As a municipal clerk, you know better than anyone that capturing council meeting minutes is no simple checklist item — most of the effort comes before the meeting even begins. If you’ve ever wondered why a straightforward task can feel so time-consuming, it’s likely because the essential prep work is all too familiar and, more often than not, repetitive. Even though these steps are critical for accuracy and compliance, the process shouldn’t feel like an endless cycle.

The right practices and software can expedite minute-taking by prepopulating information, making formatting easier, speeding reviews, approvals and publishing. The many features of board management software can do even more to make your job easier.

When it comes to meeting minutes, what frustrates you?

There’s an obvious connection between past meeting minutes, the new agenda, and the current meeting minutes, but it’s often difficult to find a fast and accurate way to transfer information from one document to another. Traditional methods can make it a struggle to produce effective minutes.

It’s time-consuming to record the same attendees for each type of meeting. Each meeting has a different number of members, making quorums different for each. You need to do mental math quickly to determine whether a quorum is present.

It’s also difficult to record votes as they come in and make a fast determination of whether a motion carried or failed. You must also record how each member voted and ensure voting is transparent for the public.

While there’s an agenda to follow, sometimes meetings move too quickly to record important information accurately. You may find yourself jumping around your notepad, scribbling notes in various sections so you don’t forget to add things to the minutes later.

After the meeting, you have to place all the follow-ups on your calendar to make sure the right people handle the right tasks in a timely manner.

The public may put pressure on you to publish the meeting minutes online as fast as possible. You still have to get them typed up and approved, formatted for the municipality’s website, and posted.

Fortunately, there’s a technological solution that solves these problems and more, so you can focus your time on more important matters.

The importance of efficient minute-taking

Fast, accurate minute production benefits every audience involved in local governance.

. Well-structured minutes can enhance communication among council members, staff and the public. They serve as a reference for follow-up actions and ensure that everyone is on the same page. Consistent and high-quality minutes also reflect well on local governance, demonstrating the council’s commitment to professionalism and good governance. And minutes serve as a historical record of council meetings, becoming part of the community’s archives.

. Accurate and timely minutes are essential for 

maintaining transparency and accountability

, both in greater demand among today’s citizens. They provide a clear record of decisions made and actions taken, vital for 

. Clear and concise minutes can help the community better understand the decisions and actions of their local government, fostering greater engagement and trust.

. Time is a precious resource, and clerks are often juggling multiple responsibilities each day. Efficient minute-taking can free up more time for other critical tasks, such as preparing for future meetings, managing records and engaging with the community.

How preparing in advance helps save you time later

You can take key steps to save time on this necessary task by following 

 is the first step in quality minutes generation. Understand the topics that will be covered, how long each topic will likely take, the expectation for public comments and the action items that will be addressed.

. Following up on agenda item approval l can be a vexing part of the clerk’s process. Automating approvals through your board management software can make it more straightforward and bolster accountability through clear workflows.

 If you are struggling to find the right document or version, it may be time to evaluate your file organization system. Use versioning and board management software to keep all meeting-related documents a click away.

. A clear, easy-to-understand template that accounts for all the elements of your minutes will speed production. Capture meeting attendants and location to save time for future meetings.

Clerks can simplify and strengthen their meeting minutes process with this practical checklist, designed to ensure accuracy, efficiency and regulatory compliance at every step.

Meeting minutes made easy

Local government meeting agenda and minutes requirements vary depending on the state or other authority the city or town falls under. But no matter where you work, minutes are a high priority undertaking. Stay informed about changes in open meetings laws that may affect what, when or how you share minutes.

Templates, automation and other features available through your board management software can help ensure regulatory adherence. For example, the Municipality of Resolute Bay in Canada must publish a copy of their meeting information in the Inuktitut language, and it was able to add this language capability to its board management software to make this process easier. (

How Diligent Community helps you with meeting minutes

Thanks to technology, we are long past the days of furious scribbling and rewinding a recording to generate minutes. Diligent Community has several features that make this important job easier and help your local government 

Since minutes are based on the agenda items, most of the information transfers automatically from the agenda to the minutes feature when you build the online agenda. After building the agenda, you can pre-populate items, resolutions, motions and action items in the minutes and adjust them during the meeting and after.

