{
 "topic": "OMA section 2.06(a)",
 "statute": "5 ILCS 120/2.06(a)",
 "family": "Minutes and verbatim recordings",
 "page": "https://illinoisfoia.org/issues/oma-2-06-a/",
 "note": "Determination letters are non-binding. Verify against the source PDF before citing.",
 "counts": {
  "violation_found": 16,
  "no_violation": 6,
  "no_determination": 1,
  "other": 0
 },
 "challenge_notes": {
  "generated_by": "AI summary of the decisions listed on this page; not legal advice; verify each decision against its PDF",
  "when_a_challenge_is_strong": [
   {
    "text": "The meeting minutes identify only topics but do not summarize the main points of discussion.",
    "why": "Section 2.06(a) requires a summary of discussion on all matters proposed, deliberated, or decided; merely listing topics is insufficient.",
    "decisions": [
     {
      "title": "A board's meeting minutes and vote documentation",
      "url": "https://illinoisfoia.org/opinions/letter-87758/#issue-3"
     },
     {
      "title": "Agenda notice and approval of meeting minutes",
      "url": "https://illinoisfoia.org/opinions/letter-50418/#issue-3"
     },
     {
      "title": "Closed-session minutes for a school building bid",
      "url": "https://illinoisfoia.org/opinions/letter-50632/#issue-1"
     },
     {
      "title": "Closed-session discussion of police service consolidation",
      "url": "https://illinoisfoia.org/opinions/letter-51987/#issue-3"
     },
     {
      "title": "A school board's agenda descriptions and meeting minutes",
      "url": "https://illinoisfoia.org/opinions/letter-59235/#issue-4"
     },
     {
      "title": "Procedures for approving and publishing committee meeting minutes",
      "url": "https://illinoisfoia.org/opinions/letter-57900/#issue-1"
     }
    ]
   },
   {
    "text": "The public body failed to keep any written minutes for a meeting (open or closed), including subcommittee or gathering meetings.",
    "why": "Public bodies must keep written minutes of all meetings, with no exception for subcommittees or informal gatherings that constitute meetings under OMA.",
    "decisions": [
     {
      "title": "A DEI subcommittee's failure to provide meeting notice",
      "url": "https://illinoisfoia.org/opinions/letter-78082/#issue-3"
     },
     {
      "title": "City council conference call gatherings without public notice",
      "url": "https://illinoisfoia.org/opinions/letter-62981/#issue-7"
     },
     {
      "title": "Maintenance and storage of open session minutes and closed session recordings",
      "url": "https://illinoisfoia.org/opinions/letter-50424/#issue-3"
     },
     {
      "title": "Unannounced pre-meeting gatherings and a blocked board meeting",
      "url": "https://illinoisfoia.org/opinions/letter-49828/#issue-4"
     },
     {
      "title": "A gathering of three aldermen about city business",
      "url": "https://illinoisfoia.org/opinions/letter-41800/#issue-2"
     },
     {
      "title": "An advisory committee's special meeting notice and agenda",
      "url": "https://illinoisfoia.org/opinions/letter-44652/#issue-3"
     },
     {
      "title": "Closed-session minutes and remote meeting notice",
      "url": "https://illinoisfoia.org/opinions/letter-69228/#issue-6"
     },
     {
      "title": "A committee's private discussion of a redistricting map",
      "url": "https://illinoisfoia.org/opinions/letter-14722/#issue-3"
     }
    ]
   },
   {
    "text": "The public body did not create or preserve a verbatim audio or video recording of a closed session.",
    "why": "The Act explicitly requires a verbatim recording of all closed meetings; failure to do so violates 2.06(a).",
    "decisions": [
     {
      "title": "A school board's closed-session discussion of a book removal policy",
      "url": "https://illinoisfoia.org/opinions/letter-71523/#issue-2"
     },
     {
      "title": "A committee's closed-session meeting at an undisclosed location without a recording",
      "url": "https://illinoisfoia.org/opinions/letter-55379/#issue-2"
     },
     {
      "title": "Closed-session minutes and remote meeting notice",
      "url": "https://illinoisfoia.org/opinions/letter-69228/#issue-6"
     },
     {
      "title": "A committee's private discussion of a redistricting map",
      "url": "https://illinoisfoia.org/opinions/letter-14722/#issue-3"
     }
    ]
   }
  ],
  "when_the_body_usually_wins": [
   {
    "text": "The challenge is based on de minimis inconsistencies (e.g., who made a motion, exact time of entering closed session) that do not deprive the public of meaningful information.",
