Legistar Administration Guide

Transcription

1 Legistar Administration Guide Legistar Administration Use Legistar Administration to configure the settings in your Legistar database. We've organized the Administration topics as follows: Legistar Administration Overview This section provides an overview of Legistar Administration, and describes how to launch Legistar, open and navigate Administration. It also describes common functionality on Administration screens, and how to configure site information. Government Bodies This section describes how to manage the legislative groups that make up your organization (e.g., councils, departments, boards, commissions). People This section describes how to manage the list of all Legistar Users, Office Holders, Department Staff, or any individual who is or can be on a list used in Legistar. Legislative Files This section describes how to create and maintain file types, which are used for searching, grouping, and reporting. Workflow Controls This section describes how to define an agenda by specifying agenda settings and advanced settings, and set up workflow actions. Votes and Attendance Settings This section describes how to control the way attendance and votes are displayed and printed on various reports in Legistar. This section also enables you to control the formatting of meeting member names in reports. Approval Tracking This section describes how to set up approval sequences and add approval members to a sequence, and set up templates and add variables to templates. 1

2 System Security This section describes how to create user groups, and assign access rights and body security permissions to those user groups. System Settings This section describes how to specify system settings, which affect the way the Legistar program works in many ways. Label Settings This section describes how to change field labels in the Legistar program as well as impose access controls on the data fields. Report Design This section describes how to set up the reports used in the Legistar system. You can modify the report options, set default options, and descriptions, and rename your reports on demand without having to customize each one. Security Log This section describes the Security Log, which is strictly a tool used for support issues. Download a PDF of the Legistar Administration Guide 2

3 Legistar Administration Overview For Legistar to manage your organization s legislative process, you must configure the database to tell the system what to do. This is done in an area of Legistar referred to as Administration. Administration is a separate interface from the main Legistar window. Administration enables you to enter, view, and modify the background data needed to manage legislative workflow in Legistar. System administrators can determine the order of agenda items, the actions that can be taken by various meeting bodies, vote types, etc. In addition, system administrators establish and maintain user security, permissions, and restrictions in Legistar Administration. Legistar Administration is set up for best practices, and users can configure it to meet their organization s needs. Legistar is a flexible and configurable application, and Administration is what makes this possible. Setting up Administration correctly allows you to streamline the entire legislative process, and maximize the functionality of Legistar. Launching Legistar Before you sign in to Legistar you must have a user account and password. If you do not have these credentials yet, please contact your System Administrator. If you do not have a Legistar icon on your desktop, go to Start > Programs > Legistar 5 to open the program. You can create a Legistar desktop shortcut by navigating to Start > Programs and dragging and dropping Legistar 5 onto your desktop. 1. Double-click the Legistar icon on your desktop. 2. Enter your User Name and Password in the Sign In window. Your password is case sensitive. Note: If you lose your user name and password, please contact your Legistar system administrator. 3. Select your live database from the drop-down menu. 4. Verify the Local radio button is selected unless instructed by your project team to use the Remote option. 5. Click Sign In. 3

4 Opening Administration 1. Select the Tools drop-down menu from the Home module. 2. Select Administration. 3. Confirm Administration loads. Note: When you sign in to Legistar and access administration for the first time, you see default data already in the system; this is the Legistar model database. This database is intended to make your setup easier and more efficient. The default data is standardized and represents typical legislative procedure. 4

5 Navigating Administration Legistar Administration Guide Legistar s Administration is organized in a tree hierarchy. Click the plus (+) sign to expand each level of the tree hierarchy, and click the minus (-) sign to close each level. To navigate to a different screen, click the name of the level in the hierarchy. Many of the top level items also contain settings; they are not just titles, in many cases. Common Screen Functionality in Administration Screens have a similar look and feel throughout Administration. After you select a section from the left menu, the screen associated with the section often contains tabs of additional details for the section. The screen is divided into two areas, the workspace at the top and the grid displaying all entries at the bottom. When you select a record from the bottom portion grid lines, details of the record appear in the workspace above for editing. Tip: All fields with an asterisk are required fields. Header Buttons A row of buttons runs across the top of the screen; these are referred to as header buttons. They function primarily the same way in terms of how you access, edit, and add data. The following figure illustrates these buttons: 5

6 Button Description New Enables you to create a new record. For example, if you click New in the People section, you are creating a new person record. Tools Gives you access to a variety of different options and functions depending on the screen. See The Tools Menu below for more information. Save Enables you to save any changes made since accessing the screen. Delete Removes the selected record. The system prompts you to confirm this action. Report Produces a report that summarizes the information on the screen. Search Enables you to search for a specific entry. Clear Clears display information. Help Contains information on specific fields as well as many of the process steps found in this manual. Each screen has a Help button that covers the relevant screen. The Tools Menu The Tools menu changes depending on the screen. However, some of the options are consistent throughout Administration. The following figure illustrates some of the selections that appear in this drop-down menu: 6

7 Selection Description Undo Reverts any changes that you made back to what they were before the last save. Refresh Re-sorts lists to include changes that were made since you began work on that screen. Criteria Enables you to select your view of records depending on their status. The default is Show Active Records Only (with a checkmark). To see all records, remove the checkmark by deselecting Show Active Records Only. Select Show Active Records Only again to display only active records again. Currently Logged On Enables you to view a list of users currently logged on to Administration. Regenerate Sort Order Enables you to regenerate the sort order of the records by sort order number. Regenerate Sort Order By Name Enables you to regenerate the sort order of the records by name. Sort Order The sort order controls the way items are displayed on the screen, listed in drop-down fields and displayed on reports. To change the sort order, use the arrows on the right side of the grid in which they are displayed. To move an item up, select it by clicking on it (it becomes highlighted), then click the Up arrow until the item is in the position you want. To move an item down, select it by clicking on it, then click the Down arrow until the item is in the position you want. Configuring Site Information Use the Site Information screen to change the name and address of your organization, and upload images of your logo to populate your cover page and report headers. 7

8 Changing Organization Name and Address Legistar Administration Guide 1. (Required) Enter a new name in the Government Name field. 2. Enter an address in the Address field. 3. Click Save. 4. From the left menu, click Site Information. Changing Organization Logos 1. Click Import next to Cover Page Logo. 2. Navigate to the logo you wish to upload. The file type should be jpg or bmp. Note: The Cover Page logo must not exceed 500 x 500 pixels. 3. Click Open. 4. Click Import next to Report Header Logo. 5. Navigate to the logo you wish to upload. The file type should be jpg or bmp. Note: The Report Header logo must not exceed 300 x 300 pixels. 6. Click Open. 7. Click Save. 8

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10 Government Bodies The Government Bodies section enables you to manage the legislative groups that make up your organization (e.g., councils, departments, boards, commissions). Government Bodies and Types In Legistar, you classify each government body by group for consistency in report formats, agenda headers and order, actions that can be taken on different types of files, and other details. In Legistar, each group is known as a body type. When you access the Government Bodies section, this section displays all the body types that exist in Legistar. Some body types have several bodies within their grouping. For example, you may group several committees into a Committee body type or several departments into a Department body type. However, there is usually only one Primary Legislative body for example, the City Council, and there is only one Top Elected Officer for example, the Mayor. It s important to understand the difference between body and body types because sometimes a system administrator may decide to name a body and body type with similar terms, which can be confusing. For example, if there are actions that should be limited to the clerk, the system administrator may create a body type called Clerk with only one Body, the Office of the Clerk. Another example is a Committee body type that includes bodies such as the Finance Committee, Planning and Zoning Committee, and Public Works and Services Committee. The body type classification works with other Administration sections to determine functions within Legistar. Each body type classification shares the following characteristics: Agenda Template (Agenda Definitions) Actions users can take in the minutes (Work Flow Actions) Vote and Attendance formatting of names (Vote and Attendance Settings) Other various controls over Legislative Files The following table lists examples of body types and bodies: Body Type Examples Body Examples Primary Legislative Body City Council Note: The Primary Legislative Body is typically the final acting body on legislation 10

11 Committee Finance Committee Planning and Zoning Committee Public Works and Services Committee Department City Manager s Office Clerk s Office Community Development Department Finance Department Legal Department Public Works Department Board or Commission Board of Directors Board of Supervisors Arts Commission Parks and Recreation Commission Working with Body Types and Bodies The left menu displays all of the active body types as subheadings under Bodies. If you add a new body type or delete a body type, right-click anywhere in the left menu and click Refresh to display the most current list of active body types. After you add body types, add the specific bodies for each type. For example, if there are five committees, use the Bodies Main tab to add each one. The table above includes Committee as an example of a body type, and lists 3 bodies that are examples of committees (e.g., Finance Committee). To view the names of committees and other specific data, select Committee from under Bodies in the left navigation menu. The Bodies Main tab displays the list of existing committees belonging to the Committee body type. Click New to add a new committee using the Bodies Main tab. Note: Your Legistar Project Manager and the City Project Team completes the initial Administration setup during your system installation. After setup, your Project Manager/System Administrator maintains the Administration tables. Working with Office Members In this section, you also add office members to Legistar. You can add a single office member, or multiple office members at the same time. Finally, you can change an office member's term of office. Government Body Reports In the reports section of Government Bodies, you can change Body Header text or the Report Header on a per-body basis. 11

12 Adding a New Body Type 1. From the left menu, click Government Bodies. The Main tab displays in the right pane of the Government Bodies section. The Main tab displays the list of existing government body types and includes the major details connected to these records in Legistar. 2. Click New. The default settings for a new record are displayed. 3. Complete the following fields and checkboxes (fields with asterisks are required): 12

