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Tired of what he calls “excessive use” of closed-door meetings by city council, Coun. Jeromy Farkas filed a notice of motion Thursdaycalling on council to reform them.

The motion includes a clause that would require confidentiality to be lifted after a matter is resolved or a certain period of time has passed.

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Farkas also wants a requirement for closed-door meetings to begin only after a roll call or recorded vote of each councillor is held, in which they’d be on record as being for or against going in camera “with a clear legal reason.”

He says every confidential agenda item should require “at least a basic paper record,” rather than exist as verbal‐only reports.

“A lot of these closed-door meetings have been used for political reasons rather than just clear legal reasons,” Farkas said Thursday.

“A lot of the issues that we discuss here at city hall, they’re uncomfortable political questions, but that doesn’t mean there’s a good legal reason for it to be outside the public eye.”