A motion to direct the city attorney and clerk to prepare a written meeting‑minutes policy failed 3–2 during the July 16 Apopka City Council meeting after a heated exchange among council members and residents about accuracy and edits in the published minutes.

Commissioner Nesta opened the council report segment by saying minutes from recent meetings did not reflect what residents had said and that edits to public comments and council remarks had changed the record. He cited examples he said were mischaracterized, including a public comment from Leroy Bell and remarks by resident Sylvester Hall, and asked the council to direct the city attorney to write a formal policy so future minutes would be consistent and transparent.

Residents and speakers who addressed the council backed Nesta’s call for clearer minute‑taking. Several urged that minutes be a reliable, searchable civic record rather than a paraphrase that can omit substantive statements. City staff and others said minutes are not verbatim transcriptions and that agendas are the legal guide; the city clerk and staff noted that minutes have historically summarized actions and motions rather than full speech transcripts.

The council debated whether the clerk or city attorney should draft a policy, whether a policy should require verbatim transcription for portions of meetings, and how to balance brevity with accuracy. After discussion, Nesta moved to direct the city attorney to draft a written minutes policy; the motion was seconded. The motion failed on a 3‑2 vote, with Commissioners Smith, Anderson and Mayor Nelson voting to oppose and Commissioners Nesta and Velasquez voting in favor.

Commissioner Nesta said he would continue to press for a clear, written standard that preserves the civic record and reduces later disputes about wording in the minutes. Mayor Nelson and other council members said they favored improving procedures but differed on which office should prepare the draft policy and how prescriptive the policy should be.