13 Item Description *Body Type Name Enter the name of the body type, which is the group to which a selected body belongs. This name is for internal identification, and it displays and prints throughout the system. Ad Hoc Title Enter the title used for ad hoc meeting members. Examples: Member, Alternate Member, Ad-hoc Member. Mover/Seconder Select one of the following options for this body type: Mover and Seconder: The body type has a mover and a seconder at meetings. Mover Only: The body type has a mover at meetings but no seconder. No Mover and Seconder: The body type does not have a mover or a seconder at meetings. This is the default selection. Can Control File This checkbox is selected by default, and determines if Legistar lists a body with this type as a controlling body. It also determines if legislative files can be referred to the bodies. Show On Web This checkbox determines whether or not the InSite web portal displays this body type, and is selected by default. Clear the checkbox to hide the body type on the InSite web portal. The Show On Web checkbox is also available on the Main tab for each body. If you clear the Show On Web checkbox for the body type (e.g., department) but select it for a body with this body type (e.g., Legal Department), the InSite web portal displays the body (Legal Department). If you select the checkbox for the body type but clear it for a body with this body type, the InSite web portal does not display the body. 4. Click Save. This body type is now available in the system, and you can classify bodies with this type. 13

14 Adding a New Body Note: When you add a new body, it is important to grant security groups the right to view and edit files and meetings for the body. Otherwise, the groups won t see the body in the system. To do this, see Step 5 in this section. 1. From the left menu, click Government Bodies, then click Bodies. The Main tab displays in the right window pane of the Bodies section. The Main tab displays the list of existing government bodies, and includes the major details connected to these records in Legistar. 14

15 2. Click New. The default settings for a new body record are displayed. 15

16 3. Complete the following fields and checkboxes (fields with asterisks are required): Item Description *Body Name Enter the name of the body. This name will display and print throughout the system. *Body Type Select the body type (or classification) from the available types in the drop-down list. The body type is the group or type to which the selected body belongs. Body Location Enter the default room number for this body. When users create a new meeting for this body, Legistar automatically fills in the Location field with this room number; users can change the room number if necessary. Body Abbreviation Enter an abbreviation for the body. Body Description Enter a description of the body, which is primarily for internal use, but will also be displayed on the InSite web portal. Contact Select the name of the primary contact for the body from the available names in the drop-down list. If the name you want does not yet exist in the list: Click the plus sign to open the People Main screen, and add a new name or select an existing name. Click Save, then click Go Back. 16

17 Body Meets Select this checkbox if the government body holds regular meetings. Selecting the checkbox enables meeting agendas to be created for this body and enables the In Control field in the Files module to list and use the body. Active This checkbox is selected by default, and indicates whether or not this body is currently active or obsolete. Clear the checkbox if the body becomes obsolete; it is no longer an active controlling body, and won t appear as an option for new meetings or as an available option in the Sponsor, Requestor, or In Control fields in the Files module. However, an obsolete body remains in the database and appears in searches for historical actions, agendas, and minutes. Meeting Time Enter the typical time the meeting takes place. You can click the calendar icon and use the Time Controls to set the time. The format is HH:MM (AM or PM). The time appears in the Time field when users create a new agenda in the Agendas module, and they can change the time if necessary. Can Be Requestor This checkbox is selected by default, and determines whether or not this body is available in the drop-down list of the Requestor field on the Details tab in the Files module. The Requestor field stores the name of who originally requests the official title of the legislative file. Typically, departments and primary legislative bodies are the only government bodies that have the authority to draft legislative files. Therefore, clear this checkbox unless this is a department or a primary legislative body. This checkbox is selected by default, and applies if you have set up Legistar to automatically export agenda data to MediaManager. Auto Export You can disable Auto Export on a per-meeting body basis by unchecking the checkbox. When this checkbox is unchecked, this body will no longer auto-sync to MediaManager. Note: Granicus recommends using Manual Export instead of Auto Export, because it allows you to choose when to export your agendas to MediaManager instead of relying on a schedule. This checkbox does not apply when you use the manual export option, and it doesn't matter if it is checked or unchecked in this case. 17

18 Select this checkbox to display this body type on the InSite Web portal. The portal displays information about the body, its members, description, and calendar of meetings. Show On Web The Show On Web checkbox is also available on the Main tab for each body type. If you clear the Show On Web checkbox for the body type (e.g., department) but select it for a body with this body type (e.g., Legal Department), the InSite web portal displays the body (Legal Department). If you select the checkbox for the body type but clear it for a body with this body type, the InSite web portal does not display the body. *Number of Members Enter the number of members that should belong to this meeting body. The InSite web portal uses this information to show vacancies when there is a discrepancy between the number of current office holders for this body and the number in this field. If you don t know the number of members, enter 0. *Sort Order This field determines the order in which government bodies display in drop-down menus. If you want to place the bodies in a specific order in the drop-down menus, enter 1 for the body you want to place at the top and number all other bodies accordingly (2, 3, 4, etc.). Note: Enter 999 for all bodies to automatically list them alphabetically in drop-down menus. Sponsor Type Select Members Only, Body Only, Members and Body, or None as the sponsor type for the body. A sponsor is the individual or body that is responsible for the legislation. The sponsor type enables users to identify the body, and list a member of the body as a sponsor of a legislative file. Typically, government bodies don t have a sponsor. We recommend that you select None as the sponsor type for all body types except the Primary Legislative Body, which you should set to Members and Body. 4. Click Save. 5. Complete the following steps to set security rights to this body by security group: a. From the left menu, click System Security, then click Security Features. 18

19 b. Click the Body Security tab. You should see the new body you created in the list of bodies on this tab. c. Select a security group from the drop-down list available in the User Group field, e.g. Department Drafter. d. Select the All checkbox associated with the new body to grant the group the rights to view and edit meetings and files. You can select individual checkboxes to grant the group more specific rights, e.g., view meetings only, view files only, view and edit meetings only, etc. e. Click Save. f. Repeat steps c-e until you have finished setting group security rights to this body. Note: See System Security for more information about security groups. Legistar Administration Guide 19

20 Deleting Government Bodies and Body Types Warning! If you delete a government body or body type, it will no longer be available in your system and you will not be able to retrieve it. You cannot delete a body if it is being used in the system; instead, you can clear the body s Active checkbox. The body won t appear as an option for new meetings or as an available option in the Sponsor, Requestor, or In Control fields in the Files module. However, an obsolete body remains in the database and appears in searches for historical actions, agendas, and minutes. To Delete a Government Body: 1. From the left menu, click Government Bodies, then click Bodies. The Main tab displays in the right window pane of the Bodies section. 2. Select the government body you want to delete. The body is highlighted in the list of bodies. 3. Click Delete. The system prompts Are you sure you want to delete [Name of Body]? 4. Click Yes. The system deletes the body. To Delete a Government Body Type: 1. From the left menu, click Government Bodies. The Main tab displays in the right window pane. 2. Select the government body type you want to delete. The body type is highlighted in the list of body types. 3. Click Delete. The system prompts Are you sure you want to delete [Name of Body Type]? 4. Click Yes. The system deletes the body type. 20

21 Adding a New Office Member Note: The Show Members Only for Selected Date checkbox is selected by default; when it is selected, it displays all the members for a specific date. The default is today's date. 1. From the left menu, click Government Bodies, then click Bodies. The Main tab displays in the right window pane of the Bodies section. 2. Select the government body to which you want to add an office member. The body is highlighted in the list of bodies. 3. Click the Office Members tab. The tab displays fields and checkboxes that enable you to enter information for a new office member. The body you selected in step 2 automatically displays in the Body field. 21

22 4. Click New to create a new record for the office member. 5. Complete the following fields and checkboxes (required fields are marked with an asterisk): Item Description *Member Select the name of the office member from the drop-down list available. This list is populated through your entries in the People section. If the member does not yet exist in the list, click the plus sign to open the People Main tab and add him or her (or to make changes to the record of the selected name), then click Go Back. The InSite web portal displays the member s name if you select the Show on Web checkbox located on this screen. *Body The government body to which you are adding this office member is selected by default. 22

23 Office Title From the drop-down list available, select the title that the office member will use as a member of this body for this term. If the title does not yet exist in the list, click the plus sign to open the Titles screen and add a new title or edit an existing title, then click Go Back. The InSite web portal displays the member s office title if you select the Show on Web checkbox located on this screen. Appointed By Select the name of the official who appointed the selected member to this office from the drop-down list available. This is not a required field and you would typically use it only for the appointment of citizens to non-elected boards and commissions. The InSite web portal displays this information if you select the Show on Web checkbox located on this screen. *Start Date Enter the date the office member takes office. You can select the calendar icon and use the calendar to select a date. The format is MM/ DD/YYYY. This will show in InSite. Note: The Start Date must be prior to the End Date. If this person is in office for consecutive terms, this date should be the day after the End Date of the previous term. There should be no overlap in terms of office. *End Date Enter the date the office member's term ends. You can select the calendar icon and use the calendar to select a date. The format is MM/ DD/YYYY. This will show in InSite. Note: The Start Date must be prior to the End Date. If this person is in office for consecutive terms, this date should be the day before the Start Date of the next term. There should be no overlap in terms of office. *Member Type Select the member type from the drop-down list available. The Member Type distinguishes the Chair, Vice-Chair and members. These designations can be used for the formatting of names on displays and reports. Term-Out Date Enter the date upon which the member's term ends by rule, even if he or she has remained in office for a period of time due to the lack of a replacement. You can select the calendar icon and use the calendar to select a date. The format is MM/DD/YYYY. This is not a required field 23

