City council on Monday arppoved changes to how it schedules closed meetings.

By Eli J. Ridder | @EliRidder

Council changes rules to allow flexible closed meeting start times, Sharps still wants removal

Dec 18, 2023 | 9:00 PM

MEDICINE HAT, AB – The length of an agenda will now determine when closed meetings start instead of at a set time ahead of every regular council meeting.

That’s after council changed the procedural rules on Monday to allow the agenda review committee — made up of the mayor, clerk and city manager — to determine if council members can come in later on Monday evenings for the closed sessions.

Previously, closed meetings were set to start at 3:45 p.m. on the Mondays there was already a public meeting, irregardless of how long the meeting was likely to take.

That often resulted in council coming for 30 minute closed session that ended two hours before the start of the regular 6:30 p.m. Monday council meeting, according to several councillors.

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The motion came after a staff report Monday that reviewed why closed meetings occur and what the policies of nearby municipalities are around the private sessions.

Council asked for the review during its Nov. 20 meeting.

Coun. Shila Sharps said during that November meeting having the closed meeting pre-scheduled may potentially create the opportunity for items to be added to a closed agenda unnecessarily.

Sharps and other councillors also said the early start times cut into their work day. With the councillor position being part-time, many council members work day jobs.

Sharps was disappointed that council did not go further and completely remove the planned closed meetings.

“I think removal is what we need to do,” Sharps told CHAT News.

She said many of the closed meetings, such as the one held for less than 20 minutes on Monday, are not required.

“I completely disagree that it should’ve been in closed, it was something that didn’t fall under a FOIP, so I just stayed in my office,” she said.

“I just can’t do that. I will go to almost every event during the week, I do absolutely everything but what I won’t do is attend something that shouldn’t be in closed,” Sharps added.

Closed meetings follow specific guidelines set out by Alberta’s Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act.

Items that end up on the closed meeting agendas can include third party business interests, individual or public safety issues, confidential evaluations, law enforcement and several other categories outlined by law.

City Manager Ann Mitchell pointed out to council that, because Medicine Hat owns its utility company, there often can be more items that qualify for a closed meeting than other cities.

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