The City of Medicine Hat is in the process of rehiring positions to operate reopened facilities, but budget restraints mean the overall city workforce will shrink compared to pre-pandemic levels.--NEWS FILE PHOTO
cgallant@medicinehatnews.com@CollinGallant
City facilities are reopening, but the effect on the municipal workforce is murky as some temporary employees laid off during the worst of the pandemic may be rehired, but large budget cuts mean fewer positions.
In spring of 2020, the city laid off an undisclosed number of part-time or non permanent staff as health restrictions closed public facilities, like rec centres, arenas and pools, plus the Esplanade and seniors’ centre.
As well, seasonal staff were not hired that year – the height of uncertainty over the pandemic – but city emergency planners and human resources officials vowed critical business would continue under isolation protocols and work-from-home procedures.
Officially, the number of city employees remained the same, according to the 2020 annual report, at 1,087, including all municipal employees, managers, utility workers, police and fire.
However, a slate of budget cuts enacted this winter resulted in “about 70” employees taking part in a voluntary retirement program, and some already vacant positions were eliminated, say senior city officials.
City manager Bob Nicolay told the News that work this winter to cut $14 million out of the municipal operating budget is mostly complete.
“Any position that remains integral to our operations will be refilled by the normal process,” he said.
That could mean recall of laid-off staff under the terms of their collective agreement, says Sam Ferrier, president of CUPE No. 46, the union representing inside, outside and transit workers at the city.
“The majority of permanent employees stayed on,” said Ferrier, adding his membership now stands at about 750.
That figure would be down between 50 and 100 since 2019 when membership signed a new contract, which provided no wage increase for two years but also an expected level of job security.
Permanent positions were not lost due to the pandemic, but a round of voluntary buyouts called for in the 2020 budget amendment have reduced the workforce, and much of the winter was spent in the process of “bumping” positions.
That process – in which more senior staff can fill junior positions – can lead to fewer layoffs, though fewer remaining positions.
“A lot of the positions (moved into) were vacant,” said Ferrier, adding that process is mostly complete. “It is what it is, but nobody is very happy about it.”
The city is rehiring customer service staff at some recreation facilities and other public services as they reopen to the public. As well, it hired seasonal summer staff this year after foregoing new hires last summer.
Most restrictions on indoor crowds or activities in public buildings were lifted across Alberta on July 1.
Remaining closed this calendar year however are the Moose Recreation Centre, the Crestwood Recreation Centre and Heights outdoor pool. City staff said demand was too low to warrant reopening under costly health compliance measures. They are also currently the focus of a recreation budget study regarding general maintenance and operation costs.
The city is also contracting out operations of the Veiner Centre as of Aug. 3, but last year took over previously contracted operations at Co-op Place. Only several positions there are union positions, and do not include game-night staff, said Ferrier.
As well the city is currently accepting bids for a contract provider to handle real estate sales and management and economic development. According to the 2020 annual report, the size of the Invest Medicine Hat office increased to nine last year, after it was created in 2019 as a city department with six staff from the land and properties division and some others.
Council’s current budget plan calls for reserve bridge funding out of the city operational budget entirely next year, requiring another $10 million in either new income or program cuts next year.
Annual budget amendments typically come to council in December, and the next would be the last in the 2019-2022 city budget, before a newly elected council approves the next four-year budget plan in late 2022.
