How to Draft a Board of Supervisors’ Agenda

There are 5 key steps to drafting a board of supervisors’ agenda. Let’s dive in.

1. State the Objective of the Meeting

The first thing to establish is the purpose of the meeting. Is it a committee meeting where issues are brought to the board of supervisors’ attention? Is it a board meeting where you’ll discuss and vote on issues? Or, is it both? A clear meeting objective will help you resolve key issues during the allotted time.

2. Identify Meeting Topics

The key here is to prioritize the most time-sensitive and high-priority agenda items over the mundane. For example, if bills need to be paid in a timely manner, they should appear at the top of the agenda. 

3. Attach the Necessary Documents

With the agenda, include reports and documents that can provide the board of supervisors with facts and evidence to inform the decision-making process. You can include the agenda and documents in a board book and distribute it through a meeting calendar.

We suggest sending materials at least three days in advance so participants can do their own due diligence and research, which will speed up the voting process. 

4. Identify a Point Person on Meeting Topics

Say your agenda items fall under the categories of financial, public safety, and zoning topics. Identify a point person for the financial issues, another for public safety, and yet another for the zoning topics. 

Those appointed members of the board of supervisors will be tasked with being the most informed on those topics, so they can answer any questions the other members have in order to vote fully informed.

5. End Meeting with a Review

Reviewing the meeting before adjournment will remind the participants of discussion topics, as well as key deliverables and next steps. That way, everybody leaves the meeting with clear objectives and next steps to accomplish the initiatives set forth by the agenda.

Then, follow the  review by sending out meeting minutes.  Meeting minutes are the highlights of the meeting, including the issues the supervisors discussed, motions proposed or voted on, and the solutions the supervisors will carry out.