Real change happens through a blend of bold vision and thoughtful execution. That’s how we’ll put Mount Pleasant on the right path—not just for today, but for 5, 10, even 20 years down the road.

As a Town Council member, I’ve always believed that innovation should drive how we serve our community. That’s why I introduced the idea of using AI to transform how we capture and share Council meeting minutes. It wasn’t about technology for its own sake—it was about making government more efficient, transparent, and accessible.

From Idea to Impact

Late last year, I presented three AI-powered solutions for streamlining our minutes process—tools designed to make life easier for our staff and improve access for residents. One of those tools was ClerkMinutes.

Our Clerk of Council took that idea, ran with it, and made it reality. And the results have been outstanding.

“It is saving me an incredible amount of time, and is incorporating a lot more information than would normally be put in the minutes, which I think is more beneficial for anyone reading them, or trying to research information… It’s a huge time-saver with just the public comment alone as it summarizes very succinctly what the residents are saying.”

Why It Matters

This isn’t just a time-saver—it’s a game-changer. Here’s what ClerkMinutes is already delivering:

✅ Efficiency: Staff can now spend more time serving the public instead of transcribing.
✅ Transparency: Public comments and Council discussions are captured with depth and clarity.
✅ Accessibility: Residents can quickly find and understand the outcomes of meetings.
✅ Smart Spending: At just $12,000 per year, it’s a cost-effective innovation with high return.

Leading on Transparency—Streaming Committees

Another major step forward is live-streaming our committee meetings. This idea was born in the Education Committee, where Daniel and I brought it forward and pushed to move it to full Council. While not every Council member supported the change, we ultimately prevailed—and now committee meetings are available to the public in real time, just like Council sessions.

This is transparency in action. And we’re not stopping there.

Next up: the commissions. These are critical decision-making bodies that deserve the same visibility and accountability. If it matters to residents, it should be easy to see and understand.

Vision Means Execution

I’m proud to have championed both of these efforts. But credit also belongs to our staff and partners who embraced the ideas and brought them to life. A good idea is only as strong as its execution—and Mount Pleasant is proving what’s possible when we combine vision with action.

What’s Next

We’re expanding the use of ClerkMinutes to more boards and commissions and pushing for full transparency across all Town business. This is part of a larger mission: to make Mount Pleasant a model of modern, responsive local government.

The future we want starts with the decisions we make today. Let’s keep pushing forward—with thoughtful innovation, strategic thinking, and a commitment to serve.

As always, I welcome your feedback and ideas—because progress starts with conversation.

Let’s keep building smarter.