Video & Transcript Research : 'Pollution Control Agency'
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US
US Federal 2025-2026 Regular Session
Hearings to examine the nomination of William Briggs, of Texas, to be Deputy Administrator, and Casey Mulligan, of Illinois, to be Chief Counsel for Advocacy, both of the Small Business Administration. Mar 12th, 2025 at 01:30 pm
Small Business and Entrepreneurship Committee
Transcript Highlights:
- Environmental Protection Agency under President George W. Bush. Additionally, Mr.
- I hope that agencies achieve their missions at less cost to small businesses.
- So you will not share that information with any other agency? Is that what you're saying?
- Those are things that the agency can and should do well and will be the focus of our work.
- That should not be the focus of the agency when it comes to disaster relief.
Keywords:
SBA, small business, nominations, Bill Briggs, Casey Mulligan, regulations, capital access, public support
Summary:
The Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship convened to consider the nominations of Bill Briggs for Deputy Administrator of the SBA and Dr. Casey Mulligan for Chief Counsel for Advocacy. The discussions highlighted the critical role of the SBA in promoting small businesses, with emphasis on overcoming challenges posed by excessive regulations and the need for improved access to capital. Several committee members expressed their concerns over recent layoffs within the SBA and the closure of district offices, which they believe undermine support for small businesses across the nation. The committee meeting saw extensive dialogue about the implications of regulations on small business operations and how the nominees plan to address these issues if confirmed. Public support for the nominees was acknowledged through letters from various stakeholders who advocate for small business interests.
TX
Transcript Highlights:
- The answer is going to come from the different perspectives of the agency.
- We do put, we have to put some faith in the agencies.
- Ultimately, demonstrating that you also have that, in addition to site control and land control, is going
- We do not, as an agency, dictate how they respond. We just make it.
- We do not, as an agency, dictate how they respond.
NH
New Hampshire 2025 Regular Session
House Executive Departments and Administration (01/22/2025)
Transcript Highlights:
- <04:41:58.360>
when charging us for our free pollution when charging us for our free pollution - New Hampshire should be anticipating a federal carbon price, a price on pollution.
- um there's good ways to do pollution um there's good ways to do this<04:45:26.120>
that <04:45 - <04:49:00.400>
that spend versus um the the US agencies that spend versus um the the US agencies - We improved the insulation, the ventilation, and temperature control system.
Summary:
The committee first took up House Bill 216, which Representative Carol Maguire described as a fix to a workers’ compensation/retirement “glitch.” The bill would remove the current limit that only one year of workers’ compensation time can be credited as retirement service time. Maguire argued the limit is arbitrary and affects only a very small number of grievously injured workers, while committee members asked about the fiscal impact, available data, and whether the change could affect workers’ compensation rates or incentives. Mark Kavar of the New Hampshire Retirement System said Labor could not provide data on how many people exceed a year on weekly indemnity benefits, so the fiscal note used a conservative estimate that could be scaled down; he also explained that workers’ comp is not earnable compensation, which is why service credit stops after a year, and noted that many long-term cases move into disability retirement or lump-sum settlements. The committee closed the hearing, entered executive session, and voted ought to pass on HB 216 by a 13-0 roll call, sending it to consent and noting it would also go to Finance.
The committee then acted on House Bill 85, adopting Amendment 0037 and then voting ought to pass as amended by another 13-0 roll call. The bill was described as allowing second-year respiratory therapy students to work under supervision using the skills they have already learned, with support from the Hospital Association and no opposition noted.
Finally, the committee took up House Bill 267, the animal chiropractors bill. Members said the bill had been approved previously but was vetoed because of a defect; the problem has now been corrected, and the bill is intended to reduce delays caused by requiring veterinary referrals before chiropractors can treat animals. The committee voted ought to pass 13-0 and placed the bill on consent.
US
US Federal 2025-2026 Regular Session
Joint hearings with the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs to examine the legislative presentation of The American Legion and multi VSOs: Minority Veterans of America, Jewish War Veterans of the U.S.A, National Association of County Veterans Servic Feb 26th, 2025 at 09:00 am
Senate Veterans' Affairs
Transcript Highlights:
- And you know where we need to push the agency to bring it out of the Stone Age and into the New Age.
- Across the government, 6,000 veterans have been fired from their jobs in government agencies.
