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Janie Alexander
Customer Success Team Lead

How to use a meeting agenda template for more effective council meetings

October 2, 2025
0 min read
Council meeting with image focus on the microphone and blurred people in the background.

Newly appointed clerk Millie Gray wanted to improve city council meetings. The former mayor, she heard, was reluctant to stop council member discussions and digressions into off-topic conversations. The meetings were unstructured, with members unsure about when to call for a vote or to table an issue. As a result, meetings tended to go late into the evening, with not much being accomplished.

Gray decided to use a basic but essential tool to bring order to the meeting: the agenda. A strong agenda, which council members could access and comment on well before the meeting, would help this council make their meetings more efficient.

What is a council meeting agenda?

A meeting agenda is like a script. It outlines what items will be discussed, considered or decided on during the meeting. It lays out the order of who will speak and when. It serves as both a guide for council members and a notice to the public about what will be covered. An agenda keeps the meeting on track, ensuring that all necessary business is covered.

Municipal councils should follow their municipality’s regulations and traditions for their agenda, which is usually developed by an ordinance, resolution, city council rule or by informal customs and practices.

In most cases, the mayor, city clerk or city administrator takes the lead in preparing the agenda, with suggestions and feedback from council members and city or municipal staff.

What makes an effective council meeting agenda?

An effective agenda is clear, structured, transparent and focused, helping the council use time wisely and keeping the public informed.

Here are the elements of an effective agenda. Firstly, the agenda should have a clear purpose and structure, organized in a logical flow from the welcome message to adjournment. Each item states whether it is for discussion, information, or decision. It should follow a standard format at every meeting so council members and the public know what to expect.

The agenda has time management built into its structure. Time-sensitive or major matters are listed first, with routine or minor items grouped together and addressed later. Approximate time is allocated for major items to prevent overruns.

The agenda should be posted in advance, as required by law, so citizens know what will be discussed, and include a public comment period. The agenda should be ADA compliant, and easily accessible and searchable.

Best practices for council agenda management

An effective agenda helps the mayor or council president to preside over well-run meetings. Well-run meetings rely on respecting rules, assigning responsibilities clearly and consistently adhering to council policies. Here are some best practices for agenda management:

1. Follow open meeting/sunshine laws

Post agendas publicly within the legally required timeframe. Ensure items are specific enough so the public understands what will be discussed or decided.

2. Follow parliamentary procedure

Use a consistent order of business (call to order → minutes → reports → business → adjournment). Ensure that motions, amendments and votes follow parliamentary procedures.

3. Delegate roles clearly

  • Clerk/secretary: Prepares and publishes the agenda, attaches supporting documents, ensures compliance with deadlines.
  • Chair/mayor/presiding officer: Approves the final agenda, keeps the meeting on track, and enforces rules of order.
  • Council members: Submit agenda items in advance, review materials before meetings, and stay focused on listed topics.
  • Staff: Provide background reports, recommendations, and materials to support agenda items.
  • Public participants: Given structured opportunities to comment, following established rules.

Meeting minutes made easy

Clerks can simplify and strengthen their meeting minutes process with this practical checklist, designed to ensure accuracy, efficiency and regulatory compliance at every step.

I'd love that checklist

4. Follow council policies

  • Check alignment with strategic plans or policies. Agenda items should relate to council goals, not ad hoc or off-topic issues.
  • Review and update policies regularly, such as how public comment time is managed and setting deadlines for submitting items.

5. Standardize the agenda format

Every meeting agenda should follow the same structure for consistency and to avoid confusion. Diligent Community has agenda templates that you can use:

council meeting agenda templates on Diligent Community

6. Take thorough minutes

Meeting minutes document how the agenda was followed and what actions were taken. When questions arise in future meetings, council members and leaders and the public can refer to previous minutes.

Example of a council meeting agenda template

Many cities and towns follow their own policies that outline how agendas should be structured, while others take a more flexible approach. Formats can vary significantly depending on the size, style and governance of the municipal council — so reviewing a few examples can help you identify what works best for your needs.

This example was taken from an actual city meeting agenda:

Anytown Regular Meeting Agenda

Notes for the agenda (including ADA, Addressing the Council, Public comment etc.)

Call to Order

Invocation

Pledge of Allegiance

Roll Call and Declaration of Conflicts of Interest

Presentations

Order of Business

Consent Agenda

Regular Agenda

Public Participation

Staff items

Council items

Adjournment

Using technology for efficient council meeting agendas

Using technology to create, send and store your meeting agendas makes this essential task easier, more efficient and effective, as well as allowing you to be transparent to your constituents.

Diligent Community is designed to streamline the entire meeting process for clerks including agenda creation and management. It can transform how councils prepare for and conduct meetings. It reduces paperwork, simplifies and automates key processes, ensuring both staff and the public stay informed and engaged.

The software offers an intuitive agenda builder that enables clerks and administrators to construct, revise, and publish comprehensive meeting agendas entirely online. Users can create, edit and attach supporting documents, use customizable templates and enjoy features like auto-save and one-click print. This centralizes all pre-meeting tasks and eliminates the complexity of handling scattered files or paper packets.

It supports seamless, customizable workflows for agenda item submission and approval. This ensures meeting agendas are accurate, timely and reflect collaborative input.

Council members can securely add private notes or public comments to agenda items and documents from any device. This promotes thorough preparation, enables instant sharing of context and ensures everyone is aligned before the meeting starts.

From agenda to minutes, Diligent Community automates routine but vital meeting activities such as agenda creation, voting, approvals and minute-taking. AI-supported minutes also help capture actions and motions accurately from livestream transcripts, even during fast-paced discussions.

Clerks who use Diligent Community can save up to half their previous time spent on meeting preparation, thanks to centralized information, automation and accessible digital tools.

“The [meeting preparation] process now runs much smoother and organizing a meeting is a pleasure now,” says Ian Dudla, chief administration officer of the Municipality of Resolute Bay.

Request a demo today to see how we can help support your local government governance and make your council meetings run even more smoothly.

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