Two weeks ago I submitted a Freedom of Information request for the details of the council vote on the hiring of Ron Poole as the new municipal manager.
That request has been turned down by city FOI co-ordinator Walter McLellan citing section 12 (3) (b) of the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act.
That section says that “a public body may refuse to disclose to an applicant information that would reveal…the substance of deliberations of a meeting of its elected officials or of its governing body or a committee of its governing body, if an Act or a regulation under this Act authorizes the holding of that meeting in the absence of the public.”
In other words anything that qualifies as in-camera under the Act stays in-camera.
Mr. McLellan assured me that this ruling is his standard response to requests for in-camera information.
And that I was free to appeal it through the Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner (he was kind enough to provide me with the address of same).
So appeal I shall.
However, I understand there is a two-month backlog of appeals.
Given that and the fact we are in the summer vacation period, I rather suspect I won’t be hearing anything until late September/October.
But as soon as I know, you’ll know.
