City hall is reflected in the doorway of 533 First Street, the recently completed office space that will house Invest Medicine Hat. The future look and operational model for the economic development wing of city hall will be discussed in early 2023, say council members. - NEWS PHOTO COLLIN GALLANT
cgallant@medicinehatnews.com@CollinGallant
City council voted against setting a Day 1 priority of economic development for the new city manager, though all seemingly agree its an urgent priority.
But five councillors voted against a motion by Mayor Linnsie Clark on Monday directing a new plan for be drawn up by incoming hire Ann Mitchell soon after she starts next month.
During debate several said the economic development file is too important to rush and potentially wrong, but Clark told the News the direction outlines the importance and action is needed.
“It’s critical to our community that we progress on economic development in short order,” said Clark, noting the office has been managed by strategic management office head Rochelle Pancoast in a dual role which requires focus.
“We’ve heard from community members that this is important and collaborating with our regional partners to work of behalf of all our industries.
“We don’t have time to delay on it any further.”
Coun. Shila Sharps said discussions should take place after Mitchell, who arrives from Lethbridge County’s top position, starts on Feb. 6.
“We’ve been 13 months, but a month before the new city manager starts is the worst possible time,” said Sharps. “I agree 100 per cent that we’ve sat on this… and I want this more than anybody.”
Four colleagues agreed with her and voted to defeat the motion 5-3.
Support came from Clark, and Couns. Alison Van Dyke and Robert Dumanowski, who said council sets the direction for the chief administrator to follow.
“It signals front and centre to the city manager that this is an important item before council and the community,” he said. “(Any plan) is ours (council’s) and we can grow it, develop it as we go forward.
“Doing a lot of nothing is gonna result in a lot getting lost.”
Invest Medicine Hat became a major issue in the 2021 city election after it was set to be contracted out before administrators who created a bid pulled out due to controversy.
They then resigned their positions over the next six months, leaving the office at half-staff and without senior officials to go after large investment opportunities.
That coincided with a year-long process to hire a city manager while Clark and council members said important organizational culture changes were underway.
With Mitchell hired as new permanent manager in late December, Clark said in year-end interviews that the Invest office was top priority for 2023
On Monday she added it to the agenda as a notice of motion describing what she said as encompassing several approved council priorities, including workforce retention and regional partnerships.
Coun. Darren Hirsch said he felt the motion set down a too rigid philosophy in a complicated and nuanced field of economic development.
“I’d want an open slate and open dialogue,” said Hirsch. “We need to do it right, and we need a full discussion, and at a time when everyone is on the table, including the city manager.”
Pancoast told the News that the office is budgeted to have nine positions, but has operated with four people for most of the past year.
The dual-purpose office has been able to handle land sales and land management that it performs for other departments, but other work has been difficult to accomplish without staffing or higher-level input.
IMH was created in 2015 when council chose to leave regional economic development partnerships to instead run it in-house. That was expanded in 2019 under then city manager Bob Nicolay, to include land sales, and under the direct oversight of CAO’s office, rather than a council committee.
In late 2021 Clark created a committee to oversee Invest activities, as well as functions in the strategic management office, which includes the planning office.
