The Ombudsman reviewed closed meetings held by the Joint Police Advisory Committee and council for the Town of Amherstburg to discuss draft request for proposals for police services. Although not cited at the time, the Clerk told the Ombudsman that the exception for matters permissible to be closed under another act would have applied because the meetings could have been closed under the Police Services Act. The Police Services Act lists two exceptions allowing closed meetings of the police services board. The Ombudsman found that there was no evidence that the committee considered whether the Police Services Act would apply to its discussions, and no evidence provided that the local police services board discussed the request for proposals in closed session under the Police Services Act. Accordingly, the Ombudsman found that this exception did not apply to the committee and council meetings.
Town of Amherstburg - June 29, 2018
City of Hamilton - April 22, 2015
The Ombudsman reviewed a closed meeting held by the General Issues Committee for the City of Hamilton to discuss a confidential appendix to a report that included information about a parcel of land the municipality was considering purchasing. The meeting was closed under the exception for matters permissible to be closed under another act. The committee relied on the exception because the local police services board had previously discussed the matter in closed session under the Police Services Act. The police service board relied on the “intimate personal/financial matters” exception in the Police Services Act to hold the discussion in closed session. The Ombudsman found that the discussion fit within the exception for matters permissible to be closed under another act.
Town of Amherstburg - “Behind Closed Doors” - January 6, 2012
The Ombudsman reviewed a closed meeting held by council to discuss appointments to the local library board and police services board. The meeting was closed under the exception for matters permissible to be closed under another act. Council believed that the Public Libraries Act and the Police Services Act permit appointments to be made in closed session. The Ombudsman found that neither act contains provisions which permit appointments in closed session. Therefore, the discussion did not fit within the exception for matters permissible to be closed under another act.