    "why": "The Bureau treats minor inaccuracies as insufficient to establish a violation where the public still receives a meaningful summary.",
    "decisions": [
     {
      "title": "A village council's review of closed-session minutes",
      "url": "https://illinoisfoia.org/opinions/letter-80205/#issue-2"
     },
     {
      "title": "County board minutes of closed-session motions",
      "url": "https://illinoisfoia.org/opinions/letter-61021/#issue-1"
     }
    ]
   },
   {
    "text": "The minutes lack a detailed description of an ordinance but no substantive discussion occurred on the matter.",
    "why": "Minutes need only summarize discussion; if there is no discussion beyond identifying the ordinance, no further summary is required.",
    "decisions": [
     {
      "title": "Meeting minutes describing an approved ordinance",
      "url": "https://illinoisfoia.org/opinions/letter-54370/#issue-3"
     }
    ]
   },
   {
    "text": "The requester alleges a closed session recording is incomplete, but the public body produces a recording and evidence of no prior unrecorded deliberations, or evidence is conflicting.",
    "why": "Absent evidence of missing portions, the Bureau will find compliance with the recording requirement.",
    "decisions": [
     {
      "title": "A board member ordering a technician to stop recording a closed session",
      "url": "https://illinoisfoia.org/opinions/letter-50757/#issue-2"
     },
     {
      "title": "Agenda items added to a special meeting",
      "url": "https://illinoisfoia.org/opinions/letter-50648/#issue-1"
     }
    ]
   },
   {
    "text": "The public body actually kept written minutes and the requester fails to show they were not kept.",
    "why": "When the body demonstrates it kept minutes, a bare allegation of failure to keep them will not succeed.",
    "decisions": [
     {
      "title": "Maintenance and storage of open session minutes and closed session recordings",
      "url": "https://illinoisfoia.org/opinions/letter-50424/#issue-2"
     }
    ]
   }
  ],
  "points_to_put_in_the_letter": [
   {
    "text": "Ask to inspect the meeting minutes. If they only list topics without summarizing the discussion, object that section 2.06(a) requires a summary of all matters proposed, deliberated, or decided.",
    "why": "",
    "decisions": [
     {
      "title": "A board's meeting minutes and vote documentation",
      "url": "https://illinoisfoia.org/opinions/letter-87758/#issue-3"
     },
     {
      "title": "Agenda notice and approval of meeting minutes",
      "url": "https://illinoisfoia.org/opinions/letter-50418/#issue-3"
     }
    ]
   },
   {
    "text": "If the meeting was closed, request the verbatim recording. The Act requires a verbatim audio or video recording of all closed meetings.",
    "why": "",
    "decisions": [
     {
      "title": "A school board's closed-session discussion of a book removal policy",
      "url": "https://illinoisfoia.org/opinions/letter-71523/#issue-2"
     },
     {
      "title": "A committee's closed-session meeting at an undisclosed location without a recording",
      "url": "https://illinoisfoia.org/opinions/letter-55379/#issue-2"
     }
    ]
   },
   {
    "text": "Point out that vague entries like 'discussion of litigation' do not satisfy the summary requirement; the minutes must convey the main points of the discussion.",
    "why": "",
    "decisions": [
     {
      "title": "Closed-session minutes for a school building bid",
      "url": "https://illinoisfoia.org/opinions/letter-50632/#issue-1"
     },
     {
      "title": "Closed-session discussion of police service consolidation",
      "url": "https://illinoisfoia.org/opinions/letter-51987/#issue-3"
     }
    ]
   },
   {
    "text": "If minutes are entirely missing for a meeting or gathering, state that all public bodies must keep written minutes of every meeting, and the failure creates a violation.",
    "why": "",
    "decisions": [
     {
      "title": "A DEI subcommittee's failure to provide meeting notice",
      "url": "https://illinoisfoia.org/opinions/letter-78082/#issue-3"
     },
     {
      "title": "A gathering of three aldermen about city business",
      "url": "https://illinoisfoia.org/opinions/letter-41800/#issue-2"
     }
    ]
   }
  ],
  "facts_to_gather": [
   "Date and type of meeting (regular, special, committee, subcommittee, closed session).",
   "Whether you have searched for or requested minutes and received only an agenda or topic list, or nothing.",
   "A description of any discussion you recall that is not captured in the minutes.",
   "For a closed session, whether you requested the verbatim recording and what the body provided in response."
