
The proposed amendments would:
Extend protection to contractors, suppliers, and members of the public.
Introduce an independent, third-party service for anonymous reporting.
Strengthen anti-retaliation protections for whistleblowers.
Implement annual, anonymized reporting to council on disclosures.
The motion argues that these changes would bring Medicine Hat in line with best practices in other Alberta municipalities.
Other Agenda Items
The meeting will also address:
The establishment of a Southeast Alberta Economic Opportunity Advocacy Committee.
A request to increase the 2026 budget for Mayor and Council salaries and wages by $107,571.
The renaming of Parkview Trail to Parrish Trail.
This is the last scheduled regular meeting of the current council term. The next Regular Council Meeting is scheduled for November 17, 2025, after the October 20 municipal election.
The public meeting begins at 6:30 PM in Council Chambers and will be live-streamed on the City of Medicine Hat’s website.
