Why Are There Closed Council Meetings?

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This is another question I get asked a lot. Why are there "closed door" meetings where the public is not allowed to attend? Well, there is a simple answer to that. 

There are times when the town council is dealing with a topic that must remain confidential, either forever, or for a certain length of time. One of the first things you must do when you are elected to the municipal government is become familiar with what information is protected and must not be discussed outside of the Council Chambers.

There's information that cannot even be shared with certain members of town staff. 

The "closed door" meetings are often referred to as a Ninety-Point-One Meeting. The "90.1" references the section in the BC Community Charter that outlines what will trigger a closed meeting. I'll list all the details (direct from the Community Charter) below, but in simple terms, a 90.1 happens if the agenda contains one of the "Three L's." Specifically, those "L's" are Land, Labour, and Legal. 

Speaking of 90.1 agendas...they are only available in print form and are in sealed envelopes in each of the physical inboxes of town council members. They are the only meeting agendas that are NOT e-mailed to council members.

On average, there are between one and two 90.1s held each month.

After the 90.1 Meeting, the agendas, and any previous 90.1 Minutes, are disposed of (shredded) and cannot be disposed of by just anyone in the office. This protects the confidential nature of the information they contain.

When I attend a 90.1 Meeting, I see the agenda for the first time when I get to Town Hall for the Regular Meeting that precedes it. I go early, in case there's something I need to be updated on and if I see a sealed envelope in my inbox, I'll take it to the Council Chambers to review alone before the Regular Meeting starts.

By the way, 90.1's are not unique to Princeton. They happen in EVERY municipal government in British Columbia and the doors get closed at any of them for the same reasons.

Finally, even though Town Council holds a 90.1 Meeting where council members, and possibly one or two staff members are in attendance, as soon as the meeting concludes, we cannot discuss it any further. Not quietly in a corner, not in a private phone conversation, not in an e-mail.

Confidential means confidential.

Here's the list of reasons for a 90.1 Meeting:

Meetings that may or must be closed to the public
90(0.1) In this section, "Indigenous entity" means an Indigenous entity that exercises governmental functions.
(1)A part of a council meeting may be closed to the public if the subject matter being considered relates to or is one or more of the following:
(a)personal information about an identifiable individual who holds or is being considered for a position as an officer, employee or agent of the municipality or another position appointed by the municipality;
(b)personal information about an identifiable individual who is being considered for a municipal award or honour, or who has offered to provide a gift to the municipality on condition of anonymity;
(c)labour relations or other employee relations;
(d)the security of the property of the municipality;
(e)the acquisition, disposition or expropriation of land or improvements, if the council considers that disclosure could reasonably be expected to harm the interests of the municipality;
(f)law enforcement, if the council considers that disclosure could reasonably be expected to harm the conduct of an investigation under or enforcement of an enactment;
(g)litigation or potential litigation affecting the municipality;
(h)an administrative tribunal hearing or potential administrative tribunal hearing affecting the municipality, other than a hearing to be conducted by the council or a delegate of council;
(i)the receipt of advice that is subject to solicitor-client privilege, including communications necessary for that purpose;
(i.1)information that is prohibited, or information that if it were presented in a document would be prohibited, from disclosure under section 18.1 of the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act;
(j)information that is prohibited, or information that if it were presented in a document would be prohibited, from disclosure under section 21 of the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act;
(k)negotiations and related discussions respecting the proposed provision of a municipal service that are at their preliminary stages and that, in the view of the council, could reasonably be expected to harm the interests of the municipality if they were held in public;
(l)discussions with municipal officers and employees respecting municipal objectives, measures and progress reports for the purposes of preparing an annual report under section 98 [annual municipal report];
(m)a matter that, under another enactment, is such that the public may be excluded from the meeting;
(n)the consideration of whether a council meeting should be closed under a provision of this subsection or subsection (2);
(o)the consideration of whether the authority under section 91 [other persons attending closed meetings] should be exercised in relation to a council meeting.
(2)A part of a council meeting must be closed to the public if the subject matter being considered relates to one or more of the following:
(a)a request under the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act, if the council is designated as head of the local public body for the purposes of that Act in relation to the matter;
(b)the consideration of information received and held in confidence relating to negotiations
(i)between the municipality and a provincial government or the federal government, or both, or between a provincial government or the federal government, or both, and a third party,
(ii)between the municipality and another local government or between another local government and a third party, or
(iii)between the municipality and a first nation or a prescribed Indigenous entity, or between a first nation or a prescribed Indigenous entity and a third party;
(c)a matter that is being investigated under the Ombudsperson Act of which the municipality has been notified under section 14 [Ombudsperson to notify authority] of that Act;
(d)a matter that, under another enactment, is such that the public must be excluded from the meeting.
(e)[Repealed 2022-15-2.]
(3)If the only subject matter being considered at a council meeting is one or more matters referred to in subsection (1) or (2), the applicable subsection applies to the entire meeting.

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I'm George Elliott
Don't forget that Advance Polling Day is October 7, 2026
General Election Day is October 17, 2026 8AM to 8PM at Princeton & District Community Skills Centre, 206 Vermilion Avenue, Princeton
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