Are minutes taken during executive sessions required to be documented?

In executive sessions, the standard practice is that minutes should not be taken. This is primarily because executive sessions are designed to discuss sensitive matters that require confidentiality, and documenting detailed minutes could compromise that confidentiality.

The purpose of these sessions often deals with issues such as personnel matters, legal issues, or other sensitive information requiring discretion. Since the intent is to protect privacy and maintain confidentiality, not documenting any minutes helps ensure that conversations and decisions made during these sessions don’t become public record.

This approach allows board members and other participants to speak freely about sensitive topics without fear that their discussions will be misinterpreted or disclosed later, which aligns with the need for secure and trustful conversations in governance and management contexts.