Q: Are city councils required to have minutes?
A: The Brown Act, the law that governs the extent to which local agencies such as city councils must conduct their meetings in a manner open to the public, does not require that a city council take minutes. The Brown Act only acknowledges that a minute book may kept for closed sessions and that a legislative body may require another legislative body over which it has appointed a majority of the members to keep a minute book. See Govt. Code section 54957.2(a), (b).
That being said, the city council’s own bylaws will typically address whether minutes must be taken.
Bryan Cave LLP is general counsel for the First Amendment Coalition and responds to FAC hotline inquiries. In responding to these inquiries, we can give general information regarding open government and speech issues but cannot provide specific legal advice or representation.