Council Meeting Flows Smoothly But Defers Major Decisions

Council efficiently ran through its agenda during Tuesday night’s meeting, wrapping up business without bumping up against time constraints nor the need for an extension but deferring decisions on high public interest topics.

The Transportation Master Plan which drew a standing-room only crowd during a public hearing in July has been deferred to sometime between January and March 2026.

Council heard some contrition in how the plan was rolled out but Pat Bohan, development & infrastructure managing director, maintained there was public consultation.

“Despite nearly two years of extensive public engagement, it is obvious that is not enough,” Bohan told council.

Except for Bike Medicine Hat, not one of the external stakeholders listed as being consulted with provided statements of support for the plan or any other comment as part of the public hearing.

Those identified stakeholder groups included schools, colleges, Alberta Motor Association, the Advisory Committee Disability Issues, the chamber of commerce along with other special interest organizations as well as EMS and the fire department.

No local cycling clubs such as 670 Collective, Medicine Hat BMX or Red Rock Mountain Bike provided statements in support or against the plan, nor were they specifically identified as being engaged by the city. The same goes for Volkssport Club of Medicine Hat, seniors’ organizations or kennel clubs which represent frequent users of the city’s multi-use trail system.

In addressing pubic concerns regarding the addition of a multi-use trail on Division Avenue South, Coun. Shila Sharps indicated she and other road users only discovered the road wasn’t a four-lane throughfare following the re-opening of the street following construction.

“At no point was I told we were going to lose a lane,” stated Sharps, adding she was surprised to learn Division Avenue South was a two-lane road with street parking.

“I can tell you I never used it as parking. I undercut that road all the way, every time,” she said, having previously stated she’s utilized Division Avenue South for more than a quarter century.

Sharps told council she and others now don’t utilize Division Avenue due to it having become too congested following the removal of street parking.

“Even though the city might have used it as parking, the users didn’t use it as parking. So, we have to get back to that user level,” she said.

Council’s pay increase

Council has referred a recommend pay increase on top of that already provided by city policy which indexes elected officials’ wages to inflation rates back to committee.

City staff are recommending an additional more than 13 per cent pay boost on top of councillor wages for the part-time position which have risen 16.5 per cent over the past four years. Staff are recommending no base wage increase to the full-time position of mayor.

Recommended changes to the city’s renumeration policy include not indexing council wages to provincial inflation rates annually for the first year on the next council’s term.

The matter will be back before the Administrative and Legislative Committee at its next meeting with the matter going through the city’s Administrative Committee.

The issue will be back before council on Sept. 29 during that regular meeting which has been added to city hall’s calendar during a previous motion Tuesday.

Decision on Exhibition & Stampede funding postponed

The issue of a funding arrangement with the Medicine Hat Exhibition & Stampede appears to have been postponed indefinitely.

The proposed funding model would have seen the city and province take up the lion’s share of cost to build a revamped grandstand with the Exhibition & Stampede contributing 10 per cent of the costs.

Joseph Hutter, managing director for public services, informed council Tuesday that the Exhibition & Stampede board has requested the issue be postponed, “for the time being.”