Sables-Spanish Rivers, Township of

The Ombudsman found that council for the Township of Sables-Spanish Rivers did not contravene the Municipal Act, 2001 on July 26 and August 9, 2023, when the Township did not list the closed sessions on the agendas. The Ombudsman noted that the closed sessions were not initially planned, and the Act does not require municipalities to provide advance notice of the matters to be discussed in closed session.    

The Ombudsman found that council for the Township of Sables-Spanish Rivers contravened the Municipal Act, 2001 on July 26 and August 9, 2023, by failing to provide sufficient information about the general topic of discussion in its resolution to proceed into closed session. 

The Ombudsman recommended that the Township of Sables-Spanish Rivers ensure that votes in camera are restricted to directions to staff or procedural matters.

The Ombudsman found that the Township of Sables-Spanish Rivers failed to record important information about the meeting, including the location, the time the meeting ended, and the time that the closed session began and ended. The minutes did not include a full description of the subjects discussed in closed session and in open session. They were almost entirely limited to a list of resolutions passed. As a result, it was impossible to determine, on the basis of the meeting records, which topics were discussed during the meeting and when. When interviewed, witnesses had conflicting recollections of the discussions. The Ombudsman recommended that the township improve its meeting minutes, and that it make audio or video recordings of closed meetings to ensure an accurate record of proceedings.

We received a complaint that, prior to entering a closed meeting, the mayor for the Township of Sables-Spanish Rivers announced that the meeting was over. However, after the closed meeting, council continued to meet and carry out business in open session. The Ombudsman found that the portion of the meeting after the closed session was improperly closed to the public.

Council for the Township of Sables-Spanish Rivers was permitted to discuss a bidder on a Request for Proposals in camera, because the discussion went beyond professional information to include the individual’s personal suitability and conduct. Council was also permitted to discuss a grant application to hire an intern in camera, as the discussion included information about an individual’s job performance.