The County of Essex has officially adopted a policy when it comes to its closed meetings.
Clerk Katherine Hebert presented a report during last Wednesday night’s meeting that compared Essex County and other municipalities as well as information from the Ontario Ombudsman.
“Based on conservations we’ve had at the administrative level and each member of council, there is a disconnect between what our current practice is and what is done in many of the local municipalities as well as around the province,” said Hebert.
County council will continue to meet in closed sessions for such reasons as land dealings, labour relations and legal advice. The new policy will ensure that votes on such issues will be held in the public portion of the meeting. Last week, council and administration met in a close session prior to the meeting and voted, later in the open forum, to give a two percent increase to non-union employees in 2025.
“It is best practice to change the way we are operating right now for our closed meetings,” said Hebert.
According to the Ontario Ombudsman, there must be adequate advance public notice given that a closed session is going to be held and all closed meetings must be recorded which includes any decisions being made.
In 2015, the county had a policy statement which, in part, stated they wanted to encourage access and participation to ensure that decision making is responsive to the needs of the constituents and receptive to their opinions.
As well as last Wednesday’s accountability and transparency review and new closed meeting policy review, council received a report from administration regarding the doors at the county administration building in Essex being locked during county council meetings.
Administration noted that back on April 5, 2023, there was an unexpected safety use due to overcrowding.
“The conduct of the crowd and the resulting noise, despite the effort of the Warden, resulted in members of council unable to hear the meeting. The meeting was eventually adjourned,” noted the report.
CAO Sandra Zwiers said that since then more controlled measures have been put in place including pre-registration to attend. And while walk-ins are permitted and must sign in, as noted by Essex Mayor Sherry Bondy in the past, the doors to the building were being locked 15 minutes into a meeting.
“I know we have a visitors policy but at no time did the visitors’ policy say that the doors would be locked,” said Bondy.
Administration noted that the county will continue this practice as the building continues to undergo renovations.
County adopts closed meeting policy
By Fred Groves
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