This article will show you how to add, edit, submit, and delete Agenda Items in Agenda and Meeting Management Essential (formerly Municode Meetings).
Important Notes
Organizations that create their items using Staff Report Templates or Agenda Item Templates should follow the Add an Agenda Item Using a Staff Report/Agenda Item Report Template instructions below.
If you attach documents to your agenda item during the item creation process, be sure to review the order of those attachments after your item has been created. Files upload in order of file size, so document order will not carry over automatically.
Only Agenda Managers and Administrators can delete agenda items..
Add an Agenda Item
If your organization uses an Agenda Item Template/Staff Report Template, follow the steps in the Add an Agenda Item Using a Staff Report/Agenda Item Report Template section below these instructions.
Sign in to Agenda and Meeting Management Essential if you have not already
Click the Add Item button
Note: The options available in your left menu may differ from the ones shown here, depending on your user permissions.
Fill in the Data fields
Name (required): Enter a short name for the item (for example, “Drought Response”)
Note: While text entered in the name field does not appear on the agenda, it is used as the label for agenda packet bookmarks. Individual words in the name are also used as keywords for searching within the PDF and in the system's Item List.
Meeting type (required): Select a meeting type from the drop-down list
Meeting: Select a meeting from the drop-down list to assign this item to that specific meeting, if applicable and desired
Note: This field will only appear if the meeting type selected has a future meeting scheduled.
Section: Select the appropriate agenda section for this item from the drop-down list, if desired
Note: This field will only appear if a specific meeting has been selected.
Create on behalf of: Select the person you want to designate as the Original Submitter for this item, if it should be someone other than yourself
Note: This field will only appear if your role has the Add Or Copy Items On Behalf Of Other Users permission enabled for this Meeting Type.
Enter and format the Title of your agenda item in the Agenda Content field
Note: The Agenda Content field should contain the title of your agenda item exactly as you want it to appear on the agenda.
Drag and drop files or click the Upload button and select files to attach to your item, including any supporting documents, if desired
Note: Acceptable file types include .DOCX, .PPTX, .XLSX, .PDF, .RTF, and .TXT. The following documents cannot be uploaded:
Old Office Documents: .DOC, .XLS, and .PPT files need to be re-saved as .DOCX, .XLSX, or .PPTX files before upload
Password-protected documents: Passwords need to be removed before upload
Images: Images cannot be uploaded directly; they need to be copied into a Word or PDF document and then uploaded
Click the Submit button to create the item
Or click the Submit, Approve and End Workflow button to create the item and automatically override and approve the item's workflow to avoid sending it through the approval process
Notes:
The Submit, Approve and End Workflow button will only appear if the meeting type selected in step 2 has a workflow and your role has the user permission Item Detail Workflow Commands enabled.
Skip this step if your organization does not use workflow or if the item needs to go through the approval process.
Your item has been created, and you can click the Notifications button (bell icon) to see details about the item if desired
If the item is part of a workflow, its next task will populate in the Home Screen inbox of the user the task is assigned to, and an email will be sent to their account email address with instructions to navigate to the Item Detail Screen to edit or take action on the item workflow
Notes:
You can view the workflow history of an item from its Item Detail Screen.
You can view the workflow status icon of an item from the Item List or Build Tab.
When reviewing your item in the Meeting Detail Screen later, make sure to check that the order of any attached documents is correct; this is a common oversight as files upload in order of file size.
Add an Agenda Item Using a Staff Report/Agenda Item Report Template
If your organization does not use an Agenda Item Template/Staff Report Template, follow the steps in the Add an Agenda Item section above these instructions.
Sign in to Agenda and Meeting Management Essential if you have not already
Click the Agenda Item Templates button (gray stack of paper icon)
Select the relevant Agenda Item/Staff Report Template from the list
Open the downloaded template in Microsoft Word (styles, text, and formatting will vary according to your organization's preferences)
Fill in the information fields (these will vary according to your organization's preferences)
Note: The following practices are recommended for all template users:
Do not change or modify the default fonts or font sizes within the document; these need to stay consistent across all agenda items
If you are copying and pasting text from another document, please paste it as plain, unformatted text
Carefully review all text entered into the Subject and Background/History fields (field names may vary); the text in these fields will be displayed on the agenda exactly as it appears in the template
Navigate to the File menu and click the Save As button
Enter a name and select a save location for the file
Note: The file name is visible on the agenda packet; an easy-to-understand name is recommended (for example, "Staff Report - Drought Response Report").