  ],
  "common_mistakes": [
   {
    "text": "Filing a challenge over minor, immaterial inaccuracies (like who seconded a motion) that do not affect the public's understanding of the meeting.",
    "why": "",
    "decisions": [
     {
      "title": "A village council's review of closed-session minutes",
      "url": "https://illinoisfoia.org/opinions/letter-80205/#issue-2"
     },
     {
      "title": "County board minutes of closed-session motions",
      "url": "https://illinoisfoia.org/opinions/letter-61021/#issue-1"
     }
    ]
   },
   {
    "text": "Insisting that minutes include the full text of an ordinance or attached document rather than a summary of discussion; minutes need only summarize matters proposed, deliberated, or decided.",
    "why": "",
    "decisions": [
     {
      "title": "Meeting minutes describing an approved ordinance",
      "url": "https://illinoisfoia.org/opinions/letter-54370/#issue-3"
     }
    ]
   },
   {
    "text": "A records coordinator assuming that subcommittees or informal gatherings of a quorum do not need written minutes.",
    "why": "",
    "decisions": [
     {
      "title": "A DEI subcommittee's failure to provide meeting notice",
      "url": "https://illinoisfoia.org/opinions/letter-78082/#issue-3"
     }
    ]
   },
   {
    "text": "A records coordinator believing that closed session minutes are adequate if they contain one-sentence general descriptions rather than a true summary of discussion.",
    "why": "",
    "decisions": [
     {
      "title": "Closed-session discussion of police service consolidation",
      "url": "https://illinoisfoia.org/opinions/letter-51987/#issue-3"
     },
     {
      "title": "Closed-session minutes for a school building bid",
      "url": "https://illinoisfoia.org/opinions/letter-50632/#issue-1"
     }
    ]
   }
  ],
  "caution": "These non-binding determination letters apply only to specific facts; always review the full PDF and consider that similar facts might lead to a different outcome."
