Your city hall just went behind closed doors

You know, there's always something happening down at City Hall, even when it looks like they’re just adopting agendas. Last week, specifically on April 30, City Council had a Special City Council meeting. Thirteen councillors, including folks like Andrew Knack and Sarah Paquette, voted unanimously to adopt the agenda. Standard stuff, you might think. But then, things got a bit… private.

Council also unanimously carried a motion to meet in private to discuss a "City Manager Update." This was done "pursuant to sections 20 (disclosure harmful to personal privacy) and 29 (advice from officials) of the *Access to Information Act*." What was so sensitive that all thirteen councillors, again, including your representatives like Erin Rutherford and Michael Janz, felt it needed to be discussed away from public ears? The motion to go private was moved by Councillor T. Parmar, and it passed with no objection. Honestly though, it does make you wonder what kind of advice from officials warranted that level of discretion.

It means whatever the City Manager had to share, it was deemed too sensitive for public consumption, citing personal privacy and official advice. We don't have details on the substance of that conversation, naturally, but it’s a good reminder that not everything gets aired out under the bright lights of council chambers.

That’s the record from City Hall. Edmonton doesn't need your approval. Never did.

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