Ensure you are saving the file as a Word Document (.docx) and click the Save button
Navigate back to your Municode Meetings, now our Agenda and Meeting Management Essential solution, site, and select the Add Item button in the left menu
Note: The options available in your left menu may differ from the ones shown here, depending on your user permissions.
Fill in the Data fields
Name (required): Enter a short name for the item (for example, “Drought Response”)
Note: While text entered in the name field does not appear on the agenda, it is used as the label for agenda packet bookmarks. Individual words in the name are also used as keywords for searching within the PDF and in the system's Item List.
Meeting type (required): Select a meeting type from the drop-down list
Meeting: Select a meeting from the drop-down list, if applicable and desired
Note: This field will only appear if the meeting type selected has a future meeting scheduled.
Section: Select the appropriate agenda section for this item from the drop-down list, if desired
Note: This field will only appear if a specific Meeting has been selected.
Create on behalf of: Select the person you want to designate as the Original Submitter for this item, if it should be someone other than yourself
Note: This field will only appear if your role has the Add Or Copy Items On Behalf Of Other Users permission enabled for this Meeting Type.
Skip the Agenda Content field
Note: You do not need to fill out this field because you are submitting a templated Agenda Item/Staff Report. The system will automatically pull text from your document's Subject field to use as your item's Agenda Content text.
Drag and drop files or click the Upload button and select files to attach to your item (including your Agenda Item/Staff Report Word document and any additional supporting documents)
Note: Acceptable file types include .DOCX, .PPTX, .XLSX, .PDF, .RTF, and .TXT. The following documents cannot be uploaded:
Old Office Documents: .DOC, .XLS, and .PPT files need to be re-saved as .DOCX, .XLSX, or .PPTX files before upload
Password-protected documents: Passwords need to be removed before upload
Images: Images cannot be uploaded directly; they need to be copied into a Word or PDF document and then uploaded
Click the Submit button
Note: When reviewing your item in the Meeting Detail Screen later, make sure to check that the order of any attachments is correct; this is a common oversight as files upload in order of file size.
Or click the Submit, Approve and End Workflow button to create the item and automatically override and approve the item's workflow to avoid sending it through the approval process
Notes:
The Submit, Approve and End Workflow button will only appear if the meeting type selected in step 2 has a workflow and your role has the user permission Item Detail Workflow Commands enabled.
Skip this step if your organization does not use workflow or if the item needs to go through the approval process.
Your item is saved in the system, and you can click the Notifications button (bell icon) to see details about the item if desired
If the item is part of a workflow, its next task will populate in the Home Screen inbox of the user the task is assigned to, and an email will be sent to their account email address with instructions to navigate to the Item Detail Screen to edit or take action on the item workflow
Notes:
You can view the workflow history of an item from its Item Detail Screen.
You can view the workflow status icon of an item from the Item List or Build Tab.
When reviewing your item in the Meeting Detail Screen later, make sure to check that the order of any attached documents is correct; this is a common oversight as files upload in order of file size.
Add an Agenda Item from the Build Tab
Sign in to Agenda and Meeting Management Essential if you have not already
Select the Build tab if it is not already open
Click the Add New Item button (black square and white plus sign icon) next to the desired section
You will be taken to the Add Item screen
Fill in the Data fields
Name: Enter a short name for the item (for example, “Waste Disposal Proposal”) in the Name field
Note: While text entered in the name field does not appear on the agenda, it is used as the label for agenda packet bookmarks. Individual words in the name are also used as keywords for searching within the PDF and in the system's Item List.
Meeting type: This field will be auto-populated based on the meeting in which the item was created and cannot be modified
Meeting: This field will be auto-populated based on the meeting in which the item was created and cannot be modified
Section: This field will be auto-populated based on the meeting in which the item was created and cannot be modified
Create on behalf of: Select the person you want to designate as the Original Submitter for this item, if it should be someone other than yourself
Note: This field will only appear if your role has the Add Or Copy Items On Behalf Of Other Users permission enabled for this Meeting Type.
Enter and format the Title of your agenda item in the Agenda Content field, if necessary
Notes:
Do not fill in this field if your organization submits templated Agenda Item/Staff Reports. The system will automatically pull text from your document's Subject field to use as your item's Agenda Content text.
If your organization does not use templated Agenda Item/Staff Reports, then the Agenda Content field should contain the title of your agenda item exactly as you want it to appear on the agenda.