24 and you would typically use it only for the appointment of citizens to non-elected boards and commissions. Sort Order This field determines the order in which office members display on roll calls and reports. If you want to place the members in a specific order, enter 1 for the member you want to place at the top and number all other members accordingly (2, 3, 4, etc.). Note: Enter 999 for all members to automatically list them alphabetically by first name. On the Body Header tab, when you click Auto-Generate Header to automatically create the header text based on current office membership, the program inserts the members names in the Header Text field in the sort order specified on the Office Members tab. Vote Weight Assign a numeric value to the person's vote at a meeting. This is almost always set to 1.00, which is the equivalent of One man, one vote. If the selected appointee is a non-voting member, you can set this field to zero. If he or she is a student member, you might set this field to 0.5. Extra Text Enter internal notes with regard to this individual. These notes do not print or display on the web. Can Sign Select this checkbox if the office member can sign certified copies, signature reports, and other Legistar-generated documents that can print an electronic signature. Selecting the checkbox enables the member s name to be listed and selected as a signatory to those reports. Term Extended? Select this checkbox to extend the term of office for this member beyond the end date, although never beyond the term-out date. Use this checkbox to enable the person to continue to be listed on various screens and reports as a member of the body, even though the end date has passed and there is no additional appointed or elected term for this person in this body. This is not a required field and you would typically use it only for the appointment of citizens to non-elected boards and commissions. 24

25 Show on Web Select this checkbox for the InSite Web portal to display the member s name, title, term start date and end date, and website information, and the name of the person who appointed them. 6. Click Save. The record appears in the list of records displayed in the bottom section of the screen. 25

26 Adding Multiple Office Members to a Government Body The EZ-Add tab enables you to add multiple office members using the same start and end date. When you create a new government body, use the EZ-Add tab to add all the members in one action, and then use the Office Members tab to edit their start dates, end dates, and titles individually if necessary. 1. Click the Office Members tab, then click the EZ-Add tab. The tab displays fields in which you can enter or select information, and These People Do Not Belong and These People Do Belong lists. 2. Complete the following fields (required fields are marked with an asterisk): Item Description 26

27 Body The government body to which you are adding the office members is selected by default. *Start Date Enter the date the office members take office. You can select the calendar icon and use the calendar to select a date. The format is MM/DD/YYYY. This will show in InSite. Note: The start date must be prior to the end date. If these members are in office for consecutive terms, this date should be the day after the end date of the previous term. There should be no overlap in terms of office. End Date Enter the date the office members terms end. You can select the calendar icon and use the calendar to select a date. The format is MM/DD/YYYY. This will show in InSite. Note: The start date must be prior to the end date. If these members are in office for consecutive terms, this date should be the day after the end date of the previous term. There should be no overlap in terms of office. Title From the drop-down list available, select the title that these office members will use as members of this body for this term. 3. Select the name you want to move from the These People Do Not Belong to the These People Do Belong list, then click the right arrow to move it. Repeat this step as often as necessary. The following figure displays the screen after you have added members to the body: 27

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29 Changing a Member's Term of Office 1. Click the Office Members tab, and select the member whose term you want to change. The member is highlighted in the list of members. 2. Do one of the following: If... Do This... A member vacates the office prior to the end of his or her term Change the date in the End Date field to his or her last day in office. When you exit the record, click Yes when the system prompts Do you want to save the changes you made to office holder [name of holder]? If a member is re-elected or re-appointed as a member of the same meeting body for a consecutive term Change the date in the End Date field to reflect the new end date. When you exit the record, click Yes when the system prompts Do you want to save the changes you made to office holder [name of holder]? We highly recommend that you create a new Office Held record with the new start and end dates. Change the date in the End Date field to the last day the member holds the original position. If a member s position in office changes in the middle of a term (e.g., from Member to Chair) When you exit the record, click Yes when the system prompts Do you want to save the changes you made to office holder [name of holder]? Create a new Office Held record with new start and end dates to reflect the new position the member holds in the body for the rest of the original term. 29

30 Running Reports from the Government Body Section It s possible to run the following reports from the Government Bodies section: Report Description Body Type Listing Displays a list of all existing government body types in the system according to the sort order set on the Government Bodies > Main tab. Information includes the body type name, whether or not the body type records a mover and seconder, whether or not the body type can control a legislative file, and whether or not it has office members. The Ad Hoc Title is also displayed if one exists for a body type. To run this report: 1. From the left menu, click Government Bodies. 2. Click Report, then select Body Type Listing. Body Table Listing Displays a list of all existing government bodies in the system. The bodies are grouped according to body type, and are listed in alphabetical order. Information includes each body s regular meeting time and location, and sponsor type. To run this report: 1. From the left menu, click Government Bodies, then click Bodies. 2. Click Report, then select Body Table Listing. Report Body Headers Listing Displays a list of all government bodies that have body header and extra text, and includes what the text is. To run this report: 1. From the left menu, click Government Bodies, then click Bodies. 2. Click Report, then select Report Body Headers Listing. 30

31 Office Information Displays a list of all office members in the system, grouped by their government body memberships, which are in alphabetical order. Information for each member includes their names, member type, the start and end dates of their term in this office, their title in this office, their vote weight, extra text about them, and their sort order within the office. To run this report: 1. From the left menu, click Government Bodies, then click Bodies. 2. Click Report, then select Office Information. 31

32 Changing the Body Header Text for a Government Body There are two types of report headers in Legistar: the report header and the body header. Use the Body Header tab to add and maintain the office membership of the meeting body that is printed on either the cover page or the first page of agenda and minutes reports for the selected meeting body. However, you can also use it to display any text in the report. All agenda and minutes reports use this header text. You can auto-generate the body header from the current office membership or enter it manually. 1. From the left menu, click Government Bodies, then click Bodies. The Main tab displays in the right window pane of the Bodies section. 2. Select the government body for which you want to change the body header text. The body is highlighted in the list of bodies. 3. Click the Body Header tab. 4. Complete the following fields (fields with asterisks are required): Item Description *Start Date Enter a date or click the calendar icon and select a date. The format is MM/DD/YYYY. The Start and End Date fields enable you to change text on the report without affecting historical records. The Body Header displays for a certain date range. 32

33 The start and end dates cannot overlap. If the end date is 01/15/2013, the new start date must be 01/16/13. Otherwise, the system does not know which header or logo to use, which could cause errors. *End Date Enter a date or click the calendar icon and select a date. The format is MM/DD/YYYY. The Start and End Date fields enable you to change text on the report without affecting historical records. The Body Header displays for a certain date range. The start and end dates cannot overlap. If the end date is 01/15/2013, the new start date must be 01/16/13. Otherwise, the system does not know which header or logo to use, which could cause errors. Header Text The Header Text typically lists the office members. Click Auto- Generate Header to automatically create the Header Text based on current office membership, then make any necessary edits. For the range of dates you specify in the Start Date and End Date fields, the program finds the names of all who are members of this meeting body, and inserts their names in the Header Text field in the sort order specified on the Office Members tab. We recommend you follow this method and then edit as needed rather than typing in all the names. Extra Text Enter any other text that is required on agenda or minutes report headers on customized reports that have been designed to employ this data field. Show on Cover? Select this checkbox to show the header and extra text on the cover page of the report. 5. Click Save. 33

34 Changing the Report Header for a Government Body There are two types of report headers in Legistar: the report header and the body header. Use the Report Header tab to import logos and change the addresses of specific committees and boards that have their own logos and a different address from the main address. If you import a logo for a specific body, it replaces the site information logo and address on the report; this enables different bodies to show their own logo and address. 34

35 1. From the left menu, click Government Bodies, then click Bodies. The Main tab displays in the right window pane of the Bodies section. 2. Select the government body for which you want change the report header. The body is highlighted in the list of bodies. 3. Click the Report Header tab. The tab displays an Address pane and Body Logo buttons. 4. Do the following: Item Address Body Logo (Small) Body Logo (Large) Description Enter an address. This address replaces the address entered on the Site Information screen on all minutes and agenda reports for this body. We recommend the address be no longer than five lines of text. Click Import to select and import the file containing the small-sized logo. The small logo size should be 300 x 300 pixels. If the file is not the proper size you can still import it, however it will not print on the reports. If you import this logo correctly, it replaces the logo entered on the Site Information screen on all reports for this body. When you import the logo, the image appears in the Body Logo (Small) pane. Note: If necessary, click Delete to delete the logo. Click Import to select and import the file containing the large-sized logo. The large logo size should be 500 x 500 pixels. If the file is not the proper size you can still import it, however it will not print on the reports. If you 35

36 import this logo correctly, it replaces the logo entered on the Site Information screen on all reports for this body. When you import the logo, the image appears in the Body Logo (Large) pane. Note: If necessary, click Delete to delete the logo. 5. Click Save. 36

37 People The People section contains a list of all Legistar Users, Office Holders, Department Staff, or any individual who is or can be on a list used in Legistar. This section holds all the personal information, including photos, which can be used for the Board Page, or digital signature images, which can be used on a Certified Copy or Signature report. You can add a new person, a new appointee, social media information, contact details, and create mailing lists or run reports in this section. 37

38 Adding a New Person Complete the instructions below to add a person to your Legistar database. Note that you can also edit any of these fields by selecting the name of the person whose record you wish to edit, and then clicking in the field you wish to edit. When you're done editing, click Save. 1. From the left menu, click People. The Main tab displays in the right window pane of the People section. The tab includes the major details connected to an individual s record in Legistar. 2. Click New. The following fields and checkboxes are displayed: 3. Complete the following fields and checkboxes (fields with asterisks are required): Item Description Enter the person s name as you want it displayed throughout the Legistar system, then press the Tab key. *Display Name Note: The display name should be the person s full name. Legistar automatically populates the First Name and Last Name fields based on your entry in the Display Name field. If you leave a space between the person s first name and last name, Legistar populates both fields; if you don t leave a space, Legistar populates only the First Name field. For example, if you enter Rose Tyler as the Display Name and press Tab, Legistar populates the First Name field with 38

