The Ombudsman reviewed several meetings held by the Ad Hoc Heritage Committee for the Town of Mattawa. The Ombudsman found that the committee failed to provide notice of its meetings in violation of the Municipal Act, 2001. The Ombudsman recommended that the municipality’s procedure by-law provide for public notice of meetings. As a best practice, municipalities are encouraged to list all items on the agenda and a description of the items to be discussed in closed session.
Town of Mattawa, January 11, 2011
Read the ReportThe Ombudsman reviewed a closed meeting held by council for the Town of Mattawa, which relied on the personal matters exception to discuss the salary of a staff member. The Ombudsman found that an individual’s salary, as opposed to a salary range for a position, may qualify as personal information. Therefore, the discussion fit within the exception.
The Ombudsman reviewed several closed meetings held by the Ad Hoc Heritage Committee for the Town of Mattawa. The Ombudsman recommended that the municipality update its procedure by-law to include provisions addressing public notice, format of meeting agendas, and procedures for emergency discussions. He also recommended that the procedure by-law accurately reflect the closed meeting exceptions found in the Municipal Act, 2001.
The Ombudsman reviewed several closed meetings held by council for the Town of Mattawa. As part of the Ombudsman’s findings, it was noted that the municipality did not have a general practice of reporting back publicly after the closed session. The Ombudsman recommended as a best practice that council provide a general description of matters discussed in camera.
The Ombudsman reviewed several closed meetings held by council for the Town of Mattawa. As part of the Ombudsman’s findings, it was noted that during two meetings, the municipality passed a resolution prior to moving into closed session, as required by the Municipal Act, 2001. However, in each case the resolution only cited the exception council was relying on to close the meeting. The Ombudsman recommended that council pass a resolution in open session that generally describes the subject matter to be considered, so as to maximize the information available to the public without undermining the reason for proceeding in camera.
The Ombudsman reviewed several closed meetings held by the Ad Hoc Heritage Committee for the Town of Mattawa. The Ombudsman noted that the municipality did not have a formal record for two meetings. The Ombudsman recommended that the municipality ensure it follow a practice of keeping a proper record of closed sessions consistent with the requirements of the Municipal Act, 2001.