Town of Huntsville, May 15, 2023
Read the LetterThe Ombudsman found that a closed session discussion held by the Town of Huntsville’s General Committee on September 28, 2022 regarding a proposal to lease a portion of a municipally owned recreational complex fit within the exception for the acquisition or disposition of land.
The Ombudsman found that a closed session discussion held by the Town of Huntsville’s General Committee on September 28, 2022 regarding a proposal to lease a portion of a municipally owned recreational complex fit within the exception for plans and instructions for negotiations.
The Ombudsman found that the Town of Huntsville’s General Committee did not contravene the Municipal Act, 2001 with regard to the information provided on its agenda for a closed session scheduled for the September 28, 2022 meeting, as the Act does not require municipalities to provide advance notice of the matters to be discussed in closed session. The Ombudsman noted that it is a best practice to provide the public with sufficiently meaningful information on public agendas regarding the planned topic(s) of discussion in closed session.
The Ombudsman found that the Town of Huntsville’s General Committee contravened the Municipal Act, 2001 on September 28, 2022 when it failed to provide sufficiently meaningful information to the public regarding the topic of its in camera discussion in its resolution to proceed into closed session.
The Ombudsman found that the Town of Huntsville’s General Committee did not contravene the Municipal Act, 2001 on September 28, 2022 when it voted to direct staff in closed session.