diff --git a/_scripts/format_minutes.sh b/_scripts/format_minutes.sh
index f3b4c79..6018204 100755
--- a/_scripts/format_minutes.sh
+++ b/_scripts/format_minutes.sh
@@ -2,14 +2,17 @@
 
 root="$PWD"
 
+folder_html="Minutes_html"
+folder_pdf="Minutes_pdf"
+
 # make teh html files first
 function build_html() {
 	# wipe and reset teh old html folder
-	rm -rf Minutes_html
-	mkdir Minutes_html
+  rm -rf "$folder_html"
+  mkdir "$folder_html"
 
 	# this folder has css and images needed
-	cp -R Minutes/_Templates Minutes_html/
+	cp -R Minutes/_Templates "$folder_html/"
 
 	cd Minutes
 
@@ -37,14 +40,14 @@ function build_html() {
 		rm -f .md.toml
 
 		# create teh new folders where stuff is going to
-		mkdir -p "../../Minutes_html/$year/Committee"
-		mkdir -p "../../Minutes_html/$year/Council"
+		mkdir -p "../../$folder_html/$year/Committee"
+		mkdir -p "../../$folder_html/$year/Council"
 
 		# iterate the files
 		for file in {Committee,Council}_html/*.html; do
 			if [ -f "$file" ]; then
 				stripped=''${file/_html/""}
-				cp $file "../../Minutes_html/$year/$stripped"
+				cp $file "../../$folder_html/$year/$stripped"
 			fi
 		done
 		# the temp folders where teh html was created, leaving these could cause ghost artifacts
@@ -63,22 +66,17 @@ function build_pdf() {
 	shopt -s globstar
 
 	# wipe and reset past runs
-	rm -rf Minutes_pdf
-	mkdir Minutes_pdf
+  rm -rf "$folder_pdf"
+  mkdir "$folder_pdf"
 
-	cd Minutes_html
+	cd "$folder_html"
 
 	for file in **/*.html; do
-		# skip teh template folder
-		if [[ $file == *"_Templates"* ]]; then
-			continue
-		fi
-
 		# only deal with files
 		if [ -f "$file" ]; then
 
 			# .html => .pdf
-			output="../Minutes_pdf/${file/.html/".pdf"}"
+			output="../$folder_pdf/${file/.html/".pdf"}"
 
 			echo $output