GOVERNANCE POLICY: GP-15  Public Access to Council Meetings

1. At the outset of each Council meeting, the Council shall meet initially in-camera to review and adopt the final Council agendas.

1.1  During this initial meeting, at the request of any Council member, and in compliance with a simple majority vote of those Councilors present, any agenda item may be moved from the open agenda to the in-camera agenda, or vice versa.

1.2  In respect to matters scheduled for the Council consideration in the open session, at the request of any Council member, and in compliance with a simple majority vote of those Councilors present, any information document for consideration by the Council at that meeting may be excluded from access by the public and/or the public media, or the Council may impose such conditions on the release of such documents that the Council may direct.

1.3  Any document identified on the open Council agenda which is not explicitly protected by the Council pursuant to Section 1.2 above is accessible by the public and the public media.

1.4  Once the Council has fixed its agendas for both the open and the in-camera sessions and designated those documents excluded from public access, the Council Chairperson may convene the open or the in-camera meeting.

1.4.1  When the Chairperson of the Council convenes the open meeting, the Chairperson or the Council shall advise the observers present of any changes made to the draft agenda for the open session.

2. Meetings will be open to the public for all governance related matters except where those policy matters relate to litigation and personnel issues.  Any councilor may request Council go in camera but:

2.1 The reason for going in camera must be stated.

2.2 Council may include no one else or anyone else it chooses.

2.3 Authority to go in camera is vested in the Chairperson of Council unless overridden by a simple majority vote.

2.4 Where possible, announcement of the intention to go in camera should be on the agenda.

 3. No right is extended to public observers to actively participate in meetings.

 No recording devices or cameras are permitted without the permission of the Chairperson.