FAIRFAX TOWN COUNCIL MEETING
STAFF REPORT
AGENDA ITEM #5
MEETING DATE May 7, 2025
PREPARED FOR Mayor and Town Council
PREPARED BY Christine Foster, Deputy Town Clerk
SUBJECT Consideration of transitioning to Action Minutes as the official format for recording Town meetings in order to save $15,000 annually
RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends the Town Council direct staff to transition to Action Minutes, thus saving $15,000 annually.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
This report explains what Action Minutes are, how they differ from other types of minutes, and why adopting them for Town Council meetings is timely and efficient.
BACKGROUND
The purpose of meeting minutes is to create an official legal record of actions taken during public meetings. Minutes must show when and where a meeting took place, required attendees, what items were considered, what decisions were made, and how each member voted. There are three primary types of minutes:
1. Verbatim Minutes – A word-for-word account of what was said.
2. Summary Minutes – A condensed version of discussions, summarizing key points before a decision is made.
3. Action Minutes – A brief record of what actions were taken, including motions, votes, and outcomes.
Historically, meeting minutes served as the written record of discussions and decisions. As technology has improved, video and audio recordings have become the primary resource for preserving the full content of meetings.
• Recording Retention: In 2006, the Town Council adopted Resolution No. 2460 requiring audio recordings of Town Council and Planning Commission meetings to be retained for ten years. • Planning Commission Minutes: In 2008, the Town adopted Ordinance No. 735, amending the Fairfax Town Code to allow the Planning Commission to use Action Minutes. The Ordinance specifies that Action Minutes and electronic recordings shall serve as the official record
DISCUSSION
The role of meeting minutes has been the subject of misunderstanding and conflict within the Town for several years. Minutes are often incorrectly perceived as a transcript of everything said during a meeting. 2 As a result, valuable meeting time has been consumed by minor differences that do not change the Town’s official action.
The purpose of minutes is to record motions made, votes taken, and actions finalized. This is supported by the California Municipal Clerks Association (CMCA) Guidelines and the Town’s own practices adopted by the Town Council for the Planning Commission under Ordinance No. 735.
The Town’s current ability to retain full video and audio recordings of all meetings for ten years provides a complete, exact, and publicly accessible record of everything said. Anyone wishing to verify or revisit a specific comment can do so by reviewing the actual recording, eliminating the need to rely on an interpreted or abbreviated written version.
Currently, preparation of minutes consumes an excessive amount of Town time and resources.
Transitioning to Action Minutes would significantly streamline the process. Action minutes would state simply: what action was taken, who made the motion, who seconded it, and the result of the vote.
Moving forward with Action Minutes will create a neutral, factual record that fulfills the Town’s legal obligations while avoiding unnecessary controversy and maintaining complete transparency. It aligns with the standards of good governance, supports transparency by leveraging modern technology, and ensures that public meetings remain focused on decision-making.
Why Action Minutes?
Action minutes record what is done, not what is said, providing a streamlined, legally compliant record of decisions without unnecessary details.
Benefits
• Reduced Liability & Increased Accuracy: Summarizing statements can lead to misinterpretations and disputes. Action minutes eliminate this risk by recording only official actions and decisions. • Significant Time & Cost Savings: Cities that have switched to action minutes report a 50-75% reduction in time used for minute preparation. The time saved can be reallocated to higherpriority tasks. • Enhanced Public Access & Transparency: With modern technology, video and audio recordings serve as the most accurate record of discussions. Many cities supplement action minutes with recorded meetings and indexed agendas, allowing the public to easily search and review discussions.
Industry Standards Support Action Minutes
The California Municipal Clerks Association (CMCA) and the League of California Cities recommend municipalities adopt action-style minutes as best practice. 3 By adopting Action Minutes for Town Council meetings, the Town will join a growing number of municipalities across California that have recognized the importance of clarity, efficiency, and precision in public recordkeeping.
FISCAL IMPACT
The Town currently spends about $15,000 annually on contractual minute-taking services. Staff recommends transitioning to action minutes and eliminating this cost.
ATTACHMENTS
Resolution 2460
RESOLUTION NO. 2460
A RESOLUTION OF THE TOWN COUNCIL OF THE TOWN OF FAIRFAX
ADOPTING A POLICY FOR RETAINING AUDIO RECORDINGS OF TOWN
COUNCIL REGULAR MEETINGS AND PLANNING COMMISSION
REGULAR MEETINGS FOR TEN YEARS
WHEREAS, it is the policy of the Town of Fairfax to prepare summary action minutes of Town Council and Planning Commission meetings; and WHEREAS, modern technology has made possible the audio recording of these meetings in a digitized format, making the recordings easily retainable, accessible and reproducible; and
WHEREAS, since the minutes of the meetings are the.official record of the action taken at meetings and are not verbatim, the audio recordings, as public records, act as a resource when staff or the public desire to listen to the meeting; and WHEREAS, the audio recordings of these meetings are available for purchase from the Town at a reasonable rate, currently at $5.00 per compact disc (CD); and WHEREAS, the retention and maintenance of these recordings for a period of ten years will not require an unreasonable amount of staff time or storage space, and will provide a benefit to staff and the community.
NOW therefore, it is hereby resolved that the Town of Fairfax is to retain audio recordings of Regular Meetings of the Town Council and Regular Meetings of the Planning Commission for a period of ten years, and make the recordings available for listening or purchase upon request.
Furthermore, Resolution No. 2432 is hereby rescinded.
The foregoing Resolution No. 2460 was duly introduced and adopted at a regular meeting of the Town Council of the Town of Fairfax held in said Town on the 1st day of November, 2006, by the following vote:
AYES:
NOES:
ABSENT:
Attest:
Bragman, Brandborg, Maggiore, Tremaine, Weinsoff
None None
y_k; erson, Town Clerk