- We believe that the VA should be an agency that is accountable to the veterans that it serves.
- But that being said, to say there's not waste, fard, and abuse in the agency...
- As such, we humbly implore this body to look at every means possible to... provide agency reform, and
Keywords:
veteran services, homelessness, unemployment, VA funding, mental health, congressional oversight, testimonies, American Legion, Dole Act, suicide prevention
Summary:
This meeting focused on veteran services, emphasizing the urgent need to address the alarming rate of unemployment and homelessness among veterans. Numerous testimonies were presented detailing the impact of mass furloughs and cutbacks at the VA on personnel, notably veterans who were serving as employees. Various representatives expressed deep concern over how these firings could drastically affect the quality of care available to those who have served the nation. There was a strong call for Congress to bolster funding for existing programs aimed at alleviating veteran homelessness and improving overall care quality, especially in mental health services.
FL
Florida 2026 4th Special Session
February 4, 2026 - 01:30 PM
Transcript Highlights:
- especially consideration be given to the potential dangers of allowing any technology to directly control
- Positive Train Control is a safety overlay that can help the engineer manage their train.
- This is the DOT package bill, or the agency bill. It's PCS HB 1233.
- enter into contracts and agreements for conducting those research studies, serving as the lead state. agency
- purchasing preference policies are targeted in the bill and policies that strive to reduce carbon pollution
MN
Transcript Highlights:
- <00:37:35.560>
whether investment for uh agencies whether investment for uh agencies whether - >
nonprofits <00:37:38.400>to they're public agencies or nonprofits to they're public agencies - <01:09:03.040>
do Senator the bond rating um agencies do Senator the bond rating um agencies - <01:09:40.640>
when might have on the rating agencies when might have on the rating agencies - And then that also allows agencies to plan much better.
Summary:
The Committee on Capital Investment held its first meeting of the 2025 session with members and staff introducing themselves and describing their priorities. Senators from both parties repeatedly emphasized the goal of passing a strong bipartisan bonding bill this year, with several members noting that local projects were delayed after no bonding bill passed the previous year. Chair Housley also said the committee would not meet later that week and previewed an upcoming presentation from MMB on federal funds.
The committee then heard a presentation from MMB’s Leah Corey and Anna Ming on Minnesota’s federal funding efforts. Corey explained that MMB’s federal funds team coordinates state efforts to maximize funding from IIJA, IRA, CHIPS, and related federal programs. She said Minnesota has secured about $12.3 billion in federal funding so far, including roughly $3 billion more since the last presentation, supporting about 1,800 projects statewide. Most of the funding is going to transportation, roads, and bridges, with other major areas including clean energy and weatherization. She also highlighted an interactive public dashboard showing projects by region and noted that much of the data reflects funds flowing through the state enterprise.
Corey also discussed state match programs that helped unlock federal dollars, including the IIJA discretionary match fund, the State Competitiveness Fund, and the Forward Fund. She said $180 million in state match has unlocked about $1 billion in federal investment through the IIJA discretionary match fund, nearly $17 million in state investment has unlocked nearly $90 million in federal funding through the State Competitiveness Fund, and $124 million for the Forward Fund has unlocked nearly $1 billion in federal and private investment. Members asked whether more state dollars could have brought in more federal funds; Corey said she was not sure, but noted the IIJA match fund is expected to run out in the coming months.
The presentation also focused on direct pay tax credits under the Inflation Reduction Act, which allow tax-exempt entities such as governments, nonprofits, school districts, and tribal nations to receive payments for eligible clean energy projects after they are completed. Corey said the state is building awareness and technical assistance around direct pay, including educational sessions and a tax expert resource. She also described Minnesota’s Green Bank, the Minnesota Climate Innovation Finance Authority, which is beginning to issue loans for projects such as community energy, nonprofit geothermal systems, and solar-plus-battery installations.
TX
Texas 89th Regular
Press Conference: Senator Nathan Johnson Jul 30th, 2025
Texas Senate Floor Meeting
Transcript Highlights:
- Safer because it is more enforceable, and we have a controlled system that is visible and reliable.
- It's about control, social and economic. Who really benefits from banning THC?
