Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Technology Policy topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Council debates use of AI transcription (Otter.ai) to assist minutes
Summary
Council discussed whether to use Otter.ai or similar services to generate meeting transcripts and minutes. IT staff said the city holds an enterprise license but the city attorney and clerk emphasized consent, accuracy and human review.
Council discussed adopting AI transcription tools like Otter.ai for producing meeting minutes. Councilmember Bunk said the idea came up at a Florida League of Cities session and asked the city attorney to examine options; City Attorney Alley stressed that legally the minutes must be in writing and that any recording or transcription requires attention to Florida's consent rules.
IT Director Richard Calkins said the city already has an Otter.ai enterprise license and described how staff uses the service to assist with minutes for some boards, but cautioned about settings that could allow the bot to ‘attend’ meetings without notification. "We actually do have Otter and Otter AI enterprise license already," Calkins said. City Clerk Mary Hageman and the city attorney emphasized that transcripts should be verified and that automated transcriptions be used as an editing aid rather than a replacement for official written minutes.
Council directed staff to continue researching options and to ensure any use complies with Florida consent laws and city minutes requirements.
