Medicine Hat Minute: Community Survey, New School, and Electric Transportation Rules

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

This Week In Medicine Hat:

• There will be a City Council meeting today at 6:30 pm. Council is set to receive a presentation from IPSOS regarding the 2022 Community Survey. There will also be a Non-Statutory Public Hearing on a Proposed Direct Control Development Permit Application.
  
  
• On Thursday, there will be a meeting of the Energy and Infrastructure Committee at 3:30 pm. No agenda is available for this meeting.
  
  
• A new private school is opening in Medicine Hat. The Accelerated Potential Christian Academy will have its first intake of students across five classes with grade levels ranging from Junior Kindergarten to grade 6. The school has a four-day week (with optional activities on Fridays) as well as individualized learning plans and small class sizes. It’s good to see more freedom from top-down education becoming available.

Last Week In Medicine Hat:

• A variety of electronic transportation options has officially rolled out onto city streets, and the Medicine Hat Police Service reminded residents about the rules of the road. E-bikes, mopeds, electric scooters, and mobility aids all come with different regulations. Scooter users don’t need insurance or a helmet, but moped users need both. E-bikes may only be ridden on the right-hand side of roads and trails but mobility aid users are legally considered pedestrians. If you’re confused, you can read a summary of the rules online.
  
  
• Results of the 2022 Community Survey showed that 95% of Hatters rate the overall quality of life in the city as “good.” Just over half believe that their quality of life has stayed the same over the last three years, while 37% believed it had declined, mostly due to COVID-19. The majority of those surveyed said they receive good value for their municipal taxes but were split on whether to increase taxes to maintain or enhance service levels or to cut them and see a reduction in services. As is usual with these sorts of surveys, residents weren't even given an option of saying taxes should be cut without reducing services, because government staff can't even conceive of the possibility of being more efficient!
  
  
• The Root Cellar Food and Wellness Hub said their team is anticipating a sharp increase in the number of Brown Bag Lunch Program users this year due to rising inflation and utility rates. The program has been in operation for nine years and serves all of the schools in Medicine Hat and some surrounding areas. Pre-COVID, they were delivering lunches to around 1,000 children, but this year, more families may have to decide between paying the bills or affording groceries. Donations can be made directly to the program.

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