City to Host Exclusive MCC Engagement Session
The city will host a members-only engagement session on the future of the municipality’s energy division. (Photo Alex McCuaig)
The city will be hosting a private engagement opportunity Monday on the possibility of developing a municipally controlled corporation for Medicine Hat’s energy division.
The engagement session featuring senior staff at the energy division will take place this evening at the Esplanade and open only to members of the Southeast Alberta Chamber of Commerce.
This evening’s private session follows up on Friday’s lunchtime event at City Hall that allowed the public to attend. An online engagement will be held Wednesday, wrapping up the three sessions for Hatters to have their say of the future of the more than century old public service and whether to move to a municipally controlled corporation (MCC).
One Hatter interviewed by the Owl, and who asked to only be identified as Mary, was definitive in her opinion of Friday’s only public in-person engagement opportunity.
“It’s a piece of shit,” she said. “We’re not learning anything.”
Hat resident Mary called the in-person public engagement session on Friday, “a piece of shit.” (Photo Thomas Fougere)
Bob Wanner, former public service commissioner with the city, was more circumspect than Mary in his comments. But he was adamant in wanting to know why after more than 100 years of the city directly controlling the energy division successfully, there would be a need to change its operation.
“The question is why? Why are we doing this,” asked Wanner. “We used to have a principle in our strategic plan of self-determination in this city. By moving further and further away from that, we sacrifice that principle. I think the electorate needs to decide why are we doing it.”
During his 35 years working for the city, Wanner said the mandate of the energy division was to provide, “affordable, sustainable utility services which were integrated – water, sewer, electricity, gas, et cetera.
“Over time, it began to shift from that primary objective to provide affordable, sustainable utilities to one of making more and more money while not increasing taxes.”
Wanner said the election is around the corner and residents need to understand the positions on the MCC for each candidate.
None of the city’s communications make mention of engagement sessions with special interest groups nor outlines the process for such organizations to be engaged with municipal administrators on the MCC for their own members.
City officials are not providing any interviews on the topic of the MCC to the Owl.
It’s unclear how many other private MCC engagement sessions there are or have been with other special interest groups.
Bob Wanner, right, at the public engagement session on the MCC on Friday. (Photo Alex McCuaig)