39 Rose and the Last Name field with Tyler; if you enter RoseTyler, Legistar populates the First Name field with RoseTyler, and leaves the Last Name field blank. Title Select the person s preferred personal title from the list available in this drop-down field, e.g., Mr., Mrs., Dr., etc. If the title does not yet exist in the list, click the plus sign to open the Titles screen and add the title in the Title Name field, then click Save. You can also select the Member Type checkbox to distinguish the Chair, Vice-Chair and council members from members of the public. The new title appears in the drop-down list. Click Go Back to return to the Main tab. First Name Legistar automatically populates the First Name and Last Name fields based on your entry in the Display Name field. This will show in InSite. If you change the name in either of these fields, Legistar changes the Display Name field to match your changes. *Last Name Legistar automatically populates the First Name and Last Name fields based on your entry in the Display Name field. This will show in InSite. If you change the name in either of these fields, Legistar changes the Display Name field to match your changes. Organization Enter the organization (or organizations) to which this person belongs. Department Select the Legistar body to which the person belongs from the list available in this drop-down field, e.g., City Council, City Manager s Office, Clerk s Office. Preference A person will only receive this if they are the current approver of a File and it is in Individual Review Request, Delegated Review Request or Escalated Review Request. A submitter of a file will not get daily summaries unless they are the current approver. 39

40 Active Make sure this checkbox is selected; the checkbox marks this person as a user in the database. Note: You should deactivate a record that is no longer being used rather than try to delete it, since Legistar may still reference it in other records (e.g., votes, old office held records, etc.), which are kept for archive purposes. Can Be a Requestor We recommend you leave this checkbox blank. Selecting the checkbox makes the person available for selection in the Requestor field on the Details tab in the Files module, and typically only groups or organizations appear in that field. Approver This checkbox indicates whether or not the person is an approver, and is selected by default. Alternate Approver Select the name of an alternate approver from the dropdown list available. This person stands in for the appointee when the appointee is not available. Notes Enter any internal notes or additional information about the person. This will show in InSite. 4. Click Save. The person s record appears in the list of records displayed in the bottom section of the screen. 5. The next steps are to add the person s address and contact details, and photo and signature. 40

41 Adding a New Appointee Use the Appointments screen to manage the membership of the various government bodies that are controlled through appointments rather than election. Legistar does not treat these members any differently within the system. While most of our clients manage all their memberships through the Office Members tab in the Bodies section, some use the Appointments screen to manage citizen-run boards or sub-committees. The process of adding a new appointment is identical to adding a new member through the Office Members tab with one notable exception: when you add an appointee, you must select the body to which they are being added from the Body drop-down list. This is required because when you use the Office Members tab to add a member, you are already in an area that is associated with a specific meeting body. The Appointments screen is not in such an area. Note: The Show Members Only for Selected Date checkbox is selected by default; when it is selected, it displays all the members for a specific date. The default is today's date. 1. From the left menu, click People, then click Appointments. 2. Click New. The following fields and checkboxes are displayed: 3. Complete the following fields and checkboxes (required fields are marked with an asterisk): Item Description *Member Select the name of the appointee from the drop-down list available. This list is populated through your entries in the People section; if the appointee does not yet exist in the list, click the plus sign to open the People Main tab and add him or 41

42 her (or to make changes to the record of the selected name), then click Go Back. The InSite web portal displays the member s name if you select the Show on Web checkbox located on this screen. *Body Select the government body to which you want to add the appointee from the drop-down list available. This list is populated through your entries in the Bodies section; if the body does not yet exist in the list, click the plus sign to open the Bodies Main tab and add it (or to make changes to the record of the selected body), then click Go Back. Office Title From the drop-down list available, select the title that the appointee will use as a member of this body for this term. If the title does not yet exist in the list, click the plus sign to open the Titles screen and add a new title or edit an existing title, then click Go Back. The InSite web portal displays the member s office title if you select the Show on Web checkbox located on this screen. Appointed By Select the name of the official who appointed the selected member to this office from the drop-down list available. This is not a required field and you would typically use it only for the appointment of citizens to non-elected boards and commissions. The InSite web portal displays this information if you select the Show on Web checkbox located on this screen. *Start Date Enter the date the appointee takes office. You can select the calendar icon and use the calendar to select a date. The format is MM/DD/YYYY. This will show in InSite. Note: The Start Date must be prior to the End Date. If this person is in office for consecutive terms, this date should be the day after the End Date of the previous term. There should be no overlap in terms of office. * End Date Enter the date the appointee's term ends. You can select the calendar icon and use the calendar to select a date. The format is MM/DD/YYYY. This will show in InSite. Note: The Start Date must be prior to the End Date. If this person is in office for consecutive terms, this date should be the 42

43 day before the Start Date of the next term. There should be no overlap in terms of office. *Member Type Select the member type from the drop-down list available. The Member Type distinguishes the Chair, Vice-Chair and members. These designations can be used for the formatting of names on displays and reports. Term-Out Date Enter the date upon which the member's term ends by rule, even if he or she has remained in office for a period of time due to the lack of a replacement. You can select the calendar icon and use the calendar to select a date. The format is MM/DD/ YYYY. This is not a required field and you would typically use it only for the appointment of citizens to non-elected boards and commissions. Sort Order This field determines the order in which members display on roll calls and reports. If you want to place the members in a specific order, enter 1 for the member you want to place at the top and number all other members accordingly (2, 3, 4, etc.). Note: Enter 999 for all members to automatically list them alphabetically by first name. Vote Weight Assign a numeric value to the person's vote at a meeting. This is almost always set to 1.00, which is the equivalent of One man, one vote. If the selected appointee is a non-voting member, you can set this field to zero. If he or she is a student member, you might set this field to 0.5. Extra Text Enter any internal notes that you want to keep regarding this individual/appointment. These notes do not print or display on the web. Alternate Approver Select the name of an alternate approver from the drop-down list available. This person stands in for the appointee when the appointee is not available. Can Sign Select this check box if the appointee can sign certified copies, signature reports, and other Legistar-generated documents that can print an electronic signature. Selecting the checkbox 43

44 enables the member s name to be listed and selected as a signatory to those reports. Term Extended? Select this checkbox to extend the term of office for this member beyond the end date, although never beyond the termout date. Use this checkbox to enable the person to continue to be listed on various screens and reports as a member of the body, even though the end date has passed and there is no additional appointed or elected term for this person in this body. This is not a required field and you would typically use it only for the appointment of citizens to non-elected boards and commissions. Approver Select this checkbox to indicate the appointee is an approver in the Approval Tracking Module process. Show on Web Select this checkbox for the InSite Web portal to display the appointee s name, title, term start date and end date, and website information, and the name of the person who appointed them. 4. Click Save. 44

45 Adding an Address and Contact Details The Address tab contains the person's mailing address and other personal contact data. Legistar uses the address information for the Mailing Labels report and places it on the Hearing Notice report. 1. Make sure the person s record is selected in the bottom section of the screen, then click the Address tab. The following fields are displayed: 2. Complete the following fields: Note: It is possible to enter a person s primary and secondary address and contact details. All the fields marked 1 are primary address and contact fields; the fields marked 2 are secondary address and contact fields. Item Description Address 1 Enter the person street address. City 1 Enter the person s city. State 1 Enter the person s state. 45

46 Zip 1 Enter the person s zip code. Website 1 Enter the address of the person s personal or professional website, if they have one. The format is This field is typically for Office Holders who have a website that they would like to have linked from the InSite public access portal. Phone 1 Enter the person s primary phone number. Fax 1 Enter the person s primary fax number. 1 Enter the person s primary address. Legistar sends messages regarding any approvals to this address. It will also show in InSite. 3. Click Save. The next step is to add the person s photo and signature. 46

47 Adding a Photo and Signature 1. Make sure the person s record is selected in the bottom section of the screen, then click the Photo & Signature tab. 2. Click Import Signature to select and import the file containing the person s digital signature. The Signature field contains a signature for items the person signs such as Signature and Certified Copy reports. Signatures should be 250 x 40 pixels. When you import the file, the signature appears above the Import Signature button. Note: The user decides at report runtime whether to print this signature image on the appropriate report. For this to happen, the Can Sign checkbox must be selected for the person s record on the Office Member tab of the body for which he or she is signing. Note: If necessary, click Delete to delete the signature. 3. Click Import Photo to select and import the file containing the person s photo. Legistar displays the photo on screens about the specific person, which you access by clicking the person s name. Photos should be passport size, which is 135 x 135 pixels. Note: If necessary, click Delete to delete the photo. 47

48 Adding Social Media Information 1. Make sure the person s record is selected in the bottom section of the screen, then click the Social Media tab. 2. In the Social Media HTML pane, enter the person s social media account, e.g., Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn accounts, etc. 3. Select the Display on InSite checkbox to display this information on the InSite Web Portal. 48

49 Creating a New Mailing List The Mailing List screen enable you to set up a group of individuals for a mass mailing. This list was initially established for the Agenda Hearing Notice report in the Agenda module and the Report Design section. In addition, the General Reports section enables users to create and use mailing labels. 1. From the left menu, click People, then click Mailing List. 2. Click New. The following screen is displayed: 3. Enter a name for the mailing list in the Name List Name field. This is a required field. 4. Select the source of names available from the drop-down list available in the Add Name From field. The names from the source you select populate the Available Names list. 5. Select the name or names you want to move from the Available Names to the Selected Names list: Select one name and click the right arrow to move it. Use the Ctrl key to select more than one name and click the right arrow to move it. Click the double right arrow to select and move all the names in one action. 6. Click Save. 7. If necessary, you can repeat steps 4-6 to select names from different bodies. You can also use the plus sign to add new names to the list. 49

