CCDA could face spring dissolution vote
Nonetheless, council passes its budget
The City Centre
Development Agency has an approved budget for 2021, but might face a vote to dissolve the organization before the spring.
City council approved the organization’s budget, which it had tabled last week, while dealing with complaints from some stakeholders about cuts to a local grant.
It also engaged its legal department to study several changes suggested by the board to reform the group that operates on provincial mandate.
Coun. Kris Samraj said that will continue and the budget passing doesn’t affect the need for it, which passed 8-1.
Two dozen stakeholders attended the meeting, including longtime CCDA opponent Shila Sharps, who says she has secured support from one quarter of current members to force a referendum.
“I think we’re spinning our wheels at this point,” said Sharps, who says the group is geared to boosting foot traffic to retailers while most members are by appointment service providers.
“Times have changed and I don’t think (promotional) events are what business owners want.”
CCDA board chair Jeremy Silver said work has been ongoing for some time to give stakeholders who pay the levy more of a say, and the city less, both through the budget and the board.
He would like stakeholders to review upcoming changes and help build the organizations, but says the vote has a strong chance of succeeding.
“Do I think it’s because we’ve done an awful job? No,” said Silver.
“Business owners are counting their pennies, people are scared, businesses aren’t open and they don’t know what the future holds,” he told the News.
“I think it’s an inappropriate and unfair time to hold a referendum. Let’s have some time to recover from all this.”
City Clerk Angela Cruickshank confirmed to the News that she received the petition on Jan. 28, and will now verify the names and a voting list.
Sharps says her petition had 86 signatures of the 204 stakeholders. She also says another 10 are permanently closed, and another 30 that were temporarily closed were unavailable.
She would like to see a vote before this year’s levy is collected in June.
Council will push province for regional COVID approach
Medicine Hat city council will request the province take a regional approach that they say could mean local pandemic restrictions lifted sooner.
Council approved sending a letter requesting the change from a province-wide view with a 9-0 count, though as many as four said they hope it at least would “start a dialogue” about why or why not.
Coun. Darren Hirsch raised the issue through a notice of motion, stating that Medicine Hat’s active case number — 16 on Monday — is below the point when stricter rules were implemented in early December.
“(Regional lifting) doesn’t preclude anyone from staying in their own homes or doing what they can to protect themselves,” he said. “It gives our youth and businesses a fighting chance.”
Some business people and youth sports groups have been vocal about allowing more leeway locally.
Last week the province announced a general restart schedule, but one based on hospitalization rates rather than cases.
“The intent is to start a dialogue,” said Hirsch, whose motion requires a letter be sent on behalf of council to Premier Jason Kenney.
“(Let’s) not be dictated that our fortunes should rise or fall based on larger centres.”
Coun. Robert Dumanowski said he supported discussion, but reserved judgment on a regional approach.
“In the big picture it makes sense, but what are the ramifications (on controlling the spread) ... we don’t have that information right now.”
Couns. Julie Friesen and Jamie McIntosh, and even Hirsch, said the letter should ask that the current approach be better explained or potentially changed.
“The longer this goes the harder it is going to be to keep people following the rules,” said McIntosh.
Medicine Hat council voted in a mask bylaw in early December as local active cases rose steeply to more than 120.
The province followed shortly with crossprovincial measures limiting business capacity and closing some entirely to clients.
Coun. Jim Turner asked city officials earlier in the evening why the province wasn’t releasing local COVID hospitalization numbers.
“I think that’s very important when they’re talking about using hospitalization rates,” he said, later seconding Hirsch’s motion. “I think it’s important to show support for our local businesses.”