Closed meeting investigations

Like all municipal councils, local boards and their committees, at times our city council must meet behind closed doors to discuss certain matters, receive information or give directions.

Whenever a closed meeting is scheduled, we will post the agenda ahead of time. This helps ensure complete accountability and transparency on our part, as well as city council and its standing committees.

Situations that call for closed meetings, as laid out in the Municipal Act and our own procedural bylaw, include:

• the security of the property of the city or local board
• personal matters about an identifiable individual, including city or local board employees
• a proposed or pending acquisition or disposition of land for city or local board purposes
• labour relations or employee negotiations
• litigation or potential litigation, including matters before administrative tribunals, affecting the city or a local board
• the receiving of advice that is subject to solicitor-client privilege, including communications necessary for that purpose
• a matter in respect of which council, board, committee or other body has authorized a meeting to be closed under another Act

If you believe a past closed meeting did not comply with our procedural bylaw and/or the Municipal Act, you can make a complaint through the Ontario Ombudsman.