The Ombudsman reviewed a closed meeting held by council for the Township of South Frontenac on July 13, 2021 and found it was permissible under the Municipal Act’s closed meeting exception for solicitor-client privilege. The objective of the meeting was to advise council of the Township’s legal obligations pertaining to the Johnston Point Development. During the meeting, the Township’s solicitor actively participated in the discussion, providing confidential legal advice and responding to questions posed by council.
Township of South Frontenac, September 29, 2021
Read the LetterThe Ombudsman reviewed a closed meeting held by council for the Township of South Frontenac on July 13, 2021 and found it was not possible for council to separate the confidential legal advice received during the meeting from the general information discussed about the Johnson Point Development. The topics were entwined in such a way that it would not have been realistic to expect council to parse them. To do so would have detracted from free and uninterrupted discussion.