The City of Fredericton has admitted it didn't follow the proper steps when it approved a letter to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau that supported the proposed Energy East pipeline project.

The city issued the statement on Thursday morning, days after a group of citizens complained at a council meeting.

"The City of Fredericton recognizes that the appropriate process was not followed in regard to the letter issued on Jan. 26, 2016 to the prime minister of Canada in regards to the Energy East project," the statement said.

The issue will be added to the council-in-committee meeting agenda on May 2.

The letter told the prime minister that Fredericton council supported the project and said the Energy East pipeline was an "excellent example" of infrastructure spending that could create middle class jobs.

"Over the long run, Energy East will enhance the competitiveness of the oil and gas sector, which has deep ties to the economies of our communities in Alberta, Saskatchewan, Ontario, Quebec and New Brunswick," the council's letter said.

The letter ends with Fredericton council saying it doesn't want Energy East to receive "special treatment" and that it must undergo "rigorous scrutiny." But once the regulatory review is over, the council asked the prime minister to make a decision based on "evidence and the national interest."

Mark D'Arcy, a spokesperson for the Council of Canadians in Fredericton, raised questions on Monday about the letter in support of the pipeline project at a council meeting.

According to the group, the city's letter was approved in a closed council in committee meeting in January around the time that Montreal Mayor Denis Coderre came out against the pipeline project.

Ask for letter back, group says

On Thursday, D'Arcy said the city's admission that the proper process was not follow should lead to a simple outcome on Monday.

Fredericton should ask for Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's office to return the city's letter of support for the Energy East project, according to Mark D'Arcy, a member of the Council of Canadians. (Chris Wattie/Reuters) "From a legal standpoint then it's no problem then for the city to call up the Prime Minister's Office and ask for the letter to be sent back," he said.

"They don't even have to go to a vote, but they should at least acknowledge that they were in violation of the Municipalities Act."

The Municipalities Act says closed sessions are only for discussing information that is personal, confidential or could jeopardize negotiations leading to an agreement or contract.

A Department of Local Government spokesperson said the provincial government has no role in overseeing that the provisions of the act are implemented. It is up to the city to administer the act.

Reporters asked the city's communications officer to have Mayor Brad Woodside comment on the letter on Monday night.

But the mayor left the meeting before reporters had a chance to speak with him about the letter.

D'Arcy said citizens should be concerned by the actions of the council to make these types of decisions in secret. He said it begs the question of what other decisions are being made in this fashion.

"Since they broke the law, I would hope that they would correct that action. With the municipal election coming up, the voters are watching. I think more and more of them are watching," he said.

Follow Edmundston's example

The environmentalist pointed to Edmundston as an example of a city that is allowing citizens to engage in a discussion over the Energy East pipeline project.

Edmundston passed a motion on Monday saying it opposed the current pipeline route because it goes through a watershed that the northwestern city relies on for its water supply.

"We don't know what the City of Fredericton is doing, the City of Edmundston has been very transparent," D'Arcy said.

"They have held several public discussions during their council meetings and they have also held a special public meeting … for the citizens of Edmundston and surrounding communities."

TransCanada Corp. is proposing the $12-billion Energy East pipeline project.

The proposed 4,600-kilometre pipeline would carry 1.1 million barrels a day of oilsands crude from western Canada to the Irving Oil refinery in Saint John and to the Canaport export terminal, located at the entrance to Saint John Harbour.