50 Deleting a Person from Legistar Warning! If you delete a person, it will no longer be available in your system and you will not be able to retrieve it. Legistar will allow you to delete those people records that are not being used anywhere in the system. We recommend inactivating people records instead (see below). Deleting a Person Record 1. From the left menu, click People. The Main tab displays in the right pane of the People section. 2. Select the person you want to delete by clicking the name. The person's record becomes highlighted in the list. 3. Click Delete in the top menu. Legistar provides a prompt asking the following: Are you sure you want to delete [name of person]? 4. Click Yes. The system deletes the body if it is not being used in the system. Note: Legistar will not allow you to delete a person who is being used anywhere in the system. If you attempt to delete a person who's being used in the system, you'll receive the following error message. In this instance, you can inactivate a person's record in lieu of deleting: Inactivating a Person Record 50

51 1. From the left menu, click People. The Main tab displays in the right pane of the People section. 2. Select the person you want to inactivate by clicking it. The person's record becomes highlighted in the list. 3. Click the Active checkbox to deselect it. 4. Click Save in the top menu. This action will remove the the person record from the People list but will not delete the record from associated data, such as approval workflows. 51

52 Running Reports from the People Section It s possible to run the following reports from the People section: Report Description Name and Address List Displays a list of all existing people in the system in alphabetical order. The list reflects the records listed on the People > Main tab. Information includes the person s name and address, address, and phone and fax number (if these have been entered). To run this report: 1. From the left menu, click People. 2. Click Report, then select Name and Address List. Name List Listing Displays a list of all existing mailing lists in the system in alphabetical order. Information includes each mailing list s name, and the list of names on each list. To run this report: 1. From the left menu, click People, then click Mailing List. 2. Click Report, then select Name List Listing. 52

53 Legislative Files Use the Legislative Files screen to create and maintain file types, which are used for searching, grouping, and reporting. We recommend keeping the number of file types under 10 for easier maintenance of the Administration tables. The more file types you have, the more valid action entries and other table entries become necessary for updates. The following file types are already set up: Resolution Ordinance Proclamation Appointment Report In this section, you can also add code sections, subject indexes, text section labels, and text file templates, and you can set up auto-number sequences. 53

54 Adding a New Legislative File Type 1. From the left menu, click Legislative Files. The screen displays a list of previously added legislative files. 2. Click New. The following fields and checkboxes are displayed: 3. Complete the following fields and checkboxes (fields with asterisks are required): Item Description *Type Name Enter the legislative file type. *Add Status From the drop-down list of statuses, select the status first assigned automatically to this type of file when users click New. Examples: Draft, To Be Introduced. Auto Key From the drop-down list provided, select the value/name for all legislative files to follow one numbering sequence. If there are individual numbering sequences, they will have unique names. 54

55 Abbreviation Enter an abbreviation for the file type, which you can use for customized reports and displays. EN Key Select the EN key from the drop-down list provided. The EN key determines the auto-number sequence used to generate enactment numbers to this file type upon final action. Active This checkbox is selected by default, and indicates whether or not this file type is available for use when users create and maintain new legislative files. You cannot use historical file types but you can view them and use them in searches. Available on the Web This checkbox is selected by default, and determines whether or not files of this type are visible on the InSite web portal. 4. Click Save. 55

56 Adding a File Status Use the File Status screen to enter and maintain the statuses that are available for Legislative Files. The status of a file is important as it immediately tells users the state of the file. For example, a file with a Passed status indicates the file went through the legislative process and has been passed, approved, adopted, and signed as needed. Legistar statuses enable users to group files on the agenda, as users can immediately see from the status where this file is in the workflow process and where it will show up on the agenda. 1. From the left menu, click Legislative Files, then click File Statuses. The screen displays a list of previously added file statuses. 2. Click New. The following fields and checkboxes are displayed: 3. Complete the following fields and checkboxes (fields with asterisks are required): 56

57 Item Description *File Status Enter the name of the status, e.g., Draft, To Be Introduced, Passed, Failed, Held In Committee. Description Enter an internal description for the status, e.g., for To Be Introduced, enter Item is ready to be placed on the Council Agenda for the first time. Available on the Web Select this checkbox to display files with this status on the InSite web portal, or leave it blank if you do not want to do this. Active This checkbox is selected by default, and indicates whether or not this file status is available for use when users create and maintain legislative files. 4. Click Save. 57

58 Adding a New Auto-Number Use the Auto Numbering screen to create and maintain File ID and Enactment Number sequences by file type, which the system can automatically increment and assign to files at specific points in the legislative process. The system typically assigns a File ID number when users click New in the Files module. The system typically assigns an Enactment Number when a specific action is taken that is designated as the final action, such as when the Primary Legislative Body passes a file during the process of recording the minutes or upon approval by the Mayor. Each file type can have a different auto-number sequence or file types can share the same sequence. You can also use this screen to set separate Enactment Number sequences for Ordinances, Resolutions and other file types. 1. From the left menu, click Legislative Files, then click Auto-Numbering. The screen displays a list of previously added auto-numbers. 2. Click New. The following fields are displayed: 58

59 3. Complete the following fields (fields with asterisks are required): Item Description *Key Name Enter a name for the auto-key sequence. Click the light bulb icon for suggestions for names e.g., General File ID, Executive Order ID, Resolution Enactment Number, Ordinance Enactment Number; select the suggestion if you want to use it. The Key Name field displays the name. Prefix Next Number Enter the prefix for each auto number generated in this sequence, if necessary. Examples of its use are YY- to indicate the year, or RE- to indicate that it is a resolution. A preview pane shows you what the number will look like when you add a prefix. Enter a number that is incremented each time the auto-number key is used. A preview pane shows you what the number will look like when you add a number. Suffix Enter the suffix added to the end of each auto number generated in this sequence, if necessary. A preview pane shows you what the number will look like when you add a suffix. 4. Click Save. 59

60 Adding Code Sections Legistar's municipal code section allows you to reference your City's official code. Municipal codes facilitate the legislative file search process as well as provide file references, which may be particularly useful in capturing compliance and utilization data. Typically, your codifier can provide a list, which can be loaded in to Legistar. Please check with your project manager regarding any additional fees for this type of service. Note: You can obtain the Municipal Code Sections from your codifier in electronic form and, depending on the format, load them into the Legistar database as part of the project deliverable. Depending on the format and size of the file, the fee to do this will vary. 1. From the left menu, click Legislative Files, then click Code Sections. The list of previously added code sections displays in the right window pane of the Code Sections section. 2. Click New. The following fields are displayed: 3. Click the Import Code Sections link to select and import the file that contains the municipal codes. 4. To enter codes manually, complete the following fields (fields with asterisks are required): Item Description *Section Number Enter the municipal code number. Section Name Enter the name of the municipal code. Section Text Enter text for the municipal code. 5. Click Save. 60

61 Formatting Code Sections for Import When importing code sections, format them in a text file in the following way: Code Section Formats 1. Note that the final pipe " " must be absent from the list, as this is what tells Legistar it has reached the end of the code sections. 2. Once you've added all of your code sections to the text file, save it. 3. Click the Import Code Sections link (shown above). 4. Browse to the text file you've created and click Open. Your imported code sections will appear as below: 5. If everything looks correct, click Confirm & Save. Your code sections are now ready to use in Legistar. 61

62 Adding Subject Indexes Use the Subject Indexes screen to add index terms that link legislative files to specific topics. Index terms are useful for helping users find all the files that relate to a specific topic. The terms may be a word or phrase that is in the text of the document or the legislative file descriptions, thereby enabling a full text search for the term. You can add subject indexes to a legislative file on the Associations tab in the Indexes list box. 1. From the left menu, click Legislative Files, then click Subject Indexes. The screen displays the list of previously added subject indexes. 2. Click New. The Index Term Name field is displayed: 3. (Required) Enter the index term in the Index Term Name field. You can click the Import Subject Indexes link to select and import a.txt file that contains index terms. Each term must be delimited with a comma; i.e., Streets, Sanitation, Parkway, Patrol, Fire, etc. 4. Click Save. 62

63 Adding Text Section Labels Use the Text Sections screen to add labeled sections within the legislative text of a file. The program uses these section labels to excerpt and reformat the identified sections of text from the legislative text file, and display or print those sections in reports. The section labels appear as drop-down options within the Legistar File Text drafting tool in the Files module. Selecting a file section from that list inserts the section header and any associated boilerplate text. Text section labels are always prefixed with two dots. For example, Legistar recognizes the text that follows..title as the descriptive paragraph for each file. Almost every standard report in the system uses this section to describe the content of the legislative file. System administrators may add as many text sections as required to organize the legislative text and associated information. For example, a requirement may be to include notes from staff in a new section called..recommended Action. Legistar always recognizes these file section labels, which are predefined in the system:..title..body..recommended Action Notes: The..Title and..body text section labels will print on the Text File, Certified Copy and Signature Reports. ALL other labels will only print on the Text File report. For LiveManager and ilegislate users: The..Recommended Action text section label links to the Suggested Action field in LiveManager and ilegislate. You can select it in the checkboxes when running a report. When running reports on InSite, only the Text tab/legislation Text report will display the..coding. 1. From the left menu, click Legislative Files, then click Text Sections. The screen displays a list of previously added text section labels. 63