With the software’s AI-supported Minutes feature, you can create accurate, high-quality meeting minutes leveraging the closed captions from livestreamed meetings, reducing the time you need to dedicate to review and edit.

Diligent Community gives you flexibility to change things as necessary. Attendance and voting are recorded in real-time. With a few clicks you can input the criteria on your meeting template for the meeting’s quorum, and the software calculates the quorum automatically for future meetings.

When it’s time to vote, the software will automatically record how each member votes and displays each member’s vote, the total votes for and against, and whether the vote was carried or defeated.

All that’s left to do is proofread the minutes, add/adjust motions and double-check the format to make sure it’s readable. You can choose to publish a split-screen of the agenda and the minutes. Just press publish and links to the copies automatically appear on the public area of your transparency website.

Your website also allows allows constituents to subscribe to automated emails containing meeting material of their choosing.

You can also send a group email directly to the council members and staff with the link to the published minutes. The town clerk for the 

 in Colorado, describes handling frequent requests for meeting minutes — a process made much simpler with Diligent Community.

“I've definitely gotten less requests for a copy of the minutes from this date or that date. It's all there and it's connected to the video as well. Having the video right there, right next to the minutes has been awesome.” - Town Clerk, Town of Carbondale

Meeting minutes are an important part of your job as a local government clerk, and Diligent Community makes creating them easier. 

 to learn all the ways Diligent improves the meeting management process for you and your council.

How clerks can save time and streamline council meeting minutes

Among U.S. states, the Golden State continues to be a regulatory frontrunner, with California AI regulation setting precedents that influence national policy and corporate governance practices.

California's approach to AI regulation encompasses employment discrimination protections, transparency requirements, consumer privacy safeguards, and safety measures that collectively represent the most sophisticated AI regulatory environment in the United States.

These regulations create compliance obligations and strategic considerations for companies across different growth stages.

California's AI regulatory framework has undergone significant transformation since the high-profile veto of SB 1047. It has evolved from broad legislation toward sector-specific regulations.

This shift reflects a more sophisticated understanding of AI's impact across industries.

California's SB 1047 and the path forward

 the landmark Safe and Secure Innovation for Frontier Artificial Intelligence Models Act (

) in late 2024, the legislative momentum around AI regulation has only accelerated in 2025. The governor's decision, while disappointing to AI safety advocates, reflected concerns that the proposed bill could stifle innovation and hinder the competitiveness of California's burgeoning AI industry.

"While well-intentioned, the bill does not take into account whether an AI system is deployed in high-risk environments, involves critical decision-making or the use of sensitive data," Newsom stated in his veto message.

However, the regulatory void left by SB 1047's veto has been filled by a comprehensive suite of targeted legislation that addresses specific AI applications and industry sectors. This more nuanced approach reflects lessons learned from early AI governance implementations and recognizes that different organizational contexts require tailored regulatory frameworks.

What does the current California AI regulation impact?

The current California AI regulation encompasses compliance frameworks that vary significantly based on company size, industry sector, and AI application context.

, known as the Generative Artificial Intelligence Training Data Transparency Act, was signed into law in September 2024, with documentation and disclosure requirements taking effect January 1, 2026. It mandates developers of generative AI systems to disclose detailed information about the datasets used to train their models. This legislation applies retroactively to systems released or substantially modified on or after January 1, 2022, creating immediate compliance obligations for most contemporary AI systems.

The California Privacy Protection Agency (CPPA)

 finalized comprehensive regulations in mid‑2025, 

with ADMT rules taking effect January 1, 2027

, and related risk assessment and cybersecurity audit requirements phased in between 2027 and 2030. These regulations require businesses to provide pre-use notices, implement meaningful human oversight, and maintain detailed audit trails of automated decision-making processes.

 are taking effect on October 1, 2025, establishing frameworks for AI-based tools used in hiring, performance evaluation, and workplace decision-making. These regulations impact third-party AI vendors and require employers to demonstrate proactive bias testing and risk mitigation efforts.

