Medicine Hat Minute: Airport Funding, Cash Flow, and a Municipal Inspection Request

Medicine Hat Minute - Your weekly one-minute summary of Medicine Hat politics

This Week In Medicine Hat:

• This afternoon, at 4:45 pm, there will be a City Council meeting. The meeting will begin with a closed session to discuss Facility Naming Rights and Council Strategy and Policy Development. Once the meeting opens up to the public, at 6:30 pm, Council will discuss amending the Code of Conduct, as well as the creation of a Council Agenda Review Committee that includes the City Manager, City Clerk, Mayor, Deputy Mayor, and Acting Mayor. Also on the agenda is a discussion about naming a boardroom after former Mayor Ted Grimm, and sharing the Mayor’s duties of leading meetings and participating in Administrative Committee meetings (before she was sanctioned and unable to perform them) among Deputy Mayor or Acting Mayor positions on a 45-day rotating schedule. There will also be a Public Hearing to address some Land Use Bylaw amendments, including one to rezone the 800 block of 2 Street SE as Medium Density Residential District.
  
  
• The Corporate Services Committee will meet on Thursday at 4:00pm. No agenda is available for this meeting yet.
  
  
• The City’s food waste pilot program starts in Zone 5 today. Participants should have received their food waste buckets and a pamphlet for guidance on what can be disposed of in them. All residents - not just those involved in the pilot project - are encouraged to engage in the online survey to provide feedback and help determine the potential for wider adoption.

Last Week In Medicine Hat:

• The provincial government announced funding for some of Alberta’s regional airports to study potential service expansion. Medicine Hat’s airport will receive $150,000, which will support an examination of the feasibility and business case for airport growth. The findings will contribute to a significant update of the Airport Masterplan currently in progress. The Airport Masterplan was highlighted as a key priority for 2024, with ongoing engagement planned with residents to gather feedback and input.
  
  
• A group of Hatters said they are urging City Council to request a provincial inspection of the municipal government. The group has concerns about transparency and leadership stemming from the recent sanctions of Mayor Linnsie Clark. They are collecting signatures for a letter to be sent to Alberta’s Ministry of Municipal Affairs. Premier Danielle Smith was asked about the situation and noted that there may be a need for changes in municipal code of conduct rules. As both the Premier and the Brooks-Medicine Hat MLA, Smith stated that she is actively monitoring developments at City Hall.
  
  
• The Audit Committee heard that City investments earned almost 9% last year, after a challenging 2022. City finances are also rebounding due to increased cash flow from City business units and a reduction in debt. The municipality's cash and financial assets amounted to $733 million as of December 31st, 2023 - an increase of approximately $96 million compared to the previous year. The City’s Treasury Department anticipates a potential interest rate reduction from the Bank of Canada later in 2024, and Administration mentioned their plans to assess new borrowing in light of those anticipated lower rates. Currently, the City's average interest rate on long-term debentures stands at 3.48%.

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