 },
 "issues": [
  {
   "issue": "Insufficient summary of discussion in meeting minutes",
   "outcome": "violation_found",
   "rule": "Minutes must include a summary of discussion on all matters proposed, deliberated, or decided, not merely identify topics; the Board's minutes lacked the main points of discussions.",
   "decision": {
    "title": "A board's meeting minutes and vote documentation",
    "date": "2025-12-12",
    "binding": false,
    "url": "https://illinoisfoia.org/opinions/letter-87758/"
   },
   "authorities": [
    {
     "text": "Ill. Att'y Gen. PAC Req. Rev. Ltr. 51987, issued April 18, 2018",
     "url": "https://illinoisfoia.org/opinions/letter-51987/"
    },
    {
     "text": "Ill. Att'y Gen. PAC Req. Rev. Ltr. 26700, issued April 9, 2015",
     "url": null
    },
    {
     "text": "Ill. Att'y Gen. PAC Req. Rev. Ltr. 25528, issued March 15, 2014",
     "url": null
    },
    {
     "text": "Ill. Att'y Gen. PAC Req. Rev. Ltr. 36909, issued September 2, 2015",
     "url": null
    },
    {
     "text": "Ill. Att'y Gen. PAC Req. Rev. Ltr. 41916, issued April 3, 2016",
     "url": null
    }
   ]
  },
  {
   "issue": "Accuracy of meeting minutes regarding motion maker",
   "outcome": "no_violation",
   "rule": "De minimis inconsistencies in minutes concerning who made motions to enter closed session do not deprive the public of meaningful information.",
   "decision": {
    "title": "A village council's review of closed-session minutes",
    "date": "2024-03-05",
    "binding": false,
    "url": "https://illinoisfoia.org/opinions/letter-80205/"
   },
   "authorities": [
    {
     "text": "Ill. Att'y Gen. PAC Req. Rev. Ltr. 61021, issued December 19, 2019, at 2",
     "url": "https://illinoisfoia.org/opinions/letter-61021/"
    }
   ]
  },
  {
   "issue": "Whether subcommittees must keep written minutes",
   "outcome": "violation_found",
   "rule": "Public bodies must keep written minutes of meetings; subcommittees failed to do so.",
   "decision": {
    "title": "A DEI subcommittee's failure to provide meeting notice",
    "date": "2024-04-09",
    "binding": false,
    "url": "https://illinoisfoia.org/opinions/letter-78082/"
   },
   "authorities": []
  },
  {
   "issue": "Failure to keep verbatim recording of closed session",
   "outcome": "violation_found",
   "rule": "Public bodies must keep a verbatim audio or video recording of all closed meetings; failure to do so violates the Act.",
   "decision": {
    "title": "A school board's closed-session discussion of a book removal policy",
    "date": "2023-03-24",
    "binding": false,
    "url": "https://illinoisfoia.org/opinions/letter-71523/"
   },
   "authorities": []
  },
  {
   "issue": "Failure to keep closed session minutes",
   "outcome": "violation_found",
   "rule": "Public bodies must keep written minutes and verbatim recordings of all closed meetings, with no exception for closed sessions involving interviews.",
   "decision": {
    "title": "Closed-session minutes and remote meeting notice",
    "date": "2022-03-16",
    "binding": false,
    "url": "https://illinoisfoia.org/opinions/letter-69228/"
   },
   "authorities": []
  },
  {
   "issue": "Failure to keep minutes",
   "outcome": "violation_found",
   "rule": "Public bodies must keep minutes of meetings.",
   "decision": {
    "title": "City council conference call gatherings without public notice",
    "date": "2020-09-11",
    "binding": false,
    "url": "https://illinoisfoia.org/opinions/letter-62981/"
   },
   "authorities": []
  },
  {
   "issue": "Meeting minutes lacked summary of discussion",
   "outcome": "violation_found",
   "rule": "Meeting minutes must include a summary of discussion on all matters proposed, deliberated, or decided, and a record of any votes taken.",
   "decision": {
    "title": "A school board's agenda descriptions and meeting minutes",
    "date": "2020-05-29",
    "binding": false,
    "url": "https://illinoisfoia.org/opinions/letter-59235/"
   },
   "authorities": []
  },
  {
   "issue": "Inconsistent open and closed session minutes",
   "outcome": "no_violation",
