Draft minutes template for a council plenary session

Plenary minutes record who attended, what was debated and how each item was voted on. The official minutes are drafted and certified by whoever is legally responsible, usually the council secretary, and approved by the plenary. This template and Echo give you a tidy draft so that work takes less time.

When to use it

  • Ordinary and extraordinary full council meetings.
  • Sessions of county councils, regional bodies or other collegiate bodies, adapting the names.
  • Journalists and council groups who follow plenaries and need the contributions in writing.

The template

  1. 1

    Session details

    Body, whether it’s ordinary, extraordinary or urgent, date, start time, place and whether it’s in person, remote or hybrid.

  2. 2

    Attendance and quorum

    Who chairs, councillors present and absent (with or without apologies), who acts as secretary and finance officer, and whether there’s a quorum to begin.

  3. 3

    Agenda

    The items as they appeared in the notice of meeting, numbered.

  4. 4

    Debate by item

    For each item, a summary of each group’s or councillor’s contribution, in the order they speak.

  5. 5

    Votes and resolutions

    The wording of each resolution and the result of the vote: for, against and abstentions, by group.

  6. 6

    Motions and questions

    Motions tabled and their outcome, and questions and requests with their answer or whether they’ll be answered in writing.

  7. 7

    Close

    Time the session ends and any incidents that need to be recorded.

To get it right

  • Name each speaker in the editor so the debate is attributed to each councillor.
  • Check each vote result against the recording: it’s the most important part of the minutes.
  • If the plenary is streamed online, you can transcribe it from the link.
  • Check with the secretary which format your authority uses.

With Echo, without writing it

  1. 1

    Create the analysis type

    In Settings, AI analysis, click “New template” and call it “Council plenary”. Under “General instructions” you can ask for a tone or for anything that mustn’t be left out.

  2. 2

    Add the sections

    For each section of this template, fill in “Section title”, choose the “Format” (List or Paragraph) and describe in “What it should include” what’s explained above. “Add section” takes you up to 12. Click “Save template”.

  3. 3

    Use it in your meetings

    Choose it under “Type of analysis” before you start in Live or Record, set it as your “Template for your uploads” or, in a meeting that’s already transcribed, pick it in the Summary tab and click “Generate”.

  4. 4

    Have it applied automatically

    In Settings, Automations, click “New automation”, type words such as “plenary, full council” under “Has in its title” and choose your template under “Analyse it as”. It applies when no other type was chosen at upload.

Frequently asked questions

Is Echo’s document the official minutes?

No. The official minutes are drafted and certified by whoever is legally responsible, usually the secretary, and approved by the plenary. Echo gives you the transcript and a draft to help write them.

Can I transcribe a plenary streamed on YouTube?

Yes. In Files, click “Paste a link”, paste the address and click “Import and transcribe”.

Does Echo tell each councillor apart?

It separates the people speaking and you can name them in the editor. Check quick changes of speaker, which are common in a plenary.

Does this template meet my council’s rules?

It’s a general guide, not legal advice. The requirements for the minutes are set by the applicable rules and the secretary knows them: check with them.

Other templates

Try it with your next meeting.

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