Mayor Bowman, who campaigned on openness, defends plan to allow council to meet in secret

Winnipeg Mayor Brian Bowman, who campaigned on a promise of making city hall more open and transparent, is defending his vote in favour of allowing council to meet behind closed doors, away from media and public scrutiny.

Council's executive policy committee voted unanimously Wednesday in favour of a bylaw that would allow council to hold what are known as in camera meetings, where nobody other than elected officials and senior public servants are allowed to attend.

Council is not permitted to vote in secret right now and this was not a power considered by Sam Katz, Glen Murray, Susan Thompson or any other recent Winnipeg mayor.

Bowman nonetheless voted in favour of the idea, which he introduced as a means of improving openness and transparency at city hall.

"The ability for in camera meetings for a city council would not be unique for the City of Winnipeg," said the mayor, who suggested his record on openness and transparency speaks for itself. "All members of council have participated in in camera meetings at committee. This is an extension for council as a whole."

The change to allow closed-door meetings was embedded in a report recommending performance evaluations for four senior city officials, the chief administrative officer, chief financial officer, city clerk and city auditor.

The report called for a bylaw change that would allow council to meet in secret to discuss an evaluation, as well as for unspecified "other purposes."

A bylaw attached to the report does not specify when council can meet in secret. Chief administrative officer Doug McNeil said that could be at the discretion of council, surmising the change was made because some corporations don't like seeing their names in city reports.

"Usually land transactions are confidential, between the two parties," he said. "There might be other agreements that should remain with the parties involved."

Executive policy committee, led by Bowman, approved the move on Wednesday with no debate. Bowman said some changes to the report are possible before it comes before council as a whole on Dec. 14.