Township of Lanark Highlands - September 4, 2021
The Ombudsman received a complaint alleging that council for the Township of Lanark Highlands contravened the Municipal Act’s open meeting requirements on September 22, 2020. The complaint alleged that council’s discussion did not fit within the exceptions to the open meeting rules in the Municipal Act, 2001. The Ombudsman’s investigation found that council’s discussion was permissible under the Municipal Act’s closed meeting exception for personal matters about an identifiable individual in s.239(2)(b). As a best practice, the Ombudsman recommended that the Township ensure that its meeting minutes reflect the council’s discussion on all substantive matters and that closed sessions are recorded.