64 2. Click New. The following fields are displayed: 3. Complete the following fields (fields with asterisks are required): Item Description *Section Name Enter the name of the section, e.g. Recommended Action. *Section Value Enter the section header, which always starts with two dots (..), for example,..recommended Action. Template Enter boilerplate text or instructions to the drafter about this specific section, e.g. Enter recommendations here. 4. Click Save. 64

65 Text File Templates Use the Text File Templates screen to create and maintain drafting templates, which drafters use when they draft legislative files using the text editor in the Files module. Templates enable drafters to avoid entering redundant text in the file, and provide consistency throughout your organization. There are two ways to set up text file templates in Legistar: Import MS Word templates--this is the Best Practice, especially when you use Word as the default text editor. The system is setup by default to enable you to use word templates and the word text editor. Build templates directly in Legistar Create as many templates as required for different legislative file formats. For example, there may be a template for resolutions and two or three for ordinances depending on the type of ordinance or depending upon the department submitting them. Each template can contain as much boilerplate text and instructions to the drafter as necessary. Typically, a template consists of 3 sections: Title, Body, Recommended Action. When you create a new text file template or edit an existing template, use the Insert Section field to insert one or more of the text section labels you created using the Text Sections screen (i.e., Title, Body, Recommended Action). Importing Microsoft Word Templates to Legistar Before you follow the procedure in this section, make sure these system settings are specified as follows: Section System Setting System Settings > General Yes must be selected for the Use Word Templates for Legistar Templates setting System Settings > General Yes must be selected for the Use MS Word for Text Editor setting Note: If you change a system setting, make sure to exit Administration and click Refresh Administration. The setting takes effect when you open Administration again. 1. From the left menu, click Legislative Files, then click Text File Templates. 2. Click New. The following fields are displayed: 65

66 3. Complete the following fields (fields with asterisks are required): Item Description *Template Name Enter a name for the template. Word Template File Name To import the word template file, click the blue plus sign, locate the file on your computer, then click Open. The file name appears in this field. 4. Click Save. The following figure illustrates the screen after you have imported a template file: 5. Make sure to customize your Word Template to Legistar requirements: a. In the Files module, click New and then click Edit under the Text File tab to access the text editor. Microsoft Word opens. b. Look for the Legistar toolbar; it is either located on the bottom right-hand corner of the MS Word toolbar, or it is located under the Add-Ins tab. c. Do one or more of the following to customize the template: 66

67 To Import a template Select an existing template Insert a section Do This Click Import under the Text File tab in the Legistar Files module. Click Templates, then click the template you want to use. Click Insert Section, then click the section you want to include in the template. Repeat as often as necessary. Reminder: You should always prefix section labels with two dots. d. Edit and enter additional text until your file is complete, then click Save. Microsoft Word closes. e. Click OK when you receive the message File Text is saved. The template appears under the Text File tab. 6. Click Exit to exit Administration, select the Tools menu, and click Refresh Administration. 7. Click Exit to exit Legistar. 8. Log back in to Legistar. The template file is now available for use in the text editor in the Files module. Filtering Word Templates If Legistar is set to use Word as the text editor, you can filter your Word templates in two ways: Based upon your department. For example, if you belong to the Finance Department (which is set on your name record), the only templates available to you are the ones that are assigned to the Finance department. Note that you can assign a template to multiple departments. Based upon file type. For example, you can assign one or more Word templates to a resolution so that only those templates are available when you create a new resolution. Note that you can assign a template to multiple file types. You can assign templates to government bodies/file types in Legistar Administration (under Legislative Files > Text File Templates). Note that templates are cached for 60 seconds; therefore, changes made in Administration are not immediate. Finally, if you don t use this feature, all templates will be listed by default in Word. Building Text File Templates in Legistar Before you follow the procedure in this section, make sure these system settings are specified as follows: Section System Setting System Settings > General No must be selected for Use Word Templates for Legistar Templates System Settings > General No must be selected for Use MS Word for Text Editor 67

68 Note: If you change a system setting, make sure to exit Administration and click Refresh Administration. The setting takes effect when you open Administration again. 1. From the left menu, click Legislative Files, then click Text File Templates. 2. Click New. The following fields are displayed: 3. Complete the following fields (fields with asterisks are required): Item Description *Template Name Enter a name for the template. Insert Section Select a text section label from the dropdown list available to insert it in the Template field. If you want to create a text section label, do the following: 1. Click the plus sign to open the Text Sections screen. 2. Add a text section (or make changes to a text section). 3. Click Save. 4. Click Go Back. *Template This field contains the template text. When you insert text sections, the text appears in this field. You can overwrite the text or add more text manually if necessary. 68

69 Reminder: You should always prefix section labels with two dots. 4. Click Save. This template file is available for use in the text editor in the Files module after you exit Administration and click Refresh Administration. 69

70 Running Reports from the Legislative Files Section It s possible to run the following reports from the Legislative Files section: Report Description Matter Types Displays a list of all existing legislative file types in the system according to the sort order on the Legislative Files screen. Information includes the file type s name, sort order, default status when users add a file of this type, and the auto key name. To run this report: 1. From the left menu, click Legislative Files. 2. Click Report. Displays a list of all existing auto numbering sequences in the system. Information includes each sequence s name, prefix, next number, and suffix. Matter Auto Keys To run this report: 1. From the left menu, click Legislative Files, then click Auto Numbering. 2. Click Report. Matter Statuses Displays a list of all existing file statuses in the system according to the sort order on the File Statuses screen. Information includes the status name and description. 70

71 To run this report: 1. From the left menu, click Legislative Files, then click File Statuses. 2. Click Report. Displays a list of all existing text sections in the system according to the sort order on the Text Sections screen. Information includes the section name and value. Text Sections To run this report: 1. From the left menu, click Legislative Files, then click Text Sections. 2. Click Report. Displays a list of all existing subject index terms in the system based on the Subject Indexes screen. Each index term is displayed. Index Terms To run this report: 1. From the left menu, click Legislative Files, then click Subject Indexes. 2. Click Report. Displays a list of all existing municipal code sections in the system based on the Code Sections screen. Each code section number and name is displayed. Code Sections To run this report: 1. From the left menu, click Legislative Files, then click Subject Indexes. 2. Click Report. 71

72 Workflow Controls Use the Workflow Controls section to do the following: Define an agenda by specifying agenda settings and advanced settings Set up workflow options Set up workflow control options Set up workflow actions 72

73 Workflow Options Use the Workflow Options subsection to set up the following: Vote and Attendance Types Action Text Meeting Statuses Standard Paragraphs Agenda Text Export Templates 73

74 Viewing and Adding Vote and Attendance Types Use the Vote and Attendance Types screen to control the wording and the different options for recording the attendance and votes in the Minutes module. You can select the terms you want to use for Yes and No votes at meetings. For example, for a Yes vote, you might use Aye or Yes or Yea, or you may want to differentiate Excused from Absent when taking attendance. You can enter as many entries as needed on this screen. 1. From the left menu, click Workflow Control, click Workflow Options, then click Vote and Attendance Types. The Vote and Attendance Types screen is displayed. The screen displays a list of previously added vote and attendance types. 2. Click New. The following fields are displayed: 74

75 3. Complete the following fields and options (fields with asterisks are required): Item Description *Vote and Attendance Type Name Enter a name for the vote or attendance type. This name displays on the Meeting Minutes report and is used wherever votes or attendance are displayed or printed. *Plural Name Enter the plural form of your entry in the Vote and Attendance Type Name field. For example, the plural of Aye is Ayes. The plural form can appear on some reports for which the system administrators can determine design criteria. Select Attendance if this is an attendance type, select Voting if this is a voting type, or select Both if this is both an attendance and a voting type. Used For Examples of Voting Types: Aye, Nay, Recused. Examples of Attendance Types: Present, Absent. Examples of Both Types: Excused Select Yes, No, or Neither as the result tally. The default option is Neither. Result Tally The result tally indicates what the value of the data entry will be. If it is set to Yes, the value is treated as a Yes vote when a vote is taken; if it s set to No, it s counted as a No vote. Neither means it doesn t count in the tally at all. Examples: The Aye vote type is set to yes, and the Nay vote type is set to No. The Excused vote type is set to Neither. Show on Reports Specify the conditions under which this vote or attendance type should print on reports: Select Always if you want reports to always display this information, select If greater than 0 if you want reports to display this information if there is a count for this attendance type above zero, or select Never to never display this information on reports. The default option is Always. 75

76 4. Click Save. 76

77 Action Text Use the Action Text tabs to control how the actions taken on each item at a meeting are reported in the meeting minutes. On the Actions tab in the Minutes module, users select options such as Mover, Seconder, Action, Vote Type, and Votes from the available drop-down lists. Legistar uses that data to construct a sentence or two describing what happened. Legistar creates this text in real time, enables users to edit the text as needed, and then uses the action text on any report or display where required. Your entries in the Action Text section determine the format for the one-or-two-sentence text block. This text block, which is automatically generated, may change based on different situations. For example, although the action (e.g. Adopted) may be the same, the action text is different for a situation in which there was a Voice Vote motion that passed, a Roll Call motion that failed, or a Consent vote on a block of items. The Action Text section displays every combination of these situational variables. Note: You can set up the No Vote Action template by selecting it using the Action Text menu, and using the Edit Motion and Vote Text tab. Entering Sample Data Use the Enter Sample Data tab to enter sample data to see how actions will be reported under different conditions. To make sure that all conditions display correctly, select options from the various lists. These options are the same as the options used to enter actions for meetings in the Minutes module. In this way, you can see how the settings in the Edit Motion & Vote Text tab look in different situations. The preview pane at the bottom of the screen under each tab displays the result of changes you make in either the sample data or the settings. 1. From the left menu, click Workflow Control, click Workflow Options, then click Action Text. The Enter Sample Data screen is displayed by default. 77

