5-2 vote extends council member terms on the police commission

By COLLIN GALLANT on March 18, 2020.

cgallant@medicinehatnews.com@CollinGallant

A new change to the Medicine Hat Police Commission bylaw will allow city council members to serve up to a maximum of 10 years on the oversight body, thereby keeping two long-term members in place.

That’s up from six years after the matter passed in a 5-2 split vote on Monday night, but is now the same number as is allowed in provincial regulations. 

Veteran councillors Robert Dumanowski and Julie Friesen have served there since at least the 2013 election and said it’s needed as the relatively inexperienced public members of the board select a new police chief.

Coun. Kris Samraj noted that sitting on the committee is “a popular request” but 10 years seemed too long in terms of general governance. 

Coun. Darren Hirsch, who chairs the administrative and legislative review committee that suggested the change, also voted against the change that passed all three required readings on Monday.

Coun. Jamie McIntosh said he’d support the change because the six-year limit no longer aligns with city council terms, which were extended from three years to four in late 2013. Since then, Mayor Ted Clugston has generally made very few changes to council committee assignments.

“If people have a problem with what those assignments are they can communicate that to the mayor,” said McIntosh. That statement was echoed by Coun. Jim Turner.

Dumanowski said the current situation is unique because the commission is in the process of hiring a new police chief to replace Andy McGrogan, who will retire later this year.

“I’m not trying to say that we’re educated beyond our years, but it is important to have continuity.”

The commission is currently made up of two council representatives, Dumanowksi and Friesen, as well as five public members.

Each October councillors are given committee assignments for the coming year as part of a required organizational meeting. Clugston has generally rolled over committee assignments each year with the exception being after the 2017 municipal election when council members changed.

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