Mayor Mark Sutcliffe says city staff will move forward with a bid to buy a private landfill site in southeast Ottawa for an undisclosed price.

The announcement followed a more than two-hour meeting behind closed doors on Wednesday where councillors could privately discuss the deal, which is protected by a non-disclosure agreement.

Sutcliffe said no votes were taken during th e meeting, except on procedural matters and directions to staff.

"The City of Ottawa will continue its participation in the competitive bidding process," Sutcliffe announced after the closed-door session.

City staff say they will release more details — including the cost — if its bid is successful and the sale closes.

"This is an issue of timing, not transparency," Sutcliffe said.

What happened behind the scenes

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