Ombudsman’s report on ‘inaudible’ Oshawa committee webcast found no fault on City

A provincial investigation into a lack of public notice for an Oshawa committee meeting from last March turned out to be a lot of tumult and shouting over nothing, according to a report from the Ontario Ombudsman’s Office.

Paul Dube’s office received complaints about a Corporate and Finance Services Committee meeting on March 4, with the complainant concerned the agenda/public notice for the meeting was temporarily unavailable on the City’s website and that audio issues during the webcast hampered the virtual experience for residents who tuned in.

Dube, whose report on the matter will be heard Monday at the opening Council session of the season, said his review did not identify any instances in which the City failed to comply with the open meeting requirements set out in the Municipal Act.

The public notice for the meeting was briefly unavailable to the public on March 3 and 4 for “less than 24 hours due to technical issues” on the City’s website, Dube’s office was told. Oshawa City Clerk Mary Medeiros told Dube that when the matter was brought to her attention the City “immediately took steps to resolve the issue” and restored access to the agenda.

Dube’s office also received complaints about audio issues during the webcast, which was inaudible for most of the meeting. Dube noted the City should “remain vigilant” to promptly identify any technological issue affecting the publication of its public notices.

The Ontario Ombudsman has the authority to conduct impartial reviews and investigations of hundreds of public sector bodies. This includes municipalities, local boards, and municipally-controlled corporations, as well as provincial government organizations, publicly funded universities, and school boards.