Retiring city CAO Merete Heggelund receives a standing ovation at Monday's city council meeting after being honoured by council members and staff, including new CAO Bob Nicolay, left, and Coun. Brian Varga.--NEWS PHOTO COLLIN GALLANT
Medicine Hat News
The city’s outgoing chief administrator was given a standing ovation at her last council meeting on Monday, and called a great leader who wasn’t shy but stepped back to let her employees take due credit.
Merete Heggelund’s last day as chief administrative officer before retirement is officially Friday, but she was honoured Monday as her successor, Bob Nicolay, was also introduced.
Coun. Julie Friesen said Heggelund’s management style, her ability to co-ordinate competing interests, hire good people and tackle the city’s financial situation in an era of low gas prices was admirable.
“You have a robust organization here, trust in the great people who work for you,” Heggelund said in a brief reply to council.
Tourism contract
The Destination Marketing Organization has a new four-year contract, worth $400,000 per year, to handle tourism service operations for the city and also support a recently formed Sport and Event Council.
That group’s mandate is to seek out and bid on events that would bring visitors and tourism dollars to the city. The contract was approved by council Monday when it received the minutes of a Sept. 26 administrative council meeting.
The term is for four years, with an option for a fifth.
The organization has handled the duties, including operation of the city’s visitor information centre, since 2015.
Airport work
Redeveloping commercial land near the highway entrance to the Medicine Hat Regional Airport will proceed in 2019 after Aecon Transportation West was awarded a contract for the work, council heard Monday.
The Redcliff-based company submitted the lowest of three bids for the construction, at $970,000, to remove historic hangar foundations that face Highway 3, and prepare about 10 acres of land for development.
Last year, the Land and Business Support Office announced it would focus on redeveloping land for new business at the airport (a council priority).
In 2018, work concentrated on extending airstrip and utility service to a new row of hangars.