78 2. Click the Action Text menu on the top of the screen, and select a condition from the drop-down list. Examples: No Vote Action, Roll Call, Voice Vote, Consent Voice, Consent Roll Call. 3. Complete the following fields: Item Description Select Sample File Type Select a file type from the drop-down list provided. The file type appears in the preview pane. Select Sample Action Taken Select an action from the drop-down list provided. The action appears in the preview pane. Select Sample Movers or No Mover Select the name of the mover from the drop-down list provided, or leave this field blank if there is no mover. If you select a name, the name appears in the preview pane. 78

79 Select Sample Seconder or No Seconder Select the name of the seconder from the drop-down list provided, or leave this field blank if there is no seconder. If you select a name, the name appears in the preview pane. Select Sample Target Body Select a target body from the drop-down list provided. The target body appears in the preview pane. Select Sample Vote Result Select a vote result from the drop-down list provided. The text associated with the vote result appears in the preview pane. Select Sample Vote Type Select a vote type from the drop-down list provided. The text associated with the vote type appears in the preview pane. Use Sample Due Date Select this checkbox to use a sample due date. A date appears in the preview pane. Show Sample Vote Select this checkbox to display a sample vote. {VOTE_TALLY} appears in the preview pane. Editing Motion and Vote Text Use the Edit Motion and Vote Text tab to build the motion string sentence in the Minutes module. The motion string is displayed in the Action Text field in the Minutes module, and users can edit it as necessary. Use the Edit Motion & Vote Text tab for any action that involves a motion and ether a voice vote or roll call vote. Note: While you can move the variables around within each field, it is not possible to move variables from field-to-field. For example, you cannot add the variable [SECONDER_NAME] to the If there is a mover, this is added field. 1. From the left menu, click Workflow Control, click Workflow Options, then click Action Text. 2. Click the Edit Motion and Vote Text tab. The Edit Motion and Vote Text screen is displayed. 79

80 3. Click the Action Text menu on the top of the screen, and select a condition from the drop-down list. Examples: No Vote Action, Roll Call, Voice Vote, Consent Voice, Consent Roll Call, Consent Voice Master Line, Consent Roll Call Master Line. Note: Do not use the Default Action condition. 4. Edit the following fields if necessary: Item Description The Action Text starts with this This is the beginning text of the motion string sentence. Examples: A motion was made, The motion was made, On a motion. If there is a mover, this is added This is a variable for the mover name, and places the mover in the motion string. Examples: by [MOVER], from [MOVER] 80

81 If there is a seconder, this is added This is a variable for the seconder name, and places the seconder in the motion string. Examples: by [SECONDER], from [SECONDER] Select the display name format for the mover and seconder from the drop-down list provided. Examples: [Display Name] Format for mover and seconder [First Name] [Last Name] [Last Name] [Title] [Display Name] [Title] [First Name] [Last Name] [Title] [Last Name] This is the variable for the file type and action name. If you do not want to use the file type, you can use the term "matter" or item. Examples: File Type and Action are needed that this [FILE_TYPE] be [ACTION_NAME] that this matter be [ACTION_NAME] Important Note: The variable [MEDIAMANAGER_MOTIONTEXT] only works if entered on this line. It won t work if added anywhere else. If this is being referred, then add This is the variable for the receiving body for any 'sent to' type of action. Examples: to the [TARGET_BODY]; for follow-up to [TARGET_BODY] If due date is recorded, then this is added This is the variable for the due date. Examples: due back on [DUE DATE]; to be heard on [DUE DATE] 81

82 If the vote result was Select a vote result from the drop-down list available. Examples: passed, failed or tied this is added: If you select a vote result, enter text describing the result at the end of the motion string sentence. Examples: The motion was passed; passed was the motion. If the vote was a Select Roll Call, Voice Vote, Consent Roll Call, or Consent Voice Vote as the type of vote. This is added If you select a type of vote, enter text describing how the item was passed or failed. Examples: by the following votes, unanimously. 5. Click Save. 6. Repeat steps 2-5 for each condition displayed in the Action Text drop-down menu. 82

83 Editing Agenda Text Export Templates Use the Agenda Text Export Templates screen to edit the agenda header action text and the item action text export templates used when exporting an agenda to MediaManager. This enables you to set the data fields you want to export to the Agenda tab in MediaManager. 1. From the left menu, click Workflow Control, click Workflow Options, then click Agenda Text Export Templates. The Agenda Text Export Templates screen is displayed. 2. In the Header Action Text Template or Item Action Text Template fields, place your cursor at the point where you want to add a variable. 3. Select a variable from the Available Variables list, and use the appropriate arrow to move it to the Header Action Text Template or the Item Action Text Template field. The variable appears at the point where you placed your cursor. 4. Click Save. 83

84 Viewing and Adding Header Styles Use the Header Styles section to view and set up the header styles i.e. the format and position of headings that are available in the Style field on the Workflow Control > Agenda Settings screen. A preview field enables you to see what each style looks like. 1. From the left menu, click Workflow Control, then click Header Styles. The Header Styles screen is displayed. Header Style Settings 2. Click New. The following fields are displayed: 84

85 Header Style Settings after Clicking New 3. Complete the following fields and options (fields with asterisks are required): Item Description Header Level Enter a header level, i.e., 1, 2, 3, 4 etc. The header level is the name for the header style. *Justification Select Left Aligned, Right Aligned, Centered or Justify from the drop-down list provided. *Style Info Click, and select a Font, Font style, and Size from the dropdown lists provided, then click OK. Indentation Select an option from the menu available to add a tab indent (in inches) to the selected header level. Please note that tab indentation is only available on generic reports; you cannot use this feature with custom reports. Preview Displays how the style appears. 4. Click Save. 85

86 Viewing and Adding Meeting Statuses Use the Meeting Statuses screen to set up statuses for agendas and minutes. Each status has a name and a setting to determine if the status is used for agendas or minutes, or both. In addition, the ability to view agendas and minutes which are in Draft status within Legistar is a security feature. Use the View Meeting Agendas (draft) and View Meeting Minutes (draft) settings in the Functional List under System Security > Security Features to specify which users are allowed to view the meeting agendas or meeting minutes that are in Draft status. You need to set this for each group. After the agenda is in "Final" status, it can then be released for all to view. 1. From the left menu, click Workflow Control, click Workflow Options, then click Meeting Statuses. The Meeting Statuses screen is displayed. 2. Click New. The following fields are displayed: 3. Complete the following fields and options (fields with asterisks are required): Item Description *Status Name Enter a name for the status. 86

87 * Show On Select Agendas and Minutes if this status is used for both agendas and minutes, select Agendas if it is used for agendas only, or select Minutes if it is used for minutes only. 4. Click Save. 87

88 Viewing and Adding Standard Paragraphs Use the Standard Paragraphs screen to manage commonly used sentences and paragraphs in one location. Standard paragraphs are available for all users to copy the text to the clipboard and paste it into an area of Legistar, as described in the User Manual. Standard paragraphs are stored in Rich Text Format, which allows you to include bold, italics and underlined text as part of a paragraph. 1. From the left menu, click Workflow Control, click Workflow Options, then click Standard Paragraphs. The Standard Paragraphs screen is displayed. 2. Click New. The following fields are displayed: 3. Complete the following fields and options (fields with asterisks are required): Item Description *Paragraph Name Enter a name for the standard paragraph. 88

89 *Paragraph Text Enter the text of the standard paragraph. 4. Click Save. 89

90 Running Reports from the Workflow Options Subsection It s possible to run the following reports from the Workflow Options subsection: Report Description Standard Paragraphs Displays a list of all existing standard paragraphs in the system, based on the Workflow Control > Workflow Options > Standard Paragraphs screen. Information includes the name and text of the standard paragraph. To run this report: 1. From the left menu, click Workflow Control > Workflow Options > Standard Paragraphs. 2. Click Report. Vote & Attendance Types Displays a list of all vote and attendance types available in the system, based on the Workflow Control > Workflow Options > Vote and Attendance Types screen. For each type, information includes the type name, the plural form of the name, what the type is used for, the result of the type, whether or not the type appears on reports if there is a count or no count, and the sort order of the type. To run this report: 1. From the left menu, click Workflow Control > Workflow Options > Vote and Attendance Types. 2. Click Report. 90

91 Viewing and Adding Workflow Actions Use the Workflow Actions screen to view and set up workflow actions by body type, and represent the actions that the body type can take on each file type. For example, if a Resolution is Adopted, then the status typically changes to Passed. 1. From the left menu, click Workflow Control, click the government body for which you want to view or add workflow actions, then click the Workflow Actions tab. The Main tab is displayed by default. The screen displays a list of previously added actions. 2. Click New. The following fields are displayed: 91

92 3. Complete the following fields and checkboxes (fields with asterisks are required): Item Description *File Type Select a file type from the drop-down list provided. This is the type of file for which the user is taking action. Use the Legislative Files section to set up the file types that will be available in this field. If you want to create a file type as you set up a new workflow action, follow the steps in the note below this table. Select the status prior to the vote from the drop-down list provided. The file must have this status for this action to be a valid action. File Status Note: The majority of our users do not use this field. For example, you may have an item that is tabled and one that is agenda ready, and both should be approved. However, this field is useful for vetoed items. Use the File Statuses tab in the Legislative Files section to set up the file statuses that will be available in this field. If you want to create a status as you set up a new workflow action, follow the steps in the note below this table. *Action Select an action from the drop-down list provided. Use the Workflow Controls screen to set up the actions that will be available in this field. If you want to create an action as you set up a new workflow action, follow the steps in the note below this table. Status on Pass Select the status of the file if the vote passes from the drop-down list provided. Use the File Statuses tab in the Legislative Files section to set up the file statuses that will be available in this field. If you want to create a status as you set up a new workflow action, follow the steps in the note below this table. Status on Fail Select the resulting status if the vote fails from the drop-down list provided. Use the File Statuses tab in the Legislative Files section to set up the file statuses that will be available in this field. If you want to create a status as you set up a new workflow action, follow the steps in the note below this table. 92

