• It’s all about me: how many times someone says I want, I think, I prefer, I know, my wife, my in-laws, my kids, my family OR what I have heard from constituents
• closed mind OR open to varying views
• Kudos to staff OR a simple thank you
• Support administration recommendation without question OR question possible omissions
• Split the vote: seek compromise/consensus OR acknowledge 4-3, 3-4 votes
• Maintain decorum OR allow unwelcome comments
• Windbaggery OR refrain from unnecessary speeches
• Promote charities OR make decisions to remove barriers that prevent people with disabilities from equally participating in the community
• Decisions based on the interests of a few OR decisions based on the whole community

April 27 I requested a copy of the Orientation to Strategic Planning – Sabine Matheson, Olivia Lahaie, Strategy Corp. presentation to council at the April 18 meeting.

Within minutes, CAO Critchley advised, As the slides used by Strategy Corp are proprietary information, should you wish a copy of the presentation, please submit an MFIPPA request.

And then I emailed members of council and CAO Critchley:

for those who are unaware, a Routine Disclosure Policy, recommended decades ago by the Information and Privacy Commission, was being looked at three years ago, according to then-CAO Miceli. The topic was discussed at council meetings but still no policy has been created. Such a policy would reflect a commitment to open government, transparency and accountability since routine requests for information would not place a ‘burden’ on administration or taxpayers. Public information should routinely be disclosed to the public – that is a best practice.

Residents should not routinely be advised to submit FOI requests in lieu of a policy and/or in lieu of members of council or administration ignoring requests for information.

I strongly urge the council, who has policy making authority, to enact this policy for the betterment of the community.

No responses were received.

I’m thinking of nominating the Town of Amherstburg for the annual ‘most secretive municipal body’ award from the Centre for Free Expression.

Last September the Information and Privacy Commission (IPC) launched a Transparency Challenge to government institutions on September 28, 2022, International Right to Know Day. All government levels were encouraged to share their innovative projects or programs that improve government transparency for the benefit of Ontarians.

From the IPC website: Why did the IPC launch the Transparency Challenge?

Privacy and Transparency in a Modern Government is one of the IPC’s four strategic priorities. With the Transparency Challenge, and the Transparency Showcase we want to show great examples as a way to encourage others towards greater openness and transparency. We also want to increase public awareness and understanding of the positive impacts open data can have in concretely improving the day-to-day lives of Ontarians. This is one of several IPC initiatives to advance Ontarians’ access rights and inspiring greater transparency among public institutions.

In February 2022, Stratford, Ont., city council was declared Canada’s ‘most secretive’ by Toronto think-tank, the Centre for Free Expression (CFE). Read the full CBC article.

Given the history of FOI requests, Appeals, Inquiries, excessive fees, and the fact that it’s been over three years since former CAO Miceli that the Town of Amherstburg was in the process of creating a Routine Disclosure and Active Dissemination Policy, I’m optimistic about the town’s chances of being an award recipient.

Current CAO Critchley now advises: the Town continues to investigate a number of policies and their associated role within the organization but at this time the Town of Amherstburg has not adopted a specific policy to govern the many ways in which the Town actively disseminates and routine discloses information to the public.

Last night’s council meeting was shorter, there were less speeches, less pettiness, and less personal anecdotes – worth a few gold stars!

The passing of the gavel just to pose a question seems unnecessary. And, when a council member requests a report, administration should comply, which is their job – to implement council’s decisions. It is not up to administration to decide when, why or if council should be provided with documents.

Likewise, council should not be concerned with how much work is involved in preparing reports. Council needs fully researched reports, both pros and cons, to decide what’s in the best interests of the community. Administration is a-political.

Email to CAO Critchley and members of council:

for those who are unaware, a Routine Disclosure Policy, recommended decades ago by the Information and Privacy Commission, was being looked at three years ago, according to then-CAO Miceli. The topic was discussed at council meetings but still no policy has been created. Such a policy would reflect a commitment to open government, transparency and accountability since routine requests for information would not place a ‘burden’ on administration or taxpayers. Public information should routinely be disclosed to the public – that is a best practice.

Residents should not routinely be advised to submit FOI requests in lieu of a policy and/or in lieu of members of council or administration ignoring requests for information.

I strongly urge the council, who has policy making authority, to enact this policy for the betterment of the community.

Related:

Request For Routine Disclosure Policy Now Three Years Old

Request For Routine Disclosure Policy Now Two Years Old

Councillor Prue Supports Routine Disclosure Policy

Amherstburg Clerk And Mayor Respond to Routine Disclosure Policy Request

Amherstburg Needs Routine Disclosure Policy

A Year Later, No Town Policy Re Routine Requests For Information

Reporter’s And Individual’s Requests For Information Compared

Accessing Information In Amherstburg

It only took two weeks! I notified CAO Critchley that the town’s website changes made it difficult to read. The calendar page had a serif typeface with slashed zeros and she asked if I could provide a screenshot, below.