   "rule": "De minimis inconsistencies in minutes about the precise time of entering closed session and who made motions do not violate OMA or deprive the public of meaningful information.",
   "decision": {
    "title": "County board minutes of closed-session motions",
    "date": "2019-12-19",
    "binding": false,
    "url": "https://illinoisfoia.org/opinions/letter-61021/"
   },
   "authorities": []
  },
  {
   "issue": "Committees failed to keep proper meeting minutes",
   "outcome": "violation_found",
   "rule": "Public bodies must keep written minutes containing a summary of discussion on all matters proposed, deliberated, or decided, and a record of votes taken.",
   "decision": {
    "title": "Procedures for approving and publishing committee meeting minutes",
    "date": "2019-09-17",
    "binding": false,
    "url": "https://illinoisfoia.org/opinions/letter-57900/"
   },
   "authorities": []
  },
  {
   "issue": "Failure to create verbatim recording of closed session",
   "outcome": "violation_found",
   "rule": "Public bodies must keep a verbatim audio or video recording of all closed meetings.",
   "decision": {
    "title": "A committee's closed-session meeting at an undisclosed location without a recording",
    "date": "2019-03-07",
    "binding": false,
    "url": "https://illinoisfoia.org/opinions/letter-55379/"
   },
   "authorities": []
  },
  {
   "issue": "Sufficiency of meeting minutes describing ordinance changes",
   "outcome": "no_violation",
   "rule": "Minutes need only summarize discussion on matters proposed, deliberated, or decided; they need not recite the contents of an ordinance, and no substantive discussion occurred.",
   "decision": {
    "title": "Meeting minutes describing an approved ordinance",
    "date": "2019-02-01",
    "binding": false,
    "url": "https://illinoisfoia.org/opinions/letter-54370/"
   },
   "authorities": []
  },
  {
   "issue": "Sufficiency of May 30, 2017 meeting minutes",
   "outcome": "no_determination",
   "rule": "Minutes must include a summary of discussion on all matters proposed, deliberated, or decided, and a record of any minutes taken.",
   "decision": {
    "title": "A committee meeting with a quorum of the village board",
    "date": "2019-12-06",
    "binding": false,
    "url": "https://illinoisfoia.org/opinions/letter-48812/"
   },
   "authorities": [
    {
     "text": "Ill. Att'y Gen. PAC Req. Rev. Ltr. 18824, issued February 6, 2013",
     "url": null
    },
    {
     "text": "Ill. Att'y Gen. PAC Req. Rev. Ltr. 18307, issued July 2, 2012",
     "url": null
    }
   ]
  },
  {
   "issue": "Insufficient closed session minutes",
   "outcome": "violation_found",
   "rule": "Closed session minutes contained only vague, general sentences that did not summarize all matters proposed, deliberated, or decided as required by section 2.06(a).",
   "decision": {
    "title": "Closed-session discussion of police service consolidation",
    "date": "2018-04-18",
    "binding": false,
    "url": "https://illinoisfoia.org/opinions/letter-51987/"
   },
   "authorities": [
    {
     "text": "Ill. Att'y Gen. PAC Req. Rev. Ltr. 40309",
     "url": null
    }
   ]
  },
  {
   "issue": "Failure to record complete closed session",
   "outcome": "no_violation",
   "rule": "Conflicting evidence and recording showing no prior unrecorded deliberations do not establish that the Board failed to record the complete closed session.",
   "decision": {
    "title": "A board member ordering a technician to stop recording a closed session",
    "date": "2018-05-09",
    "binding": false,
    "url": "https://illinoisfoia.org/opinions/letter-50757/"
   },
   "authorities": [
    {
     "text": "Ill. Att'y Gen. Op. No. S-726, issued March 22, 1974",
     "url": null
    },
    {
     "text": "Nabhani v. Coglianese, 552 F. Supp. 657, 661 (N.D. Ill. 1982)",
     "url": null
    }
   ]
  },
  {
   "issue": "Adequacy of closed session verbatim recordings",
   "outcome": "no_violation",
   "rule": "A public body must keep verbatim recordings of closed meetings; absent evidence of missing portions, the body complies with the recording requirement.",
   "decision": {
    "title": "Agenda items added to a special meeting",