Drag and drop files or click the Upload button and select files to attach to your item (including your Agenda Item/Staff Report Word document if you use one and any additional supporting documents)
Note: Acceptable file types include .DOCX, .PPTX, .XLSX, .PDF, .RTF, and .TXT. The following documents cannot be uploaded:
Old Office Documents: .DOC, .XLS, and .PPT files need to be re-saved as .DOCX, .XLSX, or .PPTX files before upload
Password-protected documents: Passwords need to be removed before upload
Images: Images cannot be uploaded directly; they need to be copied into a Word or PDF document and then uploaded
Click the Submit button to create the item
Or click the Submit, Approve and End Workflow button to create the item and automatically override and approve the item's workflow to avoid sending it through the approval process
Notes:
The Submit, Approve and End Workflow button will only appear if the meeting type selected in step 2 has a workflow and your role has the user permission 'Item Detail Workflow Commands' enabled.
Skip this step if your organization does not use workflow or if the item needs to go through the approval process.
The item has been created, and you will be redirected back to the meeting's Meeting Detail Screen where the item will appear at the bottom of the list of items within the section you added the item to
Note: If you used the Submit, Approve and End Workflow button to create the item, even though the item is approved, the workflow status will not show the approved green check mark icon until the screen is refreshed.
If the item is part of a workflow, its next task will populate in the Home Screen inbox of the user the task is assigned to, and an email will be sent to their account email address with instructions to navigate to the Item Detail Screen to edit or take action on the item workflow
Copy an Agenda Item
The Copy Item function allows you to quickly duplicate an existing item. During the copy process, you can customize the name, meeting type, and attachments that are copied from the source item. You can also assign newly copied items directly to a section on a given meeting's agenda.
Sign in to Agenda and Meeting Management Essential if you have not already
Navigate to the Item Detail Screen of the item you wish to copy
Click the Copy Item button (paper icon)
Review and edit the Data fields
Name: Edit the short name of the item if desired
Meeting type: Select a meeting type that this item applies to if desired
Meeting: Select an existing meeting to assign the item to if desired
Notes:
Skip this field if you would prefer to not assign the item to a specific meeting; the item will appear in the Unassigned Meeting List during the Meeting Build process.
If you choose an option for this field, you may be prompted to assign the item to a specific section of the selected meeting.
The system will not allow you to copy an item to a meeting with a published document or to a meeting that is locked.
Copy on behalf of: Select the person you want to designate as the Original Submitter for this item, if it should be someone other than yourself
Note: This field will only appear if your role has the 'Add Or Copy Items On Behalf Of Other Users' permission enabled for this Meeting Type.
Copy Documents: Select or deselect the check boxes next to document names to indicate whether the documents should be copied over to the new item, as applicable and desired
Click the Submit button to create the item
Or click the Submit, Approve and End Workflow button to create the item and automatically override and approve the item's workflow to avoid sending it through the approval process
Notes:
The Submit, Approve and End Workflow button will only appear if the meeting type selected in step 2 has a workflow and your role has the user permission 'Item Detail Workflow Commands' enabled.
Skip this step if your organization does not use workflow or if the item needs to go through the approval process.
Your copied item has been created, and you can click the Notifications button (bell icon) to see details about the item if desired
If the item is part of a workflow, its next task will populate in the Home Screen inbox of the user the task is assigned to, and an email will be sent to their account email address with instructions to navigate to the Item Detail Screen to edit or take action on the item workflow
Notes:
You can view the workflow history of an item from its Item Detail Screen.
You can view the workflow status icon of an item from the Item List or Build Tab.
When reviewing your item in the Meeting Detail Screen later, make sure to check that the order of any attached documents is correct; this is a common oversight as files upload in order of file size.
Copy Multiple Agenda Items in Bulk from the Copy Items Tab
The Bulk Copy Item feature enables users to copy items from one meeting or section to another meeting or section in bulk. Copied items contain the same agenda content and attachments that were present in the original items. The names of the new items will exactly match the name of the original items.
Sign in to Agenda and Meeting Management Essential if you have not already
Click the Copy Items tab
Check the checkboxes next to the items you wish to copy
Notes:
You can use the Select All and Unselect All checkboxes to select or deselect all items, if desired.
Use the Reset button, as needed, to clear/reset all selections on this screen.
Select the Meeting type for which you want the items to be available
Note: This field is required.
Select a specific Meeting to copy the items to, if desired
Select a specific Section of the meeting selected in step 6 to place the items in, if applicable and desired
Note: This field will only appear if a specific meeting was selected in Step 6.
Click the Copy button to copy the items to the selected meeting type, meeting, or section; or click the Copy, Approve and End Workflows button to override and approve the item upon creation
Notes:
When selecting the Copy button for a meeting that is assigned to a workflow, the items will begin the workflow with you as the Original Submitter.
