Request for Investigation of Closed Meeting under City of Toronto Act, s. 190.

Appendix A
Please describe the details of the meeting

The meeting in question was the sub-committee of Budget Committee tasked with holding an evening of
public deputations on January 19, 2011 at the East York Civic Center’s council chamber, beginning at
6:00 p.m. The incident in question occurred at or around 7:45 p.m.

Please describe why you believe the meeting was improperly closed under the City of Toronto Act, 2006,
the Council procedures or, where applicable, local board procedures

At approximately 7:45 p.m., a deputation was being presented by a group from the Toronto
International Film Festival (TIFF). One portion of the deputation was to include the stories of two young
people who use a TIFF program that receives City of Toronto funding. As the first young person was
describing his experience, the time allotted to TIFF’s deputation expired. The chair, Councillor Mike Del
Grande, cut off the young deputant, which resulted in vocal dissent from other councillors who attended
the meeting as well as many of the citizens present in the gallery. In response to this dissent, Councillor
Del Grande called a recess (seemingly without a vote of sub-committee members) and summoned sub-
committee members to a room behind the council chambers, out of public view, away from the
councillors present who are not on the sub-committee and without City staff. Upon the sub-committee
members’ return to the room, the meeting was called to order and Councillor Del Grande informed the
room that the sub-committee members had made a decision to let the young people in the TIFF
delegation speak. No motion was moved or voted on to allow for this variation from the rules.

On the sub-committee’s agenda, it is clearly stated that:

“If the Budget Sub-Committee for Etobicoke York and Toronto and East York Consultation wants
to meet in closed session (privately), a member of the committee must make a motion to do so
and give the reason why the Committee has to meet privately.  (City of  Toronto Act, 2006).”

Based on the public statement of Councillor Del Grande when he reconvened the meeting, it was
obvious that business material to the meeting was advanced in private yet the requirement above was
not met.

However, even if the above requirement had been met, this closed meeting failed to meet any of the
criteria in City of Toronto Act s. 190.2, which outlines under what circumstances a closed meeting may
be held.

Though I was not able to record Councillor Del Grande’s precise wording when he reconvened the
meeting, I am aware that the meeting was videotaped by City staff. I urge you to view the videotape in
order to see for yourselves how this series of events unfolded.
While the consequence of Councillor Del Grande’s actions may be minor in nature at this point in time,
the act of improperly closing a meeting to make a decision that should have been made publicly defies
all principles open, transparent and accountable government. Please do not let this incident stand as
precedent that allows this type of backroom decision making to continue.