County Administrative Officer Ray Espinosa hinted during this week’s board of supervisors meeting that staff officials are moving ahead on plans to “condense” meeting minutes—detailed descriptions of all happenings at the public gatherings that provide an official record—in favor of summaries and currently existing video archives online.
Espinosa made the statement during department head announcements of the Tuesday board meeting.
He said the staff wanted to inform the board that the clerk’s office will be “streamlining the actual board minutes here on out.”
“We would like to actually condense the minutes where they’re not so long,” Espinosa said. “If there is a need to actually look at the details, there is a web link on our website.”
He went on to point out how that link guides people to the Community Media Access Partnership’s archive of video recordings of board meetings.
He said he expected to come back at a later date and set it as policy. In an email exchange with resident Marty Richman, who opposes the change, Espinosa mentioned how the board will discuss the item at an Aug. 11 retreat.
One supervisor, Anthony Botelho, reacted after the announcement and a couple other statements included in Espinosa’s report.
“I’m happy that you’re going to take these actions,” Botelho said. “I have no problem as long as the minutes are there.”
He said those minutes are “very important to maintain,” though it was unclear if he was referring to the typed or video recordings.
Nikki Moore, staff attorney and legislative advocate for the California Newspaper Publisher’s Association, said government entities are not required to maintain minutes but if they do, those documents become public records.
