Closed Meetings

We are committed to being open, accountable, and transparent. This commitment is consistent with provincial efforts to make municipal government understandable and approachable for citizens.  

Closed Meeting

The province of Ontario, through the Municipal Act, 2001, defines when a council, local board or a committee is permitted to go into a closed meeting. Closed meetings are part of good government when these rules are honoured. The purpose of a closed meeting is for Council to receive information or give direction to staff on the following specific topics:

1. The security of the property of the municipality or local board;
2. Personal matters about an identifiable individual, including municipal or local board employees;
3. A proposed or pending acquisition or disposition of land by the municipality or local board;
4. Labour relations or employee negotiations;
5. Litigation or potential litigation, including matters before administrative tribunals, affecting the municipality or local board;
6. Advice that is subject to solicitor-client privilege, including communications necessary for that purpose;
7. A matter in respect of which a council, board, committee or other body may hold a closed meeting under another act;
8. The meeting is held for the purposed of educating or training the members and at the meeting, no member discusses or otherwise deals with any matter in a way that materially advances the business or decision-making of the council, local board or committee.
9. Information explicitly supplied in confidence to the municipality or local board by Canada, a province or territory or a Crown agency of any of them;
10. A trade secret or scientific, technical, commercial, financial or labour relations information, supplied in confidence to the municipality or local board, which, if disclosed, could reasonably be expected to prejudice significantly the competitive position or interfere significantly with the contractual or other negotiations of a person, group of persons, or organization;
11. A trade secret or scientific, technical, commercial or financial information that belongs to the municipality or local board and has monetary value or potential monetary value; and
12. A position, plan, procedure, criteria or instruction to be applied to any negotiations carried on or to be carried on by or on behalf of the municipality or local board.

As well, a meeting shall be closed to the public if the subject matter relates to the consideration of a request under the Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act if the Council is the head of the institution for the purposes of the Act.  

Investigations of Closed Meetings

The Ombudsman conducts any investigations arising from a complaint with respect to meetings or parts of meetings that are closed to the public and determine compliance with the Municipal Act. 

Complaints Procedure

Members of the public, including corporations, may submit complaints relating to compliance with the Municipal Act or the Municipal Procedural By-law for meetings or part of meetings that are closed to the public. All complaints will be always treated as confidential at all times. Complaints must be submitted in writing or using the prescribed form. Upon receipt of the closed meeting complaint, the County Clerk will forward the complaint to the Ontario Ombudsman.

To submit an Informal complaint, please complete the form and submit by e-mail, regular mail or in person. Alternatively, you may contact us by telephone.

Sheena Earl, County Clerk
25 Central Avenue West, Suite 100
Brockville, ON K6V 4N6
613-342-3840 X 2454
Email the Clerk