The BC Ombudsperson was in town this week and proposed a “set of best practices” to Council.
It was a small list that included publicizing the minutes from closed door meetings.
Ombudsman Jay Chalke often hears concerns about transparency and believes releasing the minutes will increase trust.
“Where there are things that are routinely or commonly requested, why not change the default to ‘this is transparent.’ It’s cheaper, faster, better, and it’s going to be released anyway because somebody’s going to request it,” he says.
He advised Council to consider if holding a closed meeting is absolutely necessary. If it is, then provide a detailed explanation why the meeting is held and take detailed notes throughout it.
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