Coming up in 2018: Mundane, but necessary work at municipal level
The changing over of the calendar will always bring with it some new optimism, a hope for better times, even an easier go of things.
But, with the bottles of bubbly now drained and confetti cleared away, the road ahead for City Hall shows a lot work on the agenda.
Mayor Ted Clugston ran a successful re-election campaign promising fewer big-ticket spending projects, and since the current year’s budget is set, there are not likely to be any introduced.
However, several large policy items in 2018 will build the city’s operating foundation for years to come.
It’s dull, nuanced stuff, but civic policies, programs and procedures are developed, implemented and then operated based on plans that include standards, strategic direction, and both aspirational and budget goals.
For several years, the budget has been front and centre. The effort known as Financially Fit for the Future aims to arrest costs, raise revenue to deal with a structural deficit at city hall. That work will continue.
But it’s squared against existing policies and goals, which has made new budget endeavours somewhat messy. For example, transit service levels that changed last fall (i.e. distances between bus stops and more) didn’t mesh with the existing standards. It’s not the only reason for the spectacular failure of the route changes, but administrators vow council members will have to approve new standards before they spend more time seeking cost cuts.
That won’t happen soon. The council group that was elected in October only goes into their strategic planning session later this month.
This year the city as a corporation will also rewrite its “Environmental Roadmap.”
Such a plan doesn’t affect the obvious items, such as the direction of the public utility, but land zoning and development requirements, building requirements for civic projects and a host of other programming decisions.
Even, gasp!, transit and transportation will be touched by the document.
It will also provide some bedrock for other overarching plans that will be built or updated this year, such as the Municipal Development Plan.
Smart city growth has been a key plank of the city’s crucial land planning document for a decade, but there’s been successive backtracking on density targets for new and existing neighbourhoods. All the while the chant for larger home lots has grown.
Looking outwardly, still to be determined is the level of cooperation going forward between the City of Medicine Hat, Town of Redcliff and Cypress County.
The long-standing Tri-area Intermunicipal Development plan will be reopened and possibly renegotiated by the partners after the province made such agreements standard across Alberta.
A garbage handling study, co-sponsored by the three local municipalities, is also coming and could likely result in major changes. It could result in a major multi-jurisdictional utility partnership. If so, it would be the first regional utility service in the region where Medicine Hat has traditionally seen itself as top dog in terms of utility service.
The city’s business units are also in the middle of developing new strategies.
We haven’t seen it yet, but an update on a now year-old oil exploration program is overdue.
Moderate profits are expected at the city’s power plant for 2018, but this year the province will lay out plans to switch to a capacity electricity market.
In the end, Clugston’s vow of fewer ribbon cuttings make be correct, but expect reams of draft regulations and public consultation — that will hopefully be paired with public engagement.
(Collin Gallant is a News reporter. To comment on this and other editorials, go to www.medicinehatnews.com/opinions.)
Ticked Off
People should be more considerate to servers/waiters and waitresses. It’s a stressful job and customers don’t know what’s going on in people’s lives! Kindness goes further than bitterness.
Tickled Pink
Finally I can agree with Peter Mueller on one thing. Ticked Off & Tickled Pink is a “weird little column,” as he said. However, it’s perfect for a city full of petty, narrow-minded hicks.
Tickled Pink
That some “Christians” think sexual assault is part of the Ten Commandments as they view Trump as the greatest supporter of Christianity. His own recorded words cannot be “fake news.”
Ticked Off
With an MLA constantly whining about government spending money.
Tickled Pink
I was able to buy many Christmas gifts within one block of my downtown office: Dressy men’s socks, special olive oil, virtual reality punch card, original artwork and a pedicure gift certificate. All for one lucky man. That was easy!
Ticked Off
At any simple person in this country who praises Trump as the greatest president. The man is the antichrist. He encourages all things evil and/or wrong.
Ticked Off
Anonymity is the refuge of cowards.
Tickled Pink
Thank you to the person who wrote the orange buffoon “will forever be the greatest president the world will ever know.” I laughed so hard I almost had tears in my eyes.
Ticked Off
On Dec. 22, I felt safer working on a pipeline that had 3,000 PSI on it than I did driving to get an oil change after work. Medicine Hat has the most inconsiderate drivers in Alberta by far.
Ticked Off
No offence to the gentlemen who was just looking out for me because of a spill in the mall but I don’t like being touched even by accident. Try to understand.
Ticked Off
I’m totally disgusted with a local church that advertised an event as a family show. It was anything but. A shabily dressed standup comedian did a series of jokes about poop.
Tickled Pink
Thank you to the Kiwanis Clubs of Medicine Hat for a marvellous Christmas dinner. It really brightened up the Christmas of many Hatters who had no one to share Christmas with.
Tickled Pink
Thanks again to the stranger who stopped to ask if we needed help to unload a couch and loveseat to a house on 11th Street SW Your act of kindness was very much appreciated.
Ticked Off
Totally disgusted with people who don’t pick up after their dogs.
Ticked Off
That the airline that provides scheduled service to Calgary is consistently one of the three worst regional carriers in North America for reliability and on time performance time performance (stats are available online). Competition will be a very good thing this summer.
Ticked Off
If naming a sports team after an Indigenous person is a form of racism, then perhaps choosing donkeys and elephants to represent political parties is a form of animal abuse.