Title
DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION REGARDING THE CITY'S CURRENT MEETING MINUTES FORMAT.
Summary Explanation and Background
SUMMARY EXPLANATION AND BACKGROUND:
1. Over time, the City Clerk's process of creating minutes evolved from action minutes into a hybrid format that blends action with key elements of the discussion. This style is generally known as Discussion minutes. These minutes provide a summary of the key points discussed during meetings, along with the decisions made and actions assigned. This approach attempts to provide valuable context and serves as a reference for future decision-making and ease of research. While this approach is useful in many contexts, there are alternative formats for minutes that could offer different benefits depending on the Commission's priorities for record-keeping and transparency.
2. Following a meeting, the City Clerk and designated staff begin preparing the official minutes.
3. The City Clerk and staff listen to the meeting recordings to document key discussions leading up to each vote. The goal is to capture key points, decisions, directions, and actions for the official record.
4. Below is a review of the current approach versus other styles of meeting minutes:
A) Discussion Minutes (Pembroke Pines' Current Approach): These minutes offer a summary of key points from discussions, including the main ideas and opinions shared, as well as decisions made and actions assigned. They balance brevity with clarity, capturing the essence of the meeting without being overly detailed.
- Advantages:
- Provides a good balance between summary and context.
- Easy to read and not too lengthy.
- Offers transparency into the discussions that led to decisions.
- Disadvantages:
- Can still leave out some important details, especially for complex topics.
- Might not provide enough context for those not present at the meeting.
B) Action Minutes: focus solely on the actions ...
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