Most meetings don't run straight through. There is a recess, a break before a long item, or a move into closed session. This article explains how pausing live captions works in SentraCaptions and how to build it into your meeting routine.
Why pausing matters
When the body steps away from the open meeting, the microphones in the chamber don't always go quiet. People keep talking at the dais, staff chat near the podium, and a hot mic can pick up conversations that were never meant to be part of the meeting.
If captioning keeps running, those side conversations can end up on the chamber screen, on residents' phones and in the transcript. Pausing is the simple way to keep the captioned record limited to the open meeting.
There is also a practical cost reason. Paused time isn't used, so a long closed session doesn't eat into the minutes you bought.
What happens while captions are paused
When you pause a meeting in SentraCaptions:
- Nothing is captioned. Audio that comes in while paused is not turned into captions.
- Nothing is translated. None of the meeting's translation languages receive new text.
- Nothing is stored. Paused time does not appear in the transcript files.
- Nothing is billed. Paused time is not counted against your minutes.
- The screens show "Paused." The chamber screen and the phone page both tell viewers that captions are paused, so residents know the system is working and the meeting is simply on hold.
When you resume, captions pick up again about one second after speech, in every language chosen for that meeting. Your encoder keeps streaming the whole time, so there is nothing to restart on the video side.
Routines for recess and closed session
Recess
A recess is usually short and announced from the dais. A routine that works for many clerks:
- Wait for the chair to announce the recess and the time the body will return.
- Press pause once the announcement is complete, so the announcement itself is in the captions and transcript.
- Glance at the chamber screen to confirm it shows "Paused."
- When the chair calls the meeting back to order, press resume before or right as the gavel comes down.
- Check that the first sentence after the return appears on the chamber screen.
If your agency adopts a policy for technology disruptions to remote participation under SB 707, a recess for a disruption is another moment to pause. The policy itself is a matter for your body and your city attorney or county counsel; pausing captions is just the operational step that goes with it.
Closed session
Closed session takes a little more care because there are usually announcements on both sides of it.
- Before going in. Leave captions running while the chair or attorney announces the items to be discussed in closed session. That announcement is part of the open meeting.
- When the body leaves the open meeting. Pause. If the body stays in the chamber and the room is cleared, pausing is especially important, because the chamber microphones may still be live.
- Coming back. Resume when the open meeting reconvenes, so any report out of closed session is captioned and included in the transcript.
Exactly what must be announced, and when, is a legal question. Check with your city attorney or county counsel about your closed session procedure. Captions should follow the procedure you already have; they don't change it.
Pausing captions does not mute your microphones or your stream. If you also need to cut chamber audio to the broadcast or the room, keep doing that through your usual audio and streaming setup.
Who should press the button
Decide ahead of time who owns pause and resume. In many agencies it is the clerk or deputy clerk at the desk, since they are already tracking the agenda. In others, the AV or IT person running the stream handles it. Either works, as long as one person is clearly responsible and a second person knows how to do it.
A few habits help:
- Note recess and closed session items on your copy of the agenda as pause points.
- Keep the caption controls open on the same screen you use to follow the meeting.
- If you run several rooms at once, confirm you are pausing the right meeting. Each meeting has its own screen and link.
- After the meeting, skim the transcript around each pause to confirm it starts and stops where you expected.
When CivicCA runs the meeting
If your agency uses CivicCA for agendas and meetings, the pause can follow the meeting itself. CivicCA starts captioning when the meeting starts and pauses it for recess and closed session, so the clerk managing the meeting in CivicCA doesn't need a separate step in another window. Captions show on the CivicCA dais display, the public portal and residents' phones.
It is still worth having someone glance at the chamber screen at each transition to confirm it shows "Paused" when expected.
Common questions
What if we forget to pause?
Captions will continue, and the side conversation may appear on screens and in the transcript. Pause as soon as you notice, and review the transcript before sharing it. Keep in mind that transcripts are not your official minutes; they are a tool to help staff prepare minutes.
What if we forget to resume?
The screens keep showing "Paused," which is often how someone in the room notices. Resume as soon as you can. Speech during that gap won't be captioned or stored.
Is there a limit on how many times we can pause?
Pause and resume as often as the meeting needs. Many meetings have several recesses.
Learn more
- See all features, including pause and resume, on the features page.
- Read how live captions work with CivicCA agendas and meetings.
- See how paused time affects cost on the pricing page.
- Read about using meeting transcripts for minutes and the record.
- Questions about your setup? Contact us.