- criminalization around a plant that was medicine for millennia before it became a weapon of social control
Keywords:
hemp regulation, consumable products, cannabinoids, occupational licenses, criminal offenses, SB 11, Texas attorney general, election crimes, election law enforcement, criminal prosecution, Election Code, Government Code Chapter 402, local prosecutors, county attorney, district attorney, grand jury, probable cause reports, state election offenses, voter fraud, election integrity
TX
Transcript Highlights:
- Was at the legislature back then a conservative democratic control legislature, but democratic control
- control by Democrats, statewide officials are Democrats, they made a change in the law and they decided
- That's the idea, so that the agency... There's another set of eyes looking at it.
- The agencies don't show up. They don't show up in our time of need.
- Issues entirely. outside of the school district's control.
Keywords:
hemp regulation, consumable products, cannabinoids, occupational licenses, criminal offenses, SB 11, Texas attorney general, election crimes, election law enforcement, criminal prosecution, Election Code, Government Code Chapter 402, local prosecutors, county attorney, district attorney, grand jury, probable cause reports, state election offenses, voter fraud, election integrity
TX
Transcript Highlights:
- Hash oil is a controlled substance under federal law. Consumables.
- The quality control is a huge issue in that.
- substances are not hemp and in fact they're considered control substances?
- Because there's no real way to monitor our control. the outcome.
- Centers for Disease Control disease control and prevention in the monitoring of future surveys indicates
Keywords:
hemp regulation, consumable products, cannabinoids, occupational licenses, criminal offenses, SB 11, Texas attorney general, election crimes, election law enforcement, criminal prosecution, Election Code, Government Code Chapter 402, local prosecutors, county attorney, district attorney, grand jury, probable cause reports, state election offenses, voter fraud, election integrity
TX
Transcript Highlights:
- Basically, we're... ...trying to just get control of what is in an unincorporated area or on the right-of-way
- systems and include amenities often seen in conventional master-planned communities, including controlled
- It meets in another agency somewhere someday. Oh yeah. And that's right, so you never know.
Keywords:
Lake Houston, dredging, maintenance district, flood control, environment, public works, HB 2731, roadside vendors, solicitors, county regulation, border counties, Mexico border, Transportation Code, unincorporated areas, right-of-way, public highway, parking lot, livestock sales, live animals, vendor regulation
TX
Keywords:
Lake Houston, dredging, maintenance district, flood control, environment, public works, HB 2731, roadside vendors, solicitors, county regulation, border counties, Mexico border, Transportation Code, unincorporated areas, right-of-way, public highway, parking lot, livestock sales, live animals, vendor regulation
TX
Bills:
HB 148, HB 334, HB 554, HB 762, HB 1520, HB 1593, HB 3526, HB 3810, HB 5092, SB 2215, HB 2607
Keywords:
family leave, leave pool, county employee, sick leave, vacation leave, family care, pandemic, guardianship, HB 554, fireworks, Juneteenth, Juneteenth holiday, retail fireworks permit, Texas Occupations Code, Local Government Code, county commissioners court, drought conditions, Texas A&M Forest Service, fire safety, holiday sales
TX
Bills:
SB208, SB628, SB777, SB1042, SB2354, SB2477, SB2521, SB2523, SB2608, SB2703, SB2778, SB2835, SB2965, SB2367, SB3044
Keywords:
workforce housing, capital investment fund, affordable housing, housing development, Texas housing laws, loan programs, community development, Texas housing, zero-interest loans, low-income housing, nonprofit organizations, construction, economic stability, housing affordability, capital investment, Texas housing policy, county fire code, fire marshal, local government code, interlocal agreement
TX
Transcript Highlights:
- The organization must be under common control or affiliated with a non-profit organization that engages
Bills:
SB208, SB628, SB777, SB1042, SB2354, SB2477, SB2521, SB2523, SB2608, SB2703, SB2778, SB2835, SB2965, SB2367, SB3044
Keywords:
workforce housing, capital investment fund, affordable housing, housing development, Texas housing laws, loan programs, community development, Texas housing, zero-interest loans, low-income housing, nonprofit organizations, construction, economic stability, housing affordability, capital investment, Texas housing policy, county fire code, fire marshal, local government code, interlocal agreement
TX
Transcript Highlights:
- Currently, developers face challenges navigating the typical processes when working with two different agencies
- And now we have agencies together that say, look, we need to get a law change.
