London’s City Council is making closed session meetings more accurate and accessible by developing a way to implement audio recordings into discussions.
In a 13-1 vote, Mayor Matt Brown and fellow councilors have approved a motion to support the incorporation of audio in addition to scribing during in camera discussions.
“For me, it’s pretty cut and dry,” Brown said. “In a situation like this, the technology sounds pretty accessible, the records will be that much more accurate.”
Before the vote, Ward 10 Councilor Virginia Ridley attempted to pass a motion for a referral to receive more information on the implementation process, which was seconded by Deputy Mayor Paul Hubert.
“I’m not asking you not to do this,” Ridley said. “I’m asking you to respect my desire for more information.”
The motion was lost 2-12 with only Ridley and Hubert in favour of the referral.
Hubert argued that he lacked information regarding a price for the new process and the experiences that other municipalities have had regarding this situation.
“A lot of these questions that came up were addressed at committee,” Ward 4 Councilor Jessie Helmer said. “I realize there is not a full staff report addressing it but they were raised by members of the committee at the meeting.”
The initiative is expected to cost approximately $500.
