Public Engagement Suite enables organizations and municipalities to include approved written comments and speaker participation directly in meeting materials using merge tags. By placing these merge tags within report and minutes designs, you can control whether this information appears in agenda packets before a meeting or in minutes after a meeting. This article explains how to configure and use merge tags to display written comments and speaker sign-ups in item reports, agenda packets, and minutes.
Important Note
Public Engagement Suite functionality can only be configured if the Public Engagement Suite add-on has been enabled. For more information or to enable the feature, please contact your Customer Success Manager or Account Manager.
Show Written Comments and Speaker Sign-Ups Before a Meeting
You can include approved written comments and speaker sign-up information in agenda packets before a meeting. This process uses merge tags within report designs to display public engagement details in item reports and generated packets.
Add Written Comments and Speaker Sign-Ups to a Report Design
Sign in to the system if you have not already
Navigate to the User Menu, then select the Settings option:
Click the Meetings tile:
Click the Report Design tile:
Click the Edit button (purple pencil icon) to the right of the report design you wish to edit:
Note:
You can also create a new report design from scratch if needed. For instructions on how to create a report design, view the Add and Manage Report Designs article.
In the Content field, insert the [ITEM_WRITTEN_COMMENTS_APPROVED] merge tag wherever you want to pull all approved written comments into the item report, if desired:
In the same Content field, insert the desired “Speaker Name” merge tag wherever you want speaker details to appear in the item report, if desired:
[SPEAKER_NAME]: Pulls the Speaker Names into a table
[SPEAKER_NAME_TYPE]: Pulls the Speaker Names and Type into a table
[SPEAKER_NAME_TYPE_TIME]: Pulls the Speaker Names, Type, and duration into a table
Click the Save Changes button:
Written comments and/or speaker participation have been added to the selected report design; when item reports that use this item design are generated, the written comments and speaker participation details added up until that point will be shown
Repeat steps 5 through 8 to add written comments and speaker participation to other report designs, as desired
Include Written Comments and Speaker Sign-Ups in an Item Report and Packet
Sign in to the system if you have not already
Ensure that you have added Written Comments and/or Speaker Sign-Up merge tags to the desired Report Design
Navigate to the Meetings module:
Select the agenda with the items you wish to show written comments and/or speaker sign-ups for:
Select the item with the written comments and speaker sign-ups you wish to show:
Navigate to the View menu and select the Item Files option in the dropdown:
In the Item Reports section, confirm whether an item report with the desired written comments and/or speaker sign-up lists already exists for the item; create an item report for the item with the appropriate Report Design if one does not already exist, or edit an existing item report to use the appropriate Report design, if needed
Click the Agenda button in the breadcrumb trail above the item’s name to return to Agenda view:
Navigate to the View menu and select the Agenda Files option in the dropdown:
Generate an agenda packet for the meeting and ensure that the “Regenerate Agenda Item Reports” checkbox is checked
Publish the packet to the Board Portal and Public Portal, or email your packet if desired
Show Written Comments and Speaker Sign-Ups After a Meeting
You can capture written comments and speaker participation in official meeting Minutes by configuring merge tags in Minutes designs. This ensures public input is included in accurate, complete post-meeting records.
Add Written Comments and Speaker Sign-Ups to a Minutes Design
Sign in to the system if you have not already
Navigate to the User Menu, then select the Settings option:
Click the Meetings tile:
Click the Minutes Design tile:
Click the Edit button (purple pencil icon) to the right of the Minutes design you wish to edit:
Note:
You can also create a new Minutes design from scratch if needed. For instructions on how to create a Minutes design, view the Minutes Setup article.
In the Content field, insert the [ITEM_WRITTEN_COMMENTS_APPROVED] merge tag wherever you want to pull all approved written comments into the Minutes, if desired:
In the same Content field, insert the desired “Speaker Name” merge tag wherever you want speaker details to appear in the Minutes, if desired:
[SPEAKER_NAME]: Pulls the Speaker Names into a table
[SPEAKER_NAME_TYPE]: Pulls the Speaker Names and Type into a table
[SPEAKER_NAME_TYPE_TIME]: Pulls the Speaker Names, Type, and duration into a table
Click the Save Changes button:
Written comments and/or speaker participation have been added to the selected Minutes design; when Minutes that use this item design are generated, the written comments and speaker participation details added up until that point will be shown
Repeat steps 5 through 8 to add written comments and speaker participation to other Minutes designs, as desired
Include Written Comments and Speaker Sign-Ups in Minutes
Sign in to the system if you have not already
Ensure that you have added Written Comments and/or Speaker Sign-Up merge tags to the desired Minutes Design
Navigate to the Meetings module:
Select the agenda with the items you wish to show written comments and/or speaker sign-ups for:
Click the Go to Minutes button:
Navigate to the View menu and select Minutes Summary in the dropdown list:
In Minutes Summary, confirm whether the Minutes have been built out; record roll call and add discussion text to sections and items as needed:
Click the Agenda button in the breadcrumb trail above the item’s name to return to Agenda view:
Navigate to the View menu and select the Agenda Files option in the dropdown:
Generate a Minutes file for the meeting
Publish the Minutes to the Board Portal and Public Portal, or email your Minutes file to users if desired