What is an essential consideration for councils when determining the format of their meetings?

An essential consideration for councils when determining the format of their meetings is whether the agenda includes sensitive information. This aspect is crucial because the presence of sensitive information may necessitate the need for closed or restricted sessions to protect confidentiality and ensure compliance with legal obligations. If discussions involve sensitive topics, councils must consider how they can adequately manage that information and who should be privy to it. When meetings include highly confidential matters, it's vital to maintain transparency in governance while also safeguarding sensitive data, which directly influences the format of the meeting.

Other factors such as the availability of external guests, expectations of media coverage, and preferences for casual discussion are important in their contexts but do not have the same fundamental impact on the council's operational integrity and legal responsibilities as the handling of sensitive information does.