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Closed meeting deliberates personal matter

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Members of city council met for a special closed-door session on Friday at city hall.

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In open session shortly before retiring in camera Mayor Mitch Panciuk said councillors were called into the afternoon session to deal with a confidential matter regarding an unidentified person.

Panciuk said in open session council would discuss “personal matters about an identifiable individual pursuant to section 239(2)(b) of the Municipal Act.”

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He clarified publicly the meeting did not involve any council member.

“Just so you know, city councillors are not covered under this section of the Municipal Act, so we’re not discussing anything to do with a member of council,” Panciuk said.

“There is not going to be any action following this. Unfortunately, there is nothing we can tell you.”

The Municipal Act does allow councils to excuse themselves from open session “if the subject matter being considered is “b) personal matters about an identifiable individual, including municipal or board employees.”

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The in camera nature of such meetings in general is routine and meets the rules prescribed for accountable government, according to the Association of Municipal Managers, Clerks and Treasurers of Ontario.

The association said closed door meetings instill trust in the local government given some sensitive matters can remain confidential.

The association said that “Section 239 of the Municipal Act requires that meetings of municipal councils, and local boards or committees must be open to the public unless they fall within a narrow set of proscribed exemptions … and mostly involve a set of discretionary topics, such as legal advice, disposition of land, labour relations and situations that involve a clearly identifiable individual.”

“Despite negative media portrayals, a reasonable case can be made that local governments are the most trusted and transparent order of government in Canada,” said the association.

“The foundation of municipal trust and transparency in many ways rests on the province’s open meeting rules for municipalities. While most decisions made by the provincial and federal governments happen in cabinet or caucus meetings that are closed to the public, municipalities are allowed to deliberate and make decisions in closed-session in only a limited number of circumstances.”

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