Medicine Hat Minute: Doctor Shortage, Shelter Purchase, and Rink Site Zoning

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

This Week In Medicine Hat:

• Today, at 6:30 pm, there will be a City Council meeting. Council will hear reports from several Committee meetings and discuss an amendment to the Vehicle for Hire bylaw which will increase taxi rates in the city. Council will also direct Administration to review Police Commission bylaws and policies and report back with recommendations “to enhance transparency and fiscal accountability.”
  
  
• On Tuesday, the Audit Committee will meet at 1:30 pm. The 2021 and 2022 Areas of Focus are on the agenda, but unfortunately, almost the entirety of the discussion will be closed to the public.
  
  
• The Energy and Infrastructure Committee will be meeting on Thursday at 3:30 pm. No agenda is available for this meeting yet.

Last Week In Medicine Hat:

• The City applied to the Municipal Planning Commission to rezone the Medicine Hat Arena. Three years ago, the decommissioned rink was conditionally sold to NewRock Developments as a future condominium site, but there are few details available about the status of the sale after the pandemic brought several delays. As part of the original deal, NewRock was to receive the site at no cost. The developer would take on demolition costs while the City paid for upgrades to roads and utility servicing. Municipal tax breaks were also part of the deal. There will be a public hearing regarding zoning in November.
  
  
• City Councillors released a statement about the doctor shortage in Medicine Hat. Councillor Alison Van Dyke said that residents repeatedly ask what the City is doing to help recruit, and said the statement was not prompted by a specific incident but rather as a way to let community members know Council is aware of the issue and hears their concerns. According to Van Dyke, making Medicine Hat a community that appeals to doctors “through strategic planning and enhancement of existing amenities” is a focus of Council.
  
  
• The Mustard Seed has purchased the Salvation Army Centre of Hope shelter after operating it for several months. The facility can provide shelter as well as mental and spiritual support services for up to 30 vulnerable individuals. No service disruptions are expected during the formal ownership transition.

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