Who has the right to attend secret council meetings
November 18, 2005

City manager Glen Peace has been asked to explain the rules governing which city staff are allowed to attend 'in camera' meetings of city council. Dave Braden raised the issue at yesterday's corporate administration committee meeting, using the example of the mayor's executive assistant, Mario Joanette, who has sat in on at least one of the private meetings.

Peace said he and the city clerk usually make the decisions but that "Mario's a staff member of the mayor's office and the decision of his attendance would likely lie with the mayor."

Braden seemed to find this answer surprising. "Are you saying that with regard to the individual that I mentioned, the mayor decides who comes to represent him, but you decide on everybody else?"

When Peace confirmed his answer, Braden asked if this was written somewhere in the city's procedures. "That's been our practice," replied the city manager.

That brought Chad Collins into the discussion who asked if he could send HIS executive assistant to in camera sessions that he wasn't able to attend personally. Peace said no, because councillor assistants are city staff.

That didn't satisfy Collins. "Well, if I hired someone contractually in my office, then they would be allowed to attend the meeting?" he asked. Peace replied that the clerk would have to decide.

"I think we need some discussion on this", said Collins and Peace agreed to look into the matter and report back to council. A transcript of the full discussion is included in CATCH's report of the committee meeting at http://www.hamiltoncatch.org/corporate/corp_051116.htm.