    "date": "2018-04-25",
    "binding": false,
    "url": "https://illinoisfoia.org/opinions/letter-50648/"
   },
   "authorities": []
  },
  {
   "issue": "Failure to keep adequate written minutes of closed session",
   "outcome": "violation_found",
   "rule": "Minutes must include a summary of all matters proposed, deliberated, or decided; merely identifying topics is insufficient.",
   "decision": {
    "title": "Closed-session minutes for a school building bid",
    "date": "2018-02-15",
    "binding": false,
    "url": "https://illinoisfoia.org/opinions/letter-50632/"
   },
   "authorities": [
    {
     "text": "Gosnell v. Hogan, 179 III. App. 3d 161, 171 (5th Dist. 1989)",
     "url": "https://illinoisfoia.org/cases/pre1996-128527/"
    },
    {
     "text": "Ill. Att'y Gen. PAC Req. Rev. Ltr. 40309, issued May 20, 2016, at 4",
     "url": null
    }
   ]
  },
  {
   "issue": "Failure to keep minutes of July 12, 2017 meeting",
   "outcome": "no_violation",
   "rule": "Public bodies must keep written minutes of all meetings, whether open or closed.",
   "decision": {
    "title": "Maintenance and storage of open session minutes and closed session recordings",
    "date": "2018-03-28",
    "binding": false,
    "url": "https://illinoisfoia.org/opinions/letter-50424/"
   },
   "authorities": []
  },
  {
   "issue": "Failure to keep minutes of August 9, 2017 Executive Board meeting",
   "outcome": "violation_found",
   "rule": "Public bodies must keep written minutes of all meetings, whether open or closed.",
   "decision": {
    "title": "Maintenance and storage of open session minutes and closed session recordings",
    "date": "2018-03-28",
    "binding": false,
    "url": "https://illinoisfoia.org/opinions/letter-50424/"
   },
   "authorities": []
  },
  {
   "issue": "Content of meeting minutes",
   "outcome": "violation_found",
   "rule": "Minutes must include a summary of discussion on all matters proposed, deliberated, or decided, and a record of any votes taken; one-sentence general statements are insufficient.",
   "decision": {
    "title": "Agenda notice and approval of meeting minutes",
    "date": "2018-04-17",
    "binding": false,
    "url": "https://illinoisfoia.org/opinions/letter-50418/"
   },
   "authorities": [
    {
     "text": "Ill. Att'y Gen. PAC Req. Rev. Ltr. 26700, issued April 9, 2015",
     "url": null
    }
   ]
  },
  {
   "issue": "Failure to keep minutes of 6:30 p.m. gatherings",
   "outcome": "violation_found",
   "rule": "Public bodies must keep written minutes of all meetings subject to OMA.",
   "decision": {
    "title": "Unannounced pre-meeting gatherings and a blocked board meeting",
    "date": "2018-02-20",
    "binding": false,
    "url": "https://illinoisfoia.org/opinions/letter-49828/"
   },
   "authorities": []
  },
  {
   "issue": "Failure to keep minutes",
   "outcome": "violation_found",
   "rule": "A public body must keep minutes of its meetings.",
   "decision": {
    "title": "An advisory committee's special meeting notice and agenda",
    "date": "2017-04-07",
    "binding": false,
    "url": "https://illinoisfoia.org/opinions/letter-44652/"
   },
   "authorities": []
  },
  {
   "issue": "Gathering of City Council members without written minutes",
   "outcome": "violation_found",
   "rule": "All public bodies must keep written minutes of all their meetings, including gatherings that constitute meetings under OMA.",
   "decision": {
    "title": "A gathering of three aldermen about city business",
    "date": "2017-07-05",
    "binding": false,
    "url": "https://illinoisfoia.org/opinions/letter-41800/"
   },
   "authorities": []
  },
  {
   "issue": "Failure to keep minutes or recording of private gathering",
   "outcome": "violation_found",
   "rule": "Public bodies must keep written minutes of all meetings, whether open or closed, and a verbatim record of closed meetings.",
   "decision": {
    "title": "A committee's private discussion of a redistricting map",
    "date": "2011-08-12",
    "binding": false,
    "url": "https://illinoisfoia.org/opinions/letter-14722/"
   },
   "authorities": []
  }
 ]
}