City says it’s still planning Invest MH reset

By COLLIN GALLANT on January 19, 2023.

cgallant@medicinehatnews.com@CollinGallant

A reset for Invest Medicine Hat may not arrive until later this winter, but officials with the city’s economic development office say work is continuing.

That will include an initial bridging of economic development stimulus grants that are typically set in two-year blocks, but expired with the last city budget at the end of 2022.

“We do have a bridging plan that we will be bringing forward to council shortly,” said Rochelle Pancoast.

She is the managing director of the city’s strategic management and analysis department, which typically works on special projects but has overseen the Invest group since senior managers left the city for the private sector last spring.

This week, council voted down a motion by Mayor Linnsie Clark to make economic development planning a key first task for incoming chief administrative officer Ann Mitchell when she takes over the position Feb. 6.

Five council members who voted ‘no’ said she should have time to acquaint herself with the file before an overarching plan is created.

In past years the city’s Invest office or development committee has offered funds to offset costs of building new residential units in areas of downtown or in designated central areas. Or, even pay the costs of challenging city zoning on redevelopment projects.

The Waterfront Vibrancy grant provided up to $50,000 per address for commercial property improvements, and other grants in 2020 paid $10,000 per new foundation poured anywhere in the city to help smooth economic fears during the early stage of the pandemic.

Last fall council approved an outline of how applications to redevelopment property tax subsidies should be applied.

Current staff dedicated specifically to Invest number four, plus a contractor, which is about half the previous staffing levels.

Pancoast told the News that land sales functions are being taken care of, but there are broader responsibilities in the portfolio, like general economic development, partnership management and economic attraction.

“They (staffers) are doing the best that they can to make sure our potential developers and existing developers are getting needs met, but without dedicated leadership it’s been some heavy lifting for staff,” she said.

Invest was previously under the direct management of the CAO’s office, but the office currently answers to the recently created “economic, land &strategic planning and development committee.” Its makeup mirrors the “utilities and infrastructure” committee, with chair Coun. Alison Van Dyke, and Couns. Andy McGrogan and Robert Dumanowski.

That committee took over some work performed by the former “development and infrastructure” division, specifically the planning department and the land office function of Invest Medicine Hat when committees and divisions underwent a reorganization in 2021.

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