The Copy, Approve and End Workflows button will only appear if the meeting type selected in Step 5 has a workflow and your role has the 'Item Detail Workflow Commands' user permission enabled.
The Copy Items screen will reset, and a badge notification will appear in the upper-right corner of the screen
The items have been copied, and you can click the Notifications button (bell icon) to see details such as the number of items copied, the user that copied them, the meeting they were copied from, and the meeting they were copied to (if applicable) if desired
If the items you copied are part of a workflow, their next workflow tasks will populate in the Home Screen inbox of the users the tasks are assigned to and an email will be sent to their account email address with instructions to navigate to the Item Detail Screen to edit or take action on the item workflow
Notes:
Copied items contain the same agenda content and attachments that were present in the original items. The names of the new items will exactly match the name of the original items.
If you have copied the items to a meeting type without selecting a specific meeting, the items can be found in the Item List.
If you have copied the items to a meeting without selecting a specific section, the items will be added to the first section of the selected meeting.
If you have copied the items to a specific section of a meeting, the items will be added to the section you selected in the order they appeared in the original meeting, and after any items already present in the section they were copied to.
Review, Edit, and Update the Workflow of an Agenda Item
Sign in to Agenda and Meeting Management Essential if you have not already
Review and edit the Item Detail fields as desired
Data: View, modify, use, or delete information about this item
Name (required): View or edit the short name of the item
Note: While text entered in the name field does not appear on the agenda, it is used as the label for agenda packet bookmarks. Individual words in the name are also used as keywords for searching within the PDF and in the system's Item List.
Meeting: If the item has been assigned to a meeting, the date, time, and title of the meeting will appear here; if the meeting has not been assigned, it will appear in the Unassigned Meeting List during the Meeting Build process
Note: Click the calendar icon next to the meeting name to navigate to that meeting.
Created: This field displays the date and time that the item was created
Submitted By: This field displays the user who submitted the item
Note: If the user’s name is underlined with a dotted line, the tooltip that appears when you hover over their name will display who created the item on behalf of that user.
Meeting Type: View or edit the type of meeting this item applies to (for example, City Council Regular Session, City Council Special Meeting, or Planning Commission)
Workflow (diagram icon): If the item is part of an approval workflow, the workflow name is displayed in this field
Unlocked/Locked Item (lock and paper icon): This icon will appear blue and white if the item is unlocked and editable or gray and white if it is locked
Note: While this icon is visible to all users, only agenda managers and administrators can click the icon to toggle this setting.
Copy Item (paper icon): Click this icon to copy the item’s content for use in a future meeting
Delete (red circle and X icon): Click to delete the item
Note: This icon will only appear for agenda managers and administrators and will only work if an item has not been assigned to a meeting.
Update: Click to save changes to the item's Data
Agenda Content: View or modify the information about this item that will appear on the Agenda
Word Icon: Click to download the item's Agenda Content as a Microsoft Word document
Upload (up arrow and container icon): Click to upload a new Agenda Item Report/Staff Report document
Note: When uploading or re-uploading an Agenda Item Report/Staff Report Word document, the Agenda Content field will auto-update based on bookmarked text within the attachment.
Text and Paragraph Formatting: Use these tools to edit the appearance of your agenda item's title
Note: The formatting selected will affect the appearance of your agenda item's title on the agenda.
Agenda Content Text Box: View or edit your agenda item's title
Note: This text box should contain the title of your item exactly as you want it to appear on the agenda. Skip this field if you are using an Agenda Item Report or Staff Report template.
Update: Click to save changes to the Agenda Content section
Attachments: Attached documents for this item can be added, edited, deleted, or rearranged as needed
PDF Icon: Click to view a PDF version of the attachment
Original Format Icon: Click to download the original version of the attached document
Note: The icon that appears will reflect the file type (for example, a Microsoft Word icon for a .DOCX file or a Microsoft Excel icon for a .XLSX file). If the attachment was uploaded as a PDF, you will only see one PDF icon.
File Name: Click any part of the text of an attachment's file name to update it
Check Out/Check In (paper and blue arrow/paper and green refresh icon/paper and red right-arrow icon): Click the paper and blue arrow icon to check out an attachment before making changes to the file, or click the paper and green refresh symbol icon to cancel a check out; after edits to the original file are complete, click the paper and red arrow icon to check in the attachment and upload the new version to the system
Note: The check-out/check-in system is highly recommended for organizations with multiple staff users, as it can help reduce duplicate editing.