- This is a common-sense update that recognizes inflation, respects local control, and supports efficient
- The NFPA—that's the National Fire Protection Agency—has published data that shows four- to six-story
Bills:
SB208, SB628, SB777, SB1042, SB2354, SB2477, SB2521, SB2523, SB2608, SB2703, SB2778, SB2835, SB2965, SB2367, SB3044
Keywords:
workforce housing, capital investment fund, affordable housing, housing development, Texas housing laws, loan programs, community development, Texas housing, zero-interest loans, low-income housing, nonprofit organizations, construction, economic stability, housing affordability, capital investment, Texas housing policy, county fire code, fire marshal, local government code, interlocal agreement
Summary:
The Senate Committee on Local Government met with a quorum and limited public testimony to two minutes per person. The committee heard Senate Bill 628 by Senator Zaffirini, which would clarify that counties may enter interlocal agreements with emergency service districts to administer and enforce county fire codes, including for multi-county ESDs in the committee substitute. Witnesses from Travis County ESD-11, the Travis County Fire Marshal’s Office, and a member of the public supported the bill as a way to reduce duplication, costs, and jurisdictional confusion. Public testimony was closed and the committee substitute was left pending.
The committee then heard several housing-related bills. Senate Bill 208 by Senator West would create a Workforce Housing Capital Investment Fund to provide zero-interest loans to nonprofit builders for workforce housing; Habitat for Humanity representatives, a Brownsville nonprofit developer, and housing advocates supported it as a way to finance infrastructure and land development for affordable homes. Senate Bill 2835 by Senator Johnson would allow cities to opt into single-stair apartment buildings for small-scale, multi-story housing; supporters said the design is safe and could expand housing supply, while the Texas APA expressed qualified opposition over code-process concerns and fire-safety questions. Both bills were left pending after testimony.
Additional bills heard included SB 1042 updating the Kimble County Hospital District’s enabling law; SB 1708, a committee substitute protecting familial property divisions from platting requirements; SB 2778 raising the ESD expenditure threshold requiring board approval from $2,000 to up to $50,000; SB 2608 expanding LIHTC eligibility for certain public housing projects; SB 3044 adding board representation for Marfa and Presidio on the Presidio County Underground Water Conservation District and adjusting an exemption; SB 2367 extending park board authority to Waller County; SB 2523 clarifying ETJ reduction procedures and owner opt-out rights; SB 2521 requiring death-certificate reporting to appraisal districts to help address squatting and homestead exemption issues; and SB 2477 easing office-to-residential conversions in larger cities. In each case, the bills were laid out, testimony was taken, and the measures were left pending subject to call of the chair. The committee then recessed until 15 to 30 minutes after adjournment.
TX
Transcript Highlights:
- Additionally, the organization must be under common control or affiliated with a nonprofit organization
- Additionally, the organization must be under common control or affiliated with a nonprofit organization
- This bill takes every oversight off of the governmental entities' control.
- This bill takes every oversight off of the governmental entities' control.
- entities That the intent of this bill would force two local agencies, entities, political subdivisions
Bills:
SB208, SB628, SB777, SB1042, SB2354, SB2477, SB2521, SB2523, SB2608, SB2703, SB2778, SB2835, SB2965, SB2367, SB3044
Keywords:
workforce housing, capital investment fund, affordable housing, housing development, Texas housing laws, loan programs, community development, Texas housing, zero-interest loans, low-income housing, nonprofit organizations, construction, economic stability, housing affordability, capital investment, Texas housing policy, county fire code, fire marshal, local government code, interlocal agreement
Summary:
The Senate Committee on Local Government considered and voted on several bills, adopting committee substitutes on Senate Bills 1237, 1708, 1844, 1454, 2520, and 2541. In each case, the committee substitute was explained as narrowing or clarifying the filed bill, and the committee voted to report the substitute version to the full Senate, usually with a recommendation that the filed bill not pass. The committee also recommended each of those measures for the local and uncontested calendar. SB 1237 concerned property tax exemption eligibility for charitable organizations; SB 1844 addressed annexation and disannexation limits tied to city services; SB 1454 clarified housing authority tax exemptions and agreements with districts; SB 2520 dealt with a school district tax ceiling comparison; and SB 2541 reduced the unused increment period from three years to two years.
