By Roger Jimenez, Interning Correspondent for The Apopka Voice
A resolution over how council meeting minutes are recorded sparked heated debate among commissioners at the August 6th City Council meeting, with tensions rising over whether the city clerk had overstepped her authority.
City Clerk Susan Bone presented the final agenda item during the August 6th city council meeting: a proposed resolution to standardize meeting minutes' preparation and recording.
Related: Apopka honors city clerks with proclamation during Council meeting.
"The purpose of this is to improve consistency and accuracy, ensuring that all minutes are prepared in a uniform, timely, and professional manner for the historical preservation of our meeting minutes," Bone explained.
The resolution comes weeks after Commissioner Nick Nesta presented allegations of inconsistencies between the council's livestream footage and the official meeting minutes. Some residents echoed the concern, stating that what they said during a meeting didn't match the written record.
Bone acknowledged she created the policy framework without prior council approval.
"After the last meeting it was not really voted on but I just decided that for our office's sake we would bring forward a policy, so I prepared a resolution," she said.
She cited Florida Statute 286.011, which defines minutes as a "brief summary or series of brief notes or memoranda reflecting the events of the meeting", not a verbatim transcript.
Commissioner Diane Velazquez praised Bone's initiative.
"I'm glad that you took the initiative to create this because that's what we were looking for, a policy that everyone can reference."
However, Commissioner Nesta criticized Bone for moving forward despite the council previously rejecting a motion to draft such a policy.
"A few things need to be addressed here, the biggest one being that this was voted on at the last meeting, and it wasn't on how to do minutes or exactly what minutes to do—it was to have our attorney draft a policy of how to do minutes. Commissioner Velazquez and myself voted for it, then Commissioner Smith and Anderson and Mayor Bryan Nelson voted against it. They didn't even want to review a policy. And now this week, there's a policy in front of us."
Bone defended her decision, saying the matter had become ongoing and needed structure.
"I did take it upon myself to do this because I feel like it has become an ongoing thing. We were having discrepancies and I felt like this was important for our office to make a policy on how to work on the minutes and making sure they are preserved in an accurate concise way."
She said she had no initial guidance but later met with City Administrator Radley Williams to discuss the matter before bringing it to the council.
Nesta challenged Williams' role in the matter.
"Mr. Williams, we all knew that this commission said no, that we do not want to review a policy. And then Mrs. Bone came to you and told you she wants to do this. And you, knowing that the commission voted against it, said yes, let's do this."
Williams confirmed his involvement.
"Susan did come to me and asked about drafting a policy. I did say yes, to go ahead and draft a policy for review. Just like many items, sometimes they're voted on or motioned at the dais. They don't get approved, they can be brought to motion again immediately or at the next meeting. So she brought a good-looking policy together, and I reviewed it with her. I asked the mayor about putting it on the agenda for review."
Nesta then asked if City Attorney Cliff Shepard reviewed or helped draft the policy. Shepard confirmed he had reviewed and lightly edited the document.
"After it was drafted. I moved some words around, I didn't change any of the intent of it or anything like that, but I made some corrections with punctuation and grammar, that sort of stuff," he said.
Nesta questioned why Shepard didn't draft the policy initially, given that he was ultimately asked to review it. Bone responded that departments typically draft their own policies.
"I don't feel like the attorney usually writes the policies for the various departments in the city. I feel that the department writes a policy for their department."
Nesta remained firm in his stance.
"Still, I think it's super convoluted, and I think this is all just political games at this point, and it's clear."
During the discussion, Commissioners Nadia Anderson and Velazquez clarified their past votes.
"What I voted against was to allow the attorney, Shepherd, to draft the policy—let me be clear on that," said Anderson.
"I just want to make one correction. I did vote for it, but I distinctly remember saying that I would second as long as the city clerk creates the policy. Again, I am going to say I'm an advocate for policies, because it's the best way for the public and us to reference and have available," she said.
Nesta and Bone continued their debate, prompting Mayor Nelson to interrupt and ask Nesta to move on. Nesta then criticized the mayor's enforcement of meeting decorum.
"Mayor Nelson, I'm still speaking. You always speak about decorum nonstop, and at public comment, you're allowing people to go overtime, under time, answering some questions, telling people to be quiet other times. So let's get it consistent at one point, please. This is just getting out of hand at this point."
After repeated interjections, Nelson called Nesta out for violating council rules.
"This meeting violates city resolution 2016.16, stating that you have failed to follow the rules of decorum and civility," said Nelson.
"Yeah, okay. Make sure you read that to yourselves next time," Nesta replied.
During public comment, resident Albert McKimmie supported the city's livestreams as a tool for transparency.
"We're fortunate that we also have YouTube available for everyone to go there and look for themselves… You see, what we're speaking about today is accountancy and transparency, and that shouldn't end in this city chamber, it should matter throughout City Hall… so if we can't have adequate minutes, let's get everything on camera."
The council passed the policy 4-1, with Commissioner Nesta voting against it. The resolution takes effect immediately.
New Council Meeting Minute-Taking Policy:
The policy assigns the City Clerk or their designee to prepare official meeting minutes for all council meetings. Minutes must include basic meeting details, names of attendees, motions, vote results, and public commenters—but exclude personal remarks, debates, or commentary. All minutes are to be written in a concise, neutral, and professional style. Drafts will be submitted to the Council for approval at the next regular meeting, then signed and made public. Once approved, the minutes will be posted online and stored according to city and state record-keeping laws.
