I would like to see our new Clerk (Mabry or Mangiapane, whoever is elected) recommend returning to more comprehensive minutes of Board meetings. Abbreviated minutes that meet only the legal minimum requirements were implemented by the Board at their March 13, 2013 meeting. See page 1 bottom at this link for very terse description of this major change.

https://ecode360.com/OA3183/document/54051437.pdf

Their reasons were not clear, except, as I recall from faulty memory, a reference to meeting videos being available. However no video is available for this meeting or any meeting before 2017. So we cannot research the discussion around this decision like we can decisions before 3/12/2013.

Past minutes before 2014 had summaries of Board discussions and citizen comments. Current minutes show only motions and votes and list your name if you comment, but nothing about what you said. The Board is alone among township boards or committees in their approach to minutes. Parks, Planning Commission, Zoning Board Appeals and Library Board, for example, provide comprehensive minutes.

The importance of going back to the old-style minutes was driven home to me today. I went to Township Hall and looked at 1980 minutes to research formation about our library board formation. What wonderfully complete but not too wordy descriptions of the Board discussions on this issue were in these minutes.