In-Camera Rules Misused?

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When city council or city staff are challenged on what appears to be an excessive number of in-camera decisions they will usually offer up the '3 - L's' as being automatic topics requiring in-camera discussion.

The 3 - L's are Land, Labour and Litigation. All three of these categories fall under the Community Charter section 90 (1) which says that a meeting MAY be closed to the public, it does not say MUST be closed to the public.

On the subject of land dealings, which this council automatically takes in-camera has a condition attached:

90 (1) (e) states:
the acquistion, disposition or expropriation of land or land improvements, if the council considers that disclosure could reasonably be expected to harm the interests of the municipality;

This does not mean that ALL land deals must automatically be taken in-camera unless there is a reasonable concern that public discussion could harm the interests of the municipality.

The recent announcement about the Wellcox land sale to the RDN is likely a deal to which this rule did not need apply.

As is the case with ALL in-camera meetings (in-secret), once the reason for secrecy has passed, this council should immediately bring the matter out of in-camera and make it known to the public.

Another example of what could be classed misuse of in-camera occurred with the meeting last year when council decided to remove Colliery Dams. The public needs to know, just what information this council acted upon when making this decision.