When the meeting ends, SentraCaptions leaves you with a transcript in every language you used. Here is how clerks can put those files to work, and where their limits are.
What you get after each meeting
After the meeting, transcripts are available in every language as two kinds of files:
- TXT: plain text you can open in any word processor, search and copy from.
- SRT: a standard subtitle file with timing, which video players and platforms can use as captions for a recording.
If you translated the meeting into Spanish, Vietnamese and Tagalog, for example, you get the English transcript plus one for each of those languages. Time when captions were paused for recess or closed session isn't captioned or stored, so it won't appear in the transcript.
Transcripts are not minutes
This is the most important point. A caption transcript is not your official minutes. It is produced automatically, every screen labels the captions as automatic, and it may contain errors. Minutes are the record your body approves, written in the style your agency uses.
What a transcript can do is help staff prepare minutes faster and with more confidence:
- Find the motion. Search for "move" or "second" to find who made a motion and when.
- Check the wording of direction to staff. When a member gives detailed direction, the transcript helps you capture it accurately.
- Confirm public speakers. Check the order of speakers and the items they spoke on.
- Fill gaps in your notes. If you missed something while handling a document or a vote, the transcript can point you to it.
Always check important details against the meeting recording and your own notes before finalizing minutes.
Captioning recordings and sharing translations
Posted recordings
Many agencies post meeting recordings on their website or YouTube channel. The SRT file can be attached to that recording so viewers can turn on captions.
The DOJ's ADA Title II web rule requires state and local government web content and mobile apps to meet WCAG 2.1 Level AA. WCAG 2.1 success criterion 1.2.2, Captions (Prerecorded), is a Level A criterion that covers captions for prerecorded video such as posted meeting recordings. The compliance dates are April 26, 2027 for public entities with a population of 50,000 or more and April 26, 2028 for smaller entities and special districts. The rule has exceptions, including for certain archived content, so check with your city attorney or county counsel about which recordings are covered.
Because the SRT comes from automatic captions, consider having staff review it before posting, especially for names and numbers. A good glossary of local names reduces how much you need to fix. See building a caption glossary.
Transcripts in other languages
Translated transcripts can help residents who couldn't watch live catch up on an item in their language. Some ways agencies might use them:
- Attach translated SRT files to the posted recording so viewers can choose a caption language, where the platform supports it.
- Share a translated TXT file with a resident who asks about a specific item.
- Give community partners a translated transcript to help with outreach to residents who don't traditionally participate.
Label translated transcripts clearly as automatic translations that may contain errors.
Records and retention
Once your agency downloads and keeps a transcript, questions come up: Is it a public record? How long should it be kept? Should it be posted? Those answers depend on your agency's policies and California law, and this article isn't legal advice. Talk to your city attorney or county counsel and your records manager before you decide how to file, retain or publish transcripts.
A few practical habits help whatever you decide:
- Use a consistent file name, such as body, date and language.
- Store transcripts with the meeting's other files so they are easy to find.
- Note in your procedures that transcripts are automatic and are not the official minutes.
Working with CivicCA and other platforms
If your agency uses CivicCA for agendas, meetings and minutes, transcripts and subtitle files can go with the meeting video. CivicCA also starts captioning when the meeting starts and pauses it for recess and closed session, so the transcript lines up with the parts of the meeting that were held in open session.
Getting transcripts from the API
If your agency or vendor runs its own meeting platform, the SentraCaptions API lets a platform create a meeting, stream to it, read captions as JSON or Server-Sent Events, and receive a webhook when the meeting ends. See the developer page for details.