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Item 11.1

Council Report: C 55/2020

Subject: Updates to Procedure By-law to allow for electronic meeting participation during a declared emergency-City Wide

Reference:

To: Mayor and Members of City Council

Recommendation:

That Council APPROVE amendments as outlined in this report, to the City of Windsor's Procedure By-law #98-2011 as amended, to allow for electronic participation at Council Meetings for Council members, on a trial basis during the Novel Coronavirus (COVID) pandemic, in accordance with Bill 187, approved March 19, 2020 by the Province of Ontario (attached as Appendix "A"); and further,

That the necessary amending by-law, attached as Appendix "B", BE ENACTED.

Executive Summary:

N/A

Background:

Section 238(2) of the Municipal Act, 2001 provides that every municipality shall pass a procedure by-law for governing the calling, place and proceedings of meetings.

Windsor City Council, at its meeting held June 7, 2011 enacted By-law Number 98-2011 being a by-law to provide rules governing the proceedings of Windsor City Council meetings and its committees and the conduct of its members.

On November 16, 2016, Bill 68 – Modernizing Ontario's Municipal Legislation Act, 2017 was introduced in response to the Province's review of the Municipal Act, 2001 and the Municipal Conflict of Interest Act, 1990. On May 30, 2017, Bill 68 received Royal Assent. One of the changes that Bill 68 introduced was a provision allowing for electronic participation of members in a meeting open to the public, as long as any such members are not counted for quorum purposes.