The committee then heard extensive testimony on SB 2354, which would allow developers to hire qualified third-party professionals for plat review, permit review, and inspections if local governments are delayed. Supporters included affordable housing providers, builders, Pew Charitable Trusts, housing advocates, and legal groups, who said the bill would reduce permitting delays, lower costs, and help housing production. A Corpus Christi representative testified as neutral, asking for amendments to preserve city final inspection authority, document sharing, and floodplain enforcement. Urban counties opposed the bill as written, arguing it removed too much local oversight, though they acknowledged work on a committee substitute. SB 2354 was left pending.
The committee also heard SB 2703, which would clarify that condominiums are not subdivisions for local platting purposes. Builders and a land use attorney supported the bill, saying it would reduce confusion and duplicative regulation; the bill was left pending. SB 777, dealing with firefighter collective bargaining and impasse procedures, drew support from Austin and Texarkana firefighter representatives and the City of Austin, who said the committee substitute reflected stakeholder agreement and preserved voter-approved local procedures; it was left pending. SB 2965, concerning annexation and emergency service district response obligations, drew support from ESD and fire association witnesses who said it would prevent service gaps after annexation, and opposition from local officials who argued it gave unelected ESD boards too much power and lacked neutral review; it was also left pending. The committee then recessed subject to call of the chair.
TX
Transcript Highlights:
- Currently, developers face challenges navigating the typical processes when working with two different agencies
- And now we have agencies together that say, look, we need to get a law change.
- This is a common-sense update that recognizes inflation, respects local control, and supports efficient
- This is a common-sense update that recognizes inflation, respects local control, and supports efficient
- The NFPA That's the National Fire Protection Agency, has published data that shows four- to six-story
Bills:
SB208, SB628, SB777, SB1042, SB2354, SB2477, SB2521, SB2523, SB2608, SB2703, SB2778, SB2835, SB2965, SB2367, SB3044
Keywords:
workforce housing, capital investment fund, affordable housing, housing development, Texas housing laws, loan programs, community development, Texas housing, zero-interest loans, low-income housing, nonprofit organizations, construction, economic stability, housing affordability, capital investment, Texas housing policy, county fire code, fire marshal, local government code, interlocal agreement
Summary:
The Senate Committee on Local Government met with a quorum at the start, adopted a two-minute limit for public testimony, and heard a series of housing, local government, fire code, and district-governance bills. Several measures were laid out with committee substitutes, including SB 628 on county fire code administration through interlocal agreements with emergency service districts; SB 208 creating a Workforce Housing Capital Investment Fund for zero-interest loans to nonprofit builders; SB 2835 allowing cities to opt into single-stair apartment buildings; and SB 2477 easing office-to-residential conversions in certain cities. Other bills addressed ESD spending thresholds (SB 2778), hospital district updates (SB 1042), subdivision/platting issues (SB 1708), public housing tax credit eligibility (SB 2608), groundwater district representation for Marfa and Presidio (SB 3044), park board authority in Waller County (SB 2367), ETJ removal procedures (SB 2523), and reporting death certificates to appraisal districts to help address squatting and homestead issues (SB 2521).
Testimony was largely supportive on the housing bills. Supporters of SB 208, including Habitat for Humanity affiliates, a Brownsville nonprofit developer, Texans for Housing, and an educator, said the revolving fund would help nonprofit builders finance land, infrastructure, and development costs for affordable homes, especially for families earning 30% to 80% of area median income. SB 2835 drew support from architects, planners, and housing advocates who argued that single-stair buildings can be safe, more efficient, and better suited to missing-middle housing, though the Texas APA registered qualified opposition, saying the proposal bypasses the usual code-development process and may not be sufficiently studied. SB 2477 also received broad support from housing groups and policy organizations, who said office conversions could help address vacancy and housing shortages, though Corpus Christi raised a concern about fee recovery and local cost reimbursement.
The committee also heard support for SB 628 from a county fire marshal and an ESD representative, who said the bill would reduce duplicate fire-code enforcement and costs. SB 2778 was backed by a Bexar County ESD fire chief, who said the current $2,000 expenditure approval threshold is outdated and slows emergency purchases and repairs. SB 2608 was supported by the El Paso housing authority, which said adding certain Section 8 projects to the at-risk LIHTC set-aside would help renovate aging subsidized housing. SB 3044 was presented as a way to give Marfa and Presidio representation on the groundwater district board while preserving permitting authority. Each bill heard public testimony was left pending subject to the call of the chair, and the committee recessed to reconvene after the Senate adjourns.
