Provincial grants approved after procedural delay
A final set of provincial government grants have been approved after several weeks of procedural delay.
Council voted 7-0 Monday in favour of recommendations for two-year programming funds under Alberta’s Family and Community Support Service program.
A total of $670,000 was awarded to five local agencies, though at issue was the fact that two members of the public services committee had potential conflict of interest with award winners, which kept the issue from enjoying quorum at the committee level.
The city’s separate Social Development Advisory Board vetted the proposals this spring and recommended funding for all applicants.
“It’s been an extraordinarily good year for FCSS funds,” said committee vice-chair Coun. Les Pearson. “All requests have been funded in full. The government is putting its money where its mouth is.”
Winning awards on Monday were Medicine Hat Family Services ($380,000), Medicine Hat Women’s Shelter ($140,000), Community Food Association ($74,500), YMCA of Medicine Hat ($60,000) and McMann Youth, Family and Community Services ($15,500).
Funding for those programs, which provide counselling, housing and other social services, isn’t required until Jan. 1, 2018, meaning the delay was not a major concern, said administrators.
Land sold
A typographical error required council to reapprove a land sale Monday night.
In an emergent item to the agenda, council again voted to sell two lots on Industrial Avenue that were acquired in a flood lot purchasing program in 2014. The combined price for the sideby-side, 25-foot-wide lots was $99,000.
Because the price was more than 10 per cent below a negotiating mandate preapproved by council, the sale had to be brought to an open meeting to be finalized — which happened April 17.
However, outdated wording was included in the original item brought by the land department and the item was re-introduced and again approved on Monday.
Sidewalk work
Transit Paving has been awarded the remaining portion of the city’s 2017 sidewalk rehabilitation program after council accepted its bid to complete $566,300 worth of worth in the programs budget.
The work includes high priority repairs in the south flats, new sidewalk for Sixth Avenue SW adjacent to the Medicine Hat Regional Hospital, 21st Street SW. and Seventh Street SW., as well as 30 new sloped curb corners in various locations.
Two companies submitted bids, including Transit and Mudrack.