Virginia Loader, MMC Rori Andreason, MMC September 2015

  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 City.  Should minutes be an exact recording of everything that happens during the meeting.  No. Minutes are meant to record basic information such as the actions assigned and decisions made. Why Meeting Minutes Matter

  Before the meeting gather as much information on the agenda items as possible  Agenda summary  Resolution and/or ordinance  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. Before the Meeting

  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

  The name of the person who:  Is not a member of the public body; and  After being recognized by the presiding member of the public body, provided testimony or comments to the public body;  The substance, in brief, of the testimony or comments provided by the public; and  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 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. Preparing Meeting Minutes

  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 (ROLL CALL)  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.  Strategy sessions to discuss the purchase, exchange, or lease of real property, if public discussion of the transaction would:  Disclose the appraisal or estimated value of the property under consideration; or  Prevent the public body from completing the transaction on the best possible terms. Closed Meetings

  Purposes of Closed Meetings (Cont.)  Discussion regarding deployment of security personnel, devices, systems;  Investigative proceedings regarding allegations of criminal misconduct Closed 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. During 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 After the Meeting

  A specified local public body (county, city, or town) shall:  Make pending minutes available to the public within 30 days after holding the open meeting that is the subject of the pending minutes;  Within three business days after approving written minutes of an open meeting, post to the Public Notice website and make available to the public at the public body’s primary office a copy of the approved minutes and any public materials distributed at the meeting; and Open Meetings Law & Minutes

  Within three business days after holding an open meeting, make an audio recording of the open meeting available to the public for listening.  The written minutes or recording of an open meeting that are required to be retained permanently shall be maintained in or converted to a format that meets long-term records storage requirements.  A recording is not required to be kept of an open meeting that is a site visit or traveling tour, if no vote or action is taken by the public body. Open Meetings Law & Minutes

 Questions?