Nipissing, Township of

The Ombudsman found that council for the Township of Nipissing contravened the Municipal Act, 2001 on July 13, 2021 when it discussed the Township’s hiring plan in camera. This discussion did not fall within any of the Act’s closed meeting exceptions, and could have been parsed from the rest of council’s in camera discussion. However, the Ombudsman found that the Township did not contravene the Municipal Act, 2001 during an in camera meeting on August 3, 2021. Although part of council’s discussion did not fit within any of the Act’s closed meeting exceptions, the Ombudsman found that an attempt to parse these discussions would have stifled free, open and uninterrupted discussion.

The Ombudsman found that council for the Township of Nipissing did not contravene the Municipal Act, 2001 during an in camera meeting on August 3, 2021. The Ombudsman found that council’s in camera discussion regarding identifiable employees’ job performance was permissible under the Act’s closed meeting exception for labour relations or employee negotiations.

The Ombudsman found that council for the Township of Nipissing did not contravene the Municipal Act, 2001 during in camera meetings on February 17, March 9, April 6, and May 18, 2021. The Ombudsman found that these in camera discussions were permissible under the Act’s closed meeting exception for personal matters about an identifiable individual.

The Ombudsman reviewed a special meeting held by council for the Township of Nipissing. Notice of the meeting was not provided. The Ombudsman found that the municipality failed to provide notice in accordance with its procedure by-law, which requires notice of special meetings be posted on a bulletin board and on the municipal website at least 24 hours prior to the meeting.