1. Tips and Tricks on Taking Meeting Minutes
March Madness 2019, March 26-27
Casey Eggermont, Monte Erhardt, and diane affeldt

2. Types of Meetings: Regular Meetings
Very standard, monthly meetings
Special Meetings/Emergency Meetings
Special occasions, consisting of very limited discussion on only the listed topics
Executive Sessions
Confidential, and exempt from open meetings law

3. 3 Steps to Meeting Minutes
Agenda/public notice
Draft Minutes
Final/approved Minutes
For Regular and Special Meetings

4. 1) Agenda/Public Notice
What is an agenda?
Generally, it’s a list of items to be discussed at a formal meeting
The North Dakota Century Code (NDCC) states that the Public Notice of the Meeting and the Agenda should be posted together.
NDCC (2), the noticed required…must contain the date, time, and location of the meeting and, if practicable, the topics to be considered. HOWEVER, the lack of an agenda in the notice, or a departure from, or an addition to, the agenda at a meeting, does not affect the validity of the meeting or the actions taken thereat. (…)
The short version of NDCC (2): If you don’t have a list of items to be discussed on your public notice for a regular meeting, or if you add items to the agenda during the meeting, then that’s fine! No harm done!
Just make sure you get the bare minimum Public Notice out with your date, time and location of the meeting.
This is not the case for special or emergency meetings! Only specific topics included in the public notice may be discussed

5. 1) Agenda/Public Notice
According to the North Dakota Attorney General (N.D.A.G.), an entity must provide public notice of the date, time and location of a meeting when the governing body is notified. As soon as an agenda is prepared and given to the governing body (council or commission), it must be posted and provided to the public in the same manner as the meeting notice
Post agenda at the main office, location of the meeting, post it on your website, or send it to whoever has requested notice of meetings.
Regular meeting agendas may be added to or altered at the time of the meeting.
For special or emergency meetings, however, only the specific topics included in the notice may be discussed.

6. 1)Agenda/Public Notice
-Regular City Council Meeting-
Harwood City Hall
Monday, February 4, 2018 at 6:30 p.m. _____________________________________
Agenda:
Pledge of Allegiance
Call to Order & Roll Call
Agenda
Amendments/Additions
Approve
Approve Consent Agenda
January 7th Meeting Minutes
Payment of Bills
Financial Report
Law Enforcement Report
New Business
Harwood Fire & Rescue Annual Report
Old Business
Aggressive Dog Ordinance Update
Second Reading
Public Works Report
Engineer’s Report/Agenda
Auditor Report
Correspondence/Open Forum
Discussion on Snow around mailboxes
Portfolio Reports
Announcements
Adjournment
NDAG Requirements: Date, Time, & Location
1)Agenda/Public Notice
List of items to be discussed (appreciated, but not required)

7. Examples of Agendas
Monte’s in Hazen

8. Examples of Agendas
Diane’s in Garrison

9. Examples of Agendas
Casey’s in Harwood

10. N.D.A.G. Requirements Minutes must include, at a minimum:
The names of the members attending the meeting
The date and time the meeting was called to order and adjourned
A list of topics discussed regarding public business
A description of each motion made a the meeting and whether the motion was seconded
The results of every vote taken at the meeting
The vote of each member on every recorded roll call vote
This requirement applies to all governing bodies, including committees and subcommittees

11. ND Attorney General Requirements (N.D.A.G.)
The minutes of meetings are public records and must be provided to anyone upon request. Draft minutes should be made available to the public even if the minutes have not been approved. Some public entities are required by law to provide minutes to the official newspaper.
Office of Attorney General OPEN MEETINGS GUIDE (08/2017)
NDCC
It shall be the duty of each city auditor: to attend all meetings of the governing body and keep a complete record of its proceedings. The official proceedings are to be signed by the auditor when they are prepared and by the executive officer upon board approval at a subsequent meeting.

12. 2) Draft Minutes Audio/Video Recording Paper & Pen Electronically
Fun Fact: There is no wrong way to draft meeting minutes! Do what you’re comfortable doing! Just make sure you have the minimum requirements as suggested by the N.D.A.G.
(The only wrong way is not drafting them at all)
Paper & Pen
Electronically
Audio/Video Recording

13. Example of Bad Draft Minutes
Key:
= Naughty Words
What can we take away from this example?

14. Example of Bad Draft Minutes
______1) The names of the members attending the meeting
______2) The date and time the meeting was called to order and adjourned
______3) A list of topics discussed regarding public business
______4) A description of each motion made a the meeting and whether the motion was seconded
______5) The results of every vote taken at the meeting
______6) The vote of each member on every recorded roll call vote

15. Reminder: ANY RECORDING OR DOCUMENTATION taken during a public meeting, whether on paper, electronic or video/audio recorded, produced by you as a city auditor, is a public record as soon as it’s documented.
Pro Tip: Keep your draft minutes clean, short, and sweet. There is generally less to question, or critique, from the public (or many times, your council)

16. Example of Good Draft Minutes
Requirement #2
Example of Good Draft Minutes
Requirement #1
1) The names of the members attending the meeting
2) The date and time the meeting was called to order and adjourned
3) A list of topics discussed regarding public business
4) A description of each motion made a the meeting and whether the motion was seconded
5) The results of every vote taken at the meeting
6) The vote of each member on every recorded roll call vote
Requirement #3
Requirement #4, #5 & #6

17. 3) Final/Approved Meeting Minutes
Edited draft minutes that are ready for final approval
Check for proofreading, run on sentences, etc.
Generally approved at the next regular meeting following the meeting that minutes were taken.
Signed off by Mayor or Council President, and the signature is attested by the City Auditor
Publish your minutes within 7 days of the meeting (if your city has not voted against publishing the minutes) and put your signed meeting minutes in the Journal of Proceedings (Binder, Book, whatever you put your minutes in)
NDCC and NDCC

18. Great outline and handy “cheat sheet”!
Robert’s Rules

19. General Tips That Help with Minutes
Write your minutes while you still remember them
Document actions and owners of those actions
Use a standard template that works for you!
Avoid quoting your speakers (council or visitors)
Proofread
Send out Draft minutes as soon as possible
Helps Council remember if they have things to accomplish before the next meeting
General Tips That Help with Minutes

20. Executive Sessions State law specifications for
holding an executive session:
Convene in an open session preceded by public notice
Pass a motion to hold an executive session, unless a motion is unnecessary because a confidential meeting is required
Announce during the open portion of the meeting the topics to be considered during the executive session and the legal authority for holding an executive session on those topics
Record the executive session electronically or on audio or video tape
Limit the topics considered during the executive session to the announced, authorized topics, and
Take final action on the topics considered in the executive session during the open portion of a meeting
Executive Sessions

21. Executive Session Meeting Notice

22. Discussion of Executive Session

23. Any Questions?
Thanks so much for listening!