MN
Transcript Highlights:
- Each community has so many homes for people, but they also have businesses and other agency buildings
- our water, sewer, and stormwater infrastructure while continuing to seek other state and federal agency
- 01:13:02.440>
state <01:13:02.719>and <01:13:02.880>federal <01:13:03.239>agency - <01:13:03.639>
funding other state and federal agency funding other state and federal agency - to the adjacent contamination pollution to the adjacent Bluebird<01:17:06.280>
Creek <01:17:07.280
Bills:
HF458, HF459, HF461, HF449, HF450, HF965, HF1280, HF612, HF615, HF616, HF622, HF650, HF651, HF1045, HF972, HF851, HF644, HF1050
Keywords:
HF458, Henderson, water treatment facility, drinking water, municipal water, public infrastructure, capital investment, state bonds, bonding bill, Public Facilities Authority, water distribution system, well connection, local government grant, Minnesota capital budget, HF459, Carver levee, City of Carver, levee restoration, flood control, flood mitigation
TX
Transcript Highlights:
- While this doesn't sound like a big deal, it's designed to protect these communities from noise pollution
- prostitution and human trafficking, elevated crime rates at truck stops as a whole, noise and light pollution
- They've asked us to come down for a hearing about polluting the water. Sounds good.
- I talked to the man who lived next door, and I said, Who's your water polluted?
- that man up as their, their witness for, for the hearing, and they, somebody at the, at the, at the agency
Bills:
HB 2065, HB 2462, HB 2621, HB 3187, HB 3539, HB 3563, HB 3726, HB 4164, HB 4207, HB 4368, HB 4706, HB 4916, HB 4950, HB 4967, HB 5177, HB 4429, HB 5597
Keywords:
commercial vehicles, parking regulations, residential areas, local governance, land use, traffic safety, high occupancy vehicle lane, pregnant operators, transportation, parental rights, motor vehicle regulations, live video feed, state agency, transparency, public safety, regional transportation, mobility program, sales tax, public infrastructure, local government
KY
Kentucky 2025 Regular Session
Disaster Prevention and Resiliency Task Force (9-10-25)
Transcript Highlights:
- full control over who sees their data. full control over who sees their data. Okay?
- full control over who sees their data. full control over who sees their data. um<00:46:15.839>
- has complete control actually controls has complete control at<01:13:30.400>
all <01:13:30.560- paid through inter agency agreements. paid through inter agency agreements.
- many partner agencies. many partner agencies.
- has complete control actually controls has complete control at<01:13:30.400>
Summary:
The task force met with a quorum, approved the August meeting minutes, and heard a presentation from Dr. Jerry Brosky of the Kentucky Mesonet and Kentucky Climate Center. He described the Mesonet’s statewide weather network, now with 84 stations in 78 counties, real-time data used by the National Weather Service, mobile apps, and more than a billion observations. He said recent legislative funding has allowed upgrades such as soil temperature and moisture sensors, cameras at every site, and improved communications and power systems, and has enabled expansion into new counties. He also highlighted products used for flooding, drought, and heat safety, including a wet bulb globe temperature tool being developed with the Department of Public Health. In response to questions, he said counties interested in a station should contact his center, that a station typically costs about $50,000, and that the program is already considering a second Pike County site.
The committee then heard from Ryan Drain of Blue Skies and Chris McGee of the American Red Cross on long-term disaster recovery and a software platform called Darcy, short for Disaster Aware and Ready Communities Initiative. McGee explained the Red Cross’s long-term recovery work, including support for recovery groups, direct financial assistance, grantmaking, and coordination with local and federal partners. He emphasized that disasters are occurring more frequently and with repeated impacts, and shared examples from Kentucky and other states showing the need for organized recovery and storm shelter support. Drain said Darcy was developed after the 2021 Mayfield-Graves tornado recovery to replace fragmented spreadsheets and PDFs with a centralized, survivor-led system for preparedness, response, and recovery, designed to improve coordination, reduce duplication, and shorten recovery time. No votes or formal actions were taken beyond adoption of the minutes.