Document History (paper and clock icon): Click to view the version history for the attachment, including the user who uploaded it and the date and time of upload
Include in/Exclude from Packet(s) (plus/minus icon or box with a green check/gray X/blue keyhole/blue people icon): Click to indicate whether the item should be included in or excluded from its assigned/associated agenda packet; all items are set to be included in the packet by default
Note: The display of these icons will differ depending on your organization's settings. If your organization only uses public packets, you will see a plus to include the item in the packet or a minus to exclude the item from the packet. If your organization uses both public and private/confidential packets, the icon can appear in four different ways:
Included in All Packets (box with a green check mark): This icon indicates that the item will be included in both the public and private/confidential versions of the packet
Excluded from All Packets (gray box with an X): This icon indicates that the item will not be included in any packet
Included in Private Packet Only (box with a blue keyhole): This icon indicates that the item will be included in the private packet but not the public packet
Included in Public Packet Only (box with blue people): This icon indicates that the item will be included in the public packet but not in the private packet
Delete Document (red circle and X icon): Click to delete the attachment
Move Up/Move Down (blue up/down arrow icon): Click to rearrange the placement of attachments by moving an attachment one place higher or lower in the list
Drop file here to upload: Drag and drop a file onto this box to include it as an attachment
Upload: Click to open your computer's File Explorer and select one or more files to upload as attachments to the item
Current Task: View or modify the item's current Workflow status (if the Workflow feature has been enabled)
Current Task: This field displays the current Workflow status of the item
Task Description: This field displays a description of what is supposed to happen to the item at this point in the Workflow
Note: This field will only populate if your Workflow is configured to include more than confirming task completion.
Assigned To: This field displays the user the item is currently assigned to
Notes: Add any additional information or instructions about the current task that you would like to provide to recipients regarding the item (for example, "Please conduct a financial review")
Action: Select an option from the drop-down menu to execute an action for this item
Note: The available Actions are customized based on each organization's desired review and approval process. The selected action determines to whom the item will be assigned for further review/approval. Assignees will receive an email notification, and the item will appear in their Home Screen Inbox as a new task.
Submit: Click to update the status of the current task
Note: Agenda Managers can take action on any current task, even if they are not the person assigned to that task.
Workflow Commands: Agenda Managers, Clerks, Admins, and others with higher-level permissions can use Workflow Commands to initiate, end, or override the workflow process manually
Type: Click to select a workflow type from a drop-down list (if applicable)
Start (not pictured): Select this option to initiate an item workflow that was not automatically started during item creation
Delete: Select this option to remove the assigned workflow from this item
Override: Select this option to override the current workflow for this item and mark it as approved or rejected
Workflow History: See an overview of this item's review and approval history
User: This field displays the name of the user who was assigned/has completed a task or action
Task: This field displays the task that was assigned
Action: This field displays the action that was taken
Date/Time: This field displays the date and time that a task was assigned or an action was taken
Ensure you have clicked the Update and Submit buttons where necessary to save any changes (the Attachments section will update automatically)
The item is now updated, and you can click the Notifications button (bell icon) to see details about the item if desired
If you have updated the item's workflow, its next task will populate in the Home Screen inbox of the user the task is assigned to, and an email will be sent to their account email address with instructions to navigate to the Item Detail Screen to edit or take action on the item workflow
Delete an Agenda Item That Is Not Assigned to a Meeting
Agenda Managers and administrators can delete unassigned agenda items, which are items that have not been assigned to a meeting. If an agenda item has been assigned to a specific meeting, you will need to follow the Delete an Agenda Item That Is Assigned to a Meeting instructions in the next section.
Sign in to Agenda and Meeting Management Essential if you have not already
Confirm that the item is not assigned to/associated with a particular meeting
Note: If the Item is assigned to/associated with a particular meeting, follow the instructions for deleting an agenda item that is assigned to a meeting.
Click the Delete Item button (red circle and x icon)
Click the Delete button on the Delete Item Warning! pop-up to confirm the deletion
Your item is now deleted
Delete an Agenda Item That Is Assigned to a Meeting
Agenda Managers and administrators can delete agenda items that have been assigned to a meeting. If an agenda item has not been assigned to a specific meeting, follow the Delete an Agenda Item That Is Not Assigned to a Meeting instructions in the section above.
Sign in to Agenda and Meeting Management Essential if you have not already
Click the calendar icon next to the name of the meeting that the item is assigned to
Note: If the Item is not assigned to/associated with a particular meeting, follow the instructions for deleting an agenda item that is not assigned to a meeting.
Under the Build tab, click the Unassign button (green right-arrow icon) next to the desired item
Click the Apply button
Click the Delete Item button (gray trashcan icon) next to the item's name
Click the Delete button on the Delete Item Warning! pop-up to confirm the deletion
Your item is now deleted