How do California’s AI laws impact companies across growth stages?

California's AI regulations create different compliance obligations depending on organizational size, resources, and growth trajectory. Understanding these variations will help you develop compliance and governance strategies that align with both current capabilities and future growth objectives.

1. SMB and private company considerations

Small and medium-sized businesses might find it challenging to navigate California’s AI regulations due to resource constraints and limited technical expertise. However, these regulations also create opportunities for SMBs to demonstrate sophisticated governance practices that can enhance stakeholder confidence and competitive positioning.

The transparency requirements under AB 2013 create documentation and disclosure obligations that can overwhelm smaller organizations lacking dedicated compliance resources. SMBs developing or substantially modifying generative AI systems must now maintain comprehensive records of training data sources, implement watermarking capabilities, and provide detection tools to users, all requiring additional development resources and ongoing maintenance.

For growth-stage companies preparing for funding rounds or strategic transactions, California AI regulation compliance demonstrates governance maturity that can make investors more confident. Organizations that proactively implement 

 frameworks position themselves favorably for due diligence processes and build scalable compliance infrastructure.

 can help growth-stage companies automatically identify compliance gaps and regulatory risks within their documentation, ensuring they meet California's transparency and disclosure requirements while preparing for investor scrutiny.

2. Mid-market and pre-IPO company requirements

Mid-market and pre-IPO companies face governance complexity as they scale operations and prepare for public market transition. California’s AI regulations create additional layers of compliance requirements that must be integrated with existing governance and IPO readiness initiatives.

Employment AI regulations create particular challenges for growing companies implementing AI-powered HR systems for the first time. Organizations must comply with FEHA requirements while building scalable human resources infrastructure, requiring careful coordination between legal, HR, and technology teams to implement appropriate governance controls.

Pre-IPO companies using AI for customer-facing applications must comply with the 

, including the new ADMT requirements. The regulatory framework's emphasis on meaningful human involvement in automated decision-making may require restructuring operational processes that were previously fully automated, creating implementation challenges during critical growth phases.

3. Enterprise and public company compliance

Large enterprises and public companies face the most comprehensive compliance obligations under California's AI regulatory framework, but they also possess the resources and infrastructure necessary to implement sophisticated governance solutions

The transparency requirements create fundamental changes in how technology giants approach AI development and commercialization. Companies like OpenAI, Google, Anthropic, and Meta must now provide detailed disclosures about their training data, implement watermarking and detection capabilities, and report safety incidents to regulatory authorities, potentially affecting competitive dynamics by reducing the proprietary nature of AI development methodologies.

Public companies must conduct comprehensive 

, implement opt-out mechanisms for automated decision-making, and ensure meaningful human involvement in significant decisions affecting consumers. The cybersecurity audit requirements add additional compliance layers that require ongoing investment in security infrastructure and documentation practices.

While SB 1047 will not come to pass, there are a host of other AI regulations in California that emphasize transparency, fairness and safety, requiring businesses to disclose their use of AI, conduct impact assessments and meet stringent privacy and nondiscrimination standards.

California’s AI regulations to increase accountability

Among the goals of the proposed AI regulations is to ensure that businesses disclose the use of AI to consumers and take action to limit discrimination by AI tools.

Several bills were under legislative consideration, including:

: This bill aimed to prohibit algorithms that disadvantage people based on gender, race, or sexual orientation, requiring impact assessments and notification of consequential decisions.

Inactive in the Senate as of August 2025. The bill was pulled before reaching the Governor's desk after amendments narrowed its scope to employment decisions.

2. AB 3204 (AI Registration Requirements)

: Requires businesses using personal information to train AI to register with the CPPA.

Legislative progress unclear. While amendments indicate provisions operative from February 2025, there’s no confirmation of final passage as of August 2025.

: Proposed AI risk management standards for state agency procurement, including NIST framework alignment and incident reporting.

Vetoed by Governor Newsom in September 2024 due to concerns about IT modernization disruption and costs.

