The Ombudsman found that an informal gathering on April 2, 2025 of four members of the Board of Management for the Elora Business Improvement Area (a local board of the Township of Centre Wellington) constituted a meeting under the Municipal Act, 2001 that was improperly closed to the public. The Ombudsman found that a quorum of members was present and they discussed a matter in a way that materially advanced the Board’s business or decision-making.
The Ombudsman found that the Board did not contravene the open meeting rules at its August 21, 2025 meeting when it changed the meeting room to an adjacent space and when it held a brief discussion about a procedural matter after the meeting was formally adjourned. The Ombudsman also found that there was no evidence to support the allegation that Board members improperly met to discuss an item of business at some point prior to the August 21, 2025 meeting.
The Ombudsman found that the Board held an improperly closed meeting on October 10, 2025 when three of its four members discussed a matter via email.