MINUTES

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 Why Meeting Minutes Matter

 Minutes are a tangible record of the meeting for its
participants and a source of information for
members who were unable to attend.
 Minutes are official permanent records of the
meeting.
 Should minutes be an exact recording of everything
that happens during the City.
 No. Minutes are meant to record basic information
such as the actions assigned and decisions made.
 Before the Meeting

 Before the meeting gather as much information on
the agenda items as possible
 Agenda summary
 Resolution and/or ordinance(orders/regulations)
 List the attendees you believe will be there
 Mayor and City Council or Board
 Staff
 Create a template for recording your meeting
minutes and make sure you leave some blank space
to record your notes.
 Preparing Meeting
Minutes

 Include the following:
 Date, time and place of the meeting;
 The purpose of the meeting:
 Regular Business, Workshop, Special
 Names of members present and absent;
 The substance of all matters proposed, discussed, or
decided by the public body which may include a
summary of comments made by members of the public
body;
 A record, by individual member, of each vote taken by
the public body;
 Preparing Meeting
Minutes

 Any other information that is a record of the
proceedings of the meeting that any member requests
be entered in the minutes or recording.
 Preparing Meeting
Minutes

 Who is your audience?
 Familiarize yourself with the agenda so you can
understand and summarize the discussions and still
extract the essence of the conversation.
 A good rule of thumb is include enough information
that someone who was not present at the meeting
will be able to follow the discussion as recorded in
the minutes.
 Introduce each item with an explanation about what
was being discussed.
 Preparing Meeting
Minutes

 When recording the flow of the conversation, include the
main points that were raised and any major
disagreements.
 Finally, note the decision that was reached and any action
points that result from this decision.
 The key purpose of minutes is to communicate clearly
and objectively.
 Keep your sentences short and crisp, using simple words
where possible.
 Aim to make your communications interesting to read
and easy to follow.
 Preparing Meeting
Minutes

 Minutes should be written in the past tense. As they
are a record of a discussion that has taken place, they
always refer to an event in the past:
 It was noted that
 The Chair reported
 The Committee agreed that it would
 Members noted that the papers could be viewed
 Preparing Meeting
Minutes

Active v. passive voice
Active voice: the subject performs the action
of the verb.
 Members noted that the papers could be viewed on
the shared drive.
Passive voice: the subject receives the action of
the verb.
 It was noted by the members that the papers could be
viewed on the shared drive.
 Preparing Meeting
Minutes

 You will notice that the passive voice is longer and
more cumbersome.
 There is a strong temptation, when taking minutes,
to report everything in the passive voice.
 Too many passive clauses result in dense(thick) and
monotonous writing.
 To keep your minutes interesting and engaging, use
a mixture of active and passive voice.
 Using the active voice gives a sense of energy and
momentum.
 Closed Meetings

 Closed Meeting
 Make sure a quorum is present
 Two-thirds of the members of the public body present
at the open meeting to vote to approve the closing the
meeting
 An ordinance, resolution, rule, regulation, contract or
appointment may not be approved at a closed
meeting.
 Closed Meetings

 The following information shall be publicly
announced and entered in the minutes of the open
meeting at which the closed meeting was approved:
 The reason or reasons for holding the closed meeting
 The location where the closed meeting will be held;
and
 The vote by name, of each member of the public body,
either for or against the motion to hold the closed
meeting.
 Closed Meetings

 Purposes of closed meetings:
 Discussion of the character, professional competence,
or physical or mental health of an individual.
 Strategy sessions to discuss collective bargaining.
 Strategy sessions to discuss pending or reasonably
imminent litigation.
 Closed Meeting

 Purposes of Closed Meetings (Cont.)
 Discussion regarding deployment(arrangement) of
security personnel, devices, systems;
 Investigative proceedings regarding allegations of
criminal misconduct
 During the Meeting

 As people enter the room, check off their names on
the attendee list
 Do NOT try to record notes verbatim – it is not
necessary
 Minutes are meant to give an outline of what
happened in the meeting, not a record of who said
what.
 Focus on understanding what’s being discussed and
on recording what’s been assigned or decided on.
 During the Meeting

 Record action items and decisions in your template as
they happen – don’t wait until after the meeting to pull
them out of your notes or you could make a mistake.
 If you do not understand exactly what decision has
been made or what action has been assigned, ask for
clarification before moving on to the next item.

 Record the meeting and make sure participants speak

into the microphone. Let them know it’s being
recorded.
 After the Meeting

 Review the notes and add additional comments, or
clarify what you didn’t understand right after the
meeting.
 Do this while the information is fresh in everyone’s
mind.
 Type your notes out in the template you created
before the meeting – this will make the notes easier
for everyone to read and use.
 Remember the minute taker is responsible for
providing good flow.
 After the Meeting

 Focus on action items, not discussion.
 Include a short statement of each action taken by the
Board and a brief explanation of the rationale for the
decision
 When there is extensive deliberation before passing a
motion, summarize the major arguments
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Questions?