4. SB 896 (California AI Accountability Act)

: Requires state agencies using generative AI to disclose its use publicly and perform risk documentation. Private businesses contracting with these agencies must also comply.

Signed into law September 29, 2024, effective January 1, 2025.

California’s AI regulations for specific industries

California's AI regulations now include several industry-specific requirements that have become law:

The Physicians Make Decisions Act (SB 1120)

: Signed into law September 30, 2024, effective January 1, 2025. Requires health insurers and healthcare service plans to ensure that licensed physicians supervise AI decision-making tools when approving, modifying, or denying provider requests, maintaining human oversight in medical decisions.

: Signed into law September 17, 2024, effective January 1, 2025. Enhances workers' control over AI-generated digital images and voices. Contracts involving AI-generated likenesses require informed consent and legal or union representation, strengthening performers' rights against unauthorized use.

: AB 801 (signed into law in late 2024) requires online services to delete student information upon request; AB 1824

(effective January 1, 2025) requires disclosure of AI-generated content in educational settings; and SB 970 (effective January 1, 2025) mandates warnings about generative AI technology risks for students.

Building compliance readiness for California AI regulations

California's AI regulatory framework creates the most sophisticated compliance environment in the U.S. The impact varies across company growth stages, which requires tailored approaches for startups, growth companies, and established enterprises.

Organizations operating in California markets need practical compliance strategies that address specific regulatory requirements while supporting business growth objectives. 

 provide practical pathways to address these compliance challenges while building scalable capabilities that support future regulatory evolution.

 to discover how California's AI regulations connect to global regulatory trends and gain expert insights on preparing for AI governance requirements, cybersecurity regulations, and compliance complexities across multiple jurisdictions.

What California’s AI regulations mean for your company

This article originally appeared in our August 14 edition of the Diligent Minute Newsletter. For more insights like these, delivered straight to your inbox, subscribe

Transaction activity (acquisitions, funding rounds, and IPOs) may be lower on many corporate priority lists right now, as market slowdowns, policy uncertainty, and trade whiplash continue. M&A announcements recently 

That’s why Diligent is currently collecting insights from boards and executives about what’s working (and what’s not) when it comes to transaction readiness. If your organization has recently completed or is planning for a transaction, we encourage you to participate in our ongoing 

in collaboration with Wilson Sonsini, NetSuite, the CFO Leadership Council, and the CFO Alliance.

Despite recent turbulence, however, research from our 

 conducted with Corporate Board Member shows 76% of public company directors still see growth as the year’s top priority, and nearly 40% specifically cite M&A as a key agenda item for their boards, with smaller companies most likely to lean in as deals return.

Deals aren’t off the table; they may just be harder to attract. And that makes them even more valuable.That means getting your governance house in order should be a top priority, so you won't miss out when opportunity knocks.

 published by Diligent, dives into transaction preparedness and emphasized a key point worth repeating:Investors, regulators and the leadership teams putting a deal together today demand governance that’s fast, transparent and ready for anything.

Here are a few things to keep in mind for achieving this goal:

“We’ll tackle it when it happens” is no longer a viable strategy for transaction preparation.

When reporting is rushed, or due diligence not given its due, errors happen. Outdated information finds its way into documents, and important details fall through the cracks, impeding decisions, impacting valuations and even stalling deals entirely.

This last-minute scramble goes away when companies integrate transaction-ready governance into everyday operations. Compliance processes and audit reporting are robust. Board composition is strong. And the business itself is positioned to strike — successfully — when opportunity arises.

Getting your house in order requires the right tools

Transaction readiness also demands the right technology and processes. For example, think about all of the activities a merger or acquisition entails. Effective execution requires clean entity records, organized due diligence documentation and accurate, transparent audit trails that track progress as it happens.

Kristy Grant-Hart, Head of Advisory Services at Diligent, spoke from recent experience navigating Spark Compliance’s acquisition: “The pace and complexity of today’s deals is incredible. There is so much data and information to obtain in such a short time. Having connected, secure systems, and being ready for due diligence was absolutely critical in getting through the process smoothly. Unified collaboration across systems, data, and people is the key to success.”

