Medicine Hat council approves Saamis Heights rezoning, 2027 committees

Medicine Hat city council approved its standing committee and board appointments for the coming year and passed a rezoning bylaw allowing a four-unit row housing development in Saamis Heights during its annual organizational and regular meetings on Monday, the City of Medicine Hat said in a council highlights post published Tuesday.

Bylaw 4890-2026 had been before council since first reading on Sept. 8 and was the subject of a public hearing that opened Oct. 5 but was recessed to allow administration to gather more information about emergency access in the neighbourhood.

When the hearing reconvened Monday, Merrick Brown, manager of organizational development, told council the proposed development would not affect emergency egress from Saamis Heights. Brown said the existing egress uses plastic bollards that can be easily bypassed in an emergency and that Parks and Recreation can prevent snow from blocking the route now that a gate is no longer in place.

Council approved the bylaw and also passed a motion directing administration to look at options for a permanent secondary roadway in Saamis Heights.

On committee appointments, council set its roster for standing committees, boards and commissions for the period Oct. 19, 2026 to Oct. 18, 2027. Mayor Linnsie Clark was named chair of the Emergency Advisory Committee. Coun. Cassi Phaff will chair the Budget Committee, Coun. Tim Clugston the Audit Committee and Energy, Land and Environment Committee, Coun. Brian Cocks the Corporate Services Committee, Coun. Yogi Mohammed the Development and Infrastructure Committee and Governance Committee, and Coun. Cassi Hellman the Public Services Committee.

Council also approved Policy 8053-2026 governing performance evaluations of the city manager, formalizing a process that was previously required annually under the Municipal Government Act but had no standardized framework across council terms.

Council opened the organizational meeting with a moment of silence after Coun. Dan Reynish acknowledged a tragedy at CFB Wainwright over the weekend and offered condolences to those affected.

Council will meet for closed budget sessions on Monday, Oct. 26 and Tuesday, Oct. 27. The next regular council meeting is scheduled for Monday, Nov. 2 at 6:30 p.m. in council chambers at city hall.