M I N U T E S

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M I N U T E S

• Presented by
• Connie M. Deford
• Professional Registered Parliamentarian

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What are minutes?

• An accurate, succinct, written account of the
  proceedings of a meeting
• Official record of the proceedings of a
  deliberative assembly
• Legal public record of a meeting

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Purpose of minutes

• DeMeters Manual of Parliamentary Law
• To refresh the memory of the members who were
  present at the meeting,
• To inform those who were absent from the meeting,
  and
• To compile a history of the organizations acts
  and accomplishments

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• For public bodies, minutes
• Serve as the collective voice of the governing
  unit
• Provide a means for the citizenry to access the
  decisions made on their behalf

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Minutes should not. . .

• Be a verbatim transcript
• Include the opinion of the recording officer
• Misrepresent what actually happened

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Open Meetings Acts or Sunshine Laws

• Who must comply
• Notification requirements
• Types of meetings
• Executive session
• Minutes
• Enforcement and Penalties

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Common minutes requirements

• Time, date, and place
• Who was present and sometimes who was absent
• Content - record of all decisions made
• Record of roll call votes
• Explanation of the purpose if the meeting is a
  closed session
• Preparation deadlines
• Availability
• Corrections

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Taking minutes

• Agenda
• Roster/roll call list
• Motion forms
• Minutes form
• Note paper
• Tape recording
• Videotape

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Quorum

• Determine that a quorum is present
• A quorum is defined as the number of members who
  must be present to legally transact business
• May be set by state statute
• Commonly, it is a majority of the members

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In the absence of a quorum, you can

• Fix the time to which to adjourn
• Adjourn
• Recess
• Take Measures to obtain a quorum

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Standard Order of Business

• Minutes
• Reports of officers, boards, and
• standing committees
• Special Committee reports
• Special Orders
• Unfinished business and general
• orders
• New business

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Meeting Agenda

• Opening ceremonies
• Consideration of minutes
• Adoption of agenda
• Consideration of agenda items according to
  established format
• Public input
• Adjournment

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Consent Calendar / Agenda

• Must be authorized by a Special Rule of Order
• What types of items may be included?
• Who decides?
• Where will the consent items appear on the
  agenda?
• Who may remove items from the consent agenda?
• Where will consent items appear
• in the minutes?

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During the meeting

• Each agenda item should be clearly announced
• Speakers should identify themselves and speak so
  they can be readily heard
• All lengthy motions should be submitted in
  writing

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Steps in handling a motion

• Member makes a motion
• I move or Resolved, That
• Another member seconds the motion
• Second.
• The Chair states the motion
• It is moved and seconded that

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• Members debate the motion
• The Chair puts the motion to a vote
• The question is
• Those in favor of the motion,
• say aye.
• Those opposed, say no.
• OR
• The Clerk will call the roll.

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• The Chair announces the result of the vote
• Which side has it
• Whether adopted or lost,
• Effect of the vote and/or ordering its execution,
  
• The next item of business

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Steps in handling a motion

• A member makes a motion.
• Another member seconds the motion.
• The chair states the question.
• Members debate the motion.
• The chair puts the question to a vote.
• The chair announces the result of the vote.

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Content of the minutes

• First paragraph
• Body
• Last paragraph

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First paragraph

• Kind of meeting regular, special, adjourned
  regular, or adjourned special
• The name of the assembly
• The date, time, and place of the meeting
• If the regular chairman and/or secretary were not
  present, who served in those positions
• Whether the minutes of the previous meeting were
  approved

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Body of the minutes

• All main motions or motions to bring a main
  question again before the assembly, except those
  that were withdrawn

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• The wording in which each motion was adopted or
  disposed of, including (parenthetically)
• If the motion was debated, and/or
• If the motion was amended
• If the motion was temporarily disposed of, any
  primary and secondary amendments not yet voted on

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• All secondary motions that were not lost or
  withdrawn
• All notices of motions
• All points of order and appeals
• Whether sustained or lost
• Reasons given by the Chair for his or her ruling
• Note Do not include what did not
• occur!

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Recording votes

• If by voice, the fact that the motion was
  adopted, approved, carried, lost, or defeated
• If by roll call, the number and names of those
  voting on each side as well as those who
  abstained
• Aye or Yes
• Nay or No
• Present or Abstain
• Pass

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Published minutes

• List of speakers on each side of every question
• Abstract or text of each address
• (Not a verbatim transcript!)
• Reports of committees printed exactly as
  submitted or with an indication of additions and
  parts struck out

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Last paragraph of the minutes

• The hour of adjournment
• Signed by the person writing the minutes
• Respectfully submitted no longer recommended
• After final approval, the word Approved with
  the secretarys initials and date should be
  written below

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Minutes are approved

• For a regular meeting at the next regular
  meeting
• For an adjourned meeting at the next regular or
  adjourned meeting whichever is first
• For a special meeting at the next regular
  meeting

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Approving minutes

• Proposed minutes are only a draft and do not
  become the minutes until approved
• Minutes are approved as printed, distributed,
  mailed, etc., or as corrected
• Approval may be by unanimous consent, or
• Approval by a motion, second, and vote

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• After approval, corrections can be made
• Only in compliance with state statute
• In accordance with local laws or ordinances
• As indicated in an adopted parliamentary
  authority
• The motion to dispense with reading of the
  minutes only postpones the time for the
  consideration of the minutes

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Availability of Minutes

• Public record
• When proposed (draft) minutes must be available
• When approved minutes must be available

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Developing minutes standards

• Style
• Headings
• Language
• Look
• Readability
• Consistency
• Adoption of standards
• Circulate sample
• Obtain feedback and make revisions
• Adopt rule establishing standard

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Sample verbiage of motions

• Main motion
• Member Anderson moved
• Amended motion (voice vote)
• After amendment, Member Andersons motion to
• Debated and amended motion (voice vote)
• After debate and amendment, Member Andersons
  motion to

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• Referred motion
• Member Smith moved . Member Anderson moved to
  refer to the City Manager to report back at next
  months meeting.
• Postponed motion and amendment
• Member Smith moved Member Jones moved to amend
  by Member Anderson moved to postpone to the
  next meeting.

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• Previous Question/Close debate
• After the previous question was ordered, the
  motion was (adopted, approved, carried, or
  lost, defeated)
• Previous Question/Close debate
• (roll call vote)
• On a motion by Member Anderson, the previous
  question was ordered by the following vote
• Yes, Members
• No, Members
• Abstain, Members

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• Lay on the Table
• On a motion by Member Jones, the motion to was
  laid on the table.
• Point of Order
• Member Smith raised a point of order that
• The chair ruled the point of order well taken
  because OR
• The chair ruled the point of order not well taken
  because
• Appeal
• The ruling of the chair was sustained OR
• The ruling of the chair was overturned.

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• Government is a trust,
• and the officers of the government are
  trustees
• and both the trust and the trustees are created
  for the benefit of the people.
• Henry Clay