Now is the time to bring such capabilities on board. Integrated reporting, AI-driven workflows, secure document management — they are all essential to minimizing risk and building investor trust.

Transaction readiness signals credibility and gives your company the edge when it counts.

PE and VC firms are understandably selective right now. They want to see clean financial reporting and clear governance structures, proactive risk management and agile, scalable systems. They want to invest in nimble, resilient companies who demonstrate progress against their objectives and deliver long-term value.

Disciplined transaction readiness gives them confidence.

What does this mean for your ongoing operations? For starters, benchmarking, due diligence reviews and scenario planning are more than rote compliance exercises. They’re strategies that sharpen your competitive edge.

Moreover, disciplined governance not only attracts more opportunities but also increases the likelihood of faster, smoother transactions and successful integration post-close.

As we have highlighted, while the IPO market remains cautious, it is far from closed. Meanwhile, the M&A pipeline is poised to accelerate as private equity firms seek exits and strategic buyers pursue growth.

The companies that embed transaction readiness into their culture today will be best positioned to act decisively and gain a competitive edge when the market shifts.

Want regular access to original research in the field of GRC? Bookmark our 

 for the latest surveys, podcasts and reports.

Preparing your team, tech and tactics for deals on the horizon 

Leadership in the boardroom is a multifaceted journey that requires a blend of diverse experiences, proactive engagement, and strategic preparation. At the Next Gen Board Leaders Summit, seasoned board chairs including Alicia Syrett, Founder of Madam Chair, provide valuable insights on what it takes to lead a board effectively and create a strong boardroom culture.

The ​​p​​ath to ​​b​​oard ​​l​​eadership

​​Board​ chairs typically reach their positions through a combination of executive experience, committee work, and active involvement in board matters.​There​’s no set formula, but d​​iverse backgrounds and a ​​bias for action​​​ a​re essential. Continuous learning, such as seeking out mentors and familiarizing oneself with board and committee responsibilities, can help build the necessary skills and credibility. ​That said, ​​i​t's also crucial ​for aspiring chairs ​to be realistic about the time commitment required for the role.

Resources and ​​p​​ractices for ​​e​​ffective board chairs

To excel in the chair role, familiarity with key resources like 'Robert’s Rules of Order' and practical articles like 'How to be a Good Chair' can provide a solid foundation. ​Bu​t it’s the consistent habits that matter most. ​​Strategic use of the agenda, starting meetings with ​​planning​ and forward-looking topics​, and conducting pre-meeting calls with directors can ​clarify priorities and ​foster alignment. Engaging directly with shareholders and proxy advisors is vital for anticipating issues and building trust. Regular communication with the CEO and fellow directors, as well as ​​creating​​ an environment where directors feel comfortable raising ​​tough questions and dissenting views​​ is also crucial.

: ​​A good​​ board chair ​​acts as​​ the 'conductor of the orchestra,' responsible for ensuring the board operates cohesively.

: Effective chairs take their responsibilities seriously, benchmark against other boards, and ​​seek​​ regular ​​feedback from​​ the CEO and fellow directors.

​​​Making the most of​​ meeting time

: By prioritizing strategic planning​, sharp agendas, and candid discussion,​ the chair can ​drive more meaningful outcomes ​​​​​​​in​​ limited meeting time.

​​M​aintaining a ​​s​​trong ​​b​​oardroom ​​c​​ulture

​​​Culture starts with the chair – and a​​ robust boardroom culture is essential for the board's effectiveness. Regular assessments, ideally conducted by third parties to gather unfiltered feedback, are critical. The chair should act on this feedback and​​ actively reinforce high expectations for board conduct and performance​​. By identifying and ​​actively drawing out​​​​​​ the strengths of each board member, the chair can ensure that the board remains a dynamic and effective decision-making body.

In summary, effective board leadership ​requires more than experience ​– it calls for ​​​​preparation, ​​intentionality, ​​and a commitment to fostering a strong, cohesive boardroom culture. By following the insights shared by experienced chairs, aspiring leaders can better navigate the complexities of board leadership and contribute to the success of their organizations.

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