93 Standard Action Select this checkbox when the typical action on this file type is standard. A standard action is the action that is most commonly used on a given file type. It is also the action that gets applied during a consent vote or if the user clicks the Standard Action button in Meeting Manager. Make sure all files have one and only one selected. Active Select this checkbox when the action is active for use in the system. Close Referral Select this checkbox when the action closes all referrals. A referral is when an item gets set to another body for action. It s possible to create a new file type, file status, and action from the Workflow Actions screen as follows: a. Click the appropriate plus sign beside the field to open the relevant screen. b. Click New, and add the new record. c. Click Save. d. Click Go Back. The new record is now available in the drop-down list. 4. Click Save. 93

94 Adding Multiple Workflow Actions for a File Type The EZ-Add tab enables you to add multiple actions for the same file type in one action. Use this tab to add all the actions at once, and then use the Workflow Actions > Main tab to edit them individually if necessary. Best Practice Tip: We recommend that you always add all actions as valid actions for each file type to avoid concern about why an action would not be available to be taken on a file. 1. Click the Workflow Actions tab, then click the EZ-Add tab. The tab displays fields in which you can select a file type or clone from a file type, and displays These actions CANNOT be taken and These actions CAN be taken lists. 2. Complete the following fields (required fields are marked with an asterisk): 94

95 Item Description *File Type Select the file type for which you want to add actions from the drop-down list provided. Clone From Select a file type from which you want to clone actions from the drop-down list provided, then click Go. The These actions CAN be taken list is populated with the actions associated with that file. You can adjust the list manually if necessary; see Step Select the action you want to move from the These actions CANNOT be taken to the These actions CAN be taken list, then click the right arrow to move it. Repeat this step as often as necessary. 4. Click Save. 95

96 Copying a Body Type's Workflow Definitions Overview When creating a new body type, you can copy settings from another body type in Administration. The Copy Body Type feature enables you to copy existing workflow definitions from one body type to another to save time when the new type will hold many of the same characteristics of an existing one. Instead of entering that information from scratch, you can copy data from an existing body type to the new one. This includes agenda definitions, workflow actions, agenda settings, and advanced settings. Adjustments can then be made in the Work Flow Control section of Administration. 1. Create a new body type as you normally would. From the left menu, click Government Bodies. 2. Your existing body types are listed under the Main tab, along with the major details connected to these records in Legistar. Click New to create a new body type. 96

97 3. Enter the basic required details for the body type, including the name, mover and seconder selection, whether this type can control the file, and whether it should show on the web. Ad Hoc Title is optional. Read more information about these details here. 4. Click Save. 97

98 5. Right-click Government Bodies on the left and select Refresh. 6. The new body type now displays under the Bodies list. You must now create bodies or subcommittees to classify by this type. Think of the body type as a category under which you'll create a type or multiple types. The body type will control workflow definitions for the bodies associated with it. Note: When you add a new body, it is extremely important to grant security groups the right to view and edit files and meetings for the body. Otherwise, users won t see the body in the system. See Adding a New Body for instructions. 98

99 7. After you've created bodies or subcommittees to classify under your body type, right-click Work Flow Control and refresh this section as well. 8. Under Work Flow Control, click the new body type you just created. 99

100 9. Rather than entering information from scratch, go to the Copy Body Type data from drop-down menu to select the body type whose characteristics you'd like to apply to the new body type. You'll be able to change what you need after copying that data over. 10. Click Copy. The system may take a few moments as it copies all the data over for Agenda Definitions and Workflow Actions. 100

101 11. Click Okay in the warning box after confirming you're overwriting the correct body type's settings. 12. Refresh Work Flow Control again and then click the new body type again to view the settings that have copied over. 101

102 13. Click Save. 14. You can now make any necessary changes within Work Flow Control. For example, you can remove an agenda section that is not necessary for this body, or change workflow actions for the file types. Any meeting bodies you create under this type will hold the characteristics you've copied and then edited. 102

103 Viewing and Adding Workflow Control Options Use the Workflow Controls screen to view and set up actions, which you use to route files to their next position. For example, if a file has the action of "adopted" taken on it, then the result is typically "passed." In Legistar, you process actions in the Files module for approvals or routing, and on the Actions tab in the Minutes module. Depending on your requirements, some actions require votes or a specific number of votes; other files may not require any votes. Examples of Actions: Action Signed Publish Approve Recommend adoption Description The Mayor indicates he has signed the Legislation The Clerk to publish an Ordinance for a public hearing The Council to approve an Ordinance for second reading A Committee to recommend adoption of a resolution to Council The following table lists pre-existing actions already set up in the system. For each system, the table displays whether or not the action takes target, locks the file, and is a final action/procedural action. For more information on these checkboxes, see Step 3 below: Action Takes Target Locks the File Final Action Procedural Actions Adopted Yes Yes Yes Approved as Amended Yes Yes Approved Yes Yes Yes Referred Yes Approved on first reading Yes Yes 103

104 Approved on second reading Received and filed Yes Yes Recommended for approval Recommended for disapproval Returned without recommendation Amended Tabled Approved on the consent agenda Adjourned Yes Yes 1. From the left menu, click Workflow Control. The Workflow Controls screen is displayed by default. The screen displays the list of previously added actions. 2. Click New. The following fields are displayed: 104

105 3. Complete the following fields and checkboxes (fields with asterisks are required): Item Description *Legistar Action (past tense) Enter the name of the action. This name appears in the database and on displays and reports. Abbreviation Enter an abbreviation of the action that can be used for custom reports and displays. Granicus Action (present tense) Enter a name for exporting to LiveManager; it automatically converts the action to past tense on export. Legistar always works in past tense and LiveManager works in present tense. Active Tense Select this checkbox for the motion string to use the term entered in the active tense, e.g., Pass or Adopt. Leave this checkbox blank if you are using verbiage such as Passed or Adopted. The Active Tense action is the action that needs to map to the actions in LiveManager. This is because Legistar always works in past tense and LiveManager works in present tense. This is done so LiveManager can have correct tense and then Legistar can also use the correct tense. 105

106 Takes Target Select this checkbox if the action requires a "sent to" body to complete the routing of the file. You would typically select this checkbox for the Referred, Scheduled, and Assigned actions. In the Minutes module, the Sent To field on the Actions tab shows the body to which the item is being referred, and will set that body as the controlling bodyfor that item. It is inactive unless the action calls for a target body. Final Action Select this checkbox to populate the Final Action field in the Files module with the date this action was taken. You would typically use this checkbox for the Adopted, Adopted as Amended, and Approved actions. Enactment Number Select this checkbox if the system should assign an enactment number (EN) when this action is taken, e.g., when an item is adopted. The EN is set up for each file type on the Legislative Files screen, and is assigned during minutes processing. There can only be one EN per file and typically the item is final when the EN is present. Lock the File Select this checkbox if the system should automatically lock the legislative file when this action is taken. Locking a file prevents any changes from occurring on the file until it is unlocked. Best Practice Tip: We recommend you always select this checkbox. Procedural Actions Select this checkbox to enable users to process this action as a procedural action. A procedural action is an action taken at a meeting, but not on a legislative file. Examples of these actions include Adjourn, Reconvene from Closed Session, and Suspend the Rules. Selecting this checkbox enables users to edit header level items. 4. Click Save. 106

107 Workflow Control Options by Body Type The body type sections (e.g., Primary Legislative Body, Committee, Board or Commission) describe the heart of the workflow process for Legistar. Each body type section lists the workflow controls appropriate to that body type. For example, the section called Committee stores the agenda generation template and rules for the generation of any committee agenda, and maintains all the workflow rules describing the actions that can be taken by any committee on file types, and the corresponding results. Each of the body type sections has the same set of tabs: Agenda Definitions (Agenda Settings and Advanced Settings) Workflow Actions If a body type will have many similar characteristics of an existing one, you can copy a body type's workflow control options to save time over creating them from scratch. Note: Only those bodies that hold meetings that are supported by the Legistar agenda management process have entries in the Agenda Definitions tab; these entries describe how their agendas are generated and formatted. Specifying Agenda Settings by Body Type Use the Agenda Settings screen to define the outline for the agenda. The outline includes headings, rules, and other text that is on the agenda every time it is generated. During the automatic agenda generation, the program processes each header line according to its controlling logic. Enter all headings in agenda definitions in the order that they are on the agenda from the first order of business to adjournment. Legistar pulls legislative files from the database and inserts them under the appropriate agenda header lines if those files match the settings in the Body, File Type, and File Status fields for the header line. For example, if line 765 with the section header Recommendations of the Rules Committee lists Rules Committee, Ordinance, and First Reading for the Body, File Type, and File Status fields respectively, then the program locates all Ordinances on First Reading with a controlling body of Rules Committee, and places them under this heading in file number order. To Specify Agenda Settings: 1. From the left menu, click Workflow Control, then click the government body for which you want to specify agenda settings. The Agenda Definitions > Agenda Settings tab is displayed by default. The screen displays a list of previously added settings. 107

108 2. Click New. The following fields display: 3. Complete the following fields and checkboxes (fields with asterisks are required): Item Description Sequence Assign a sequence number to each section heading to determine its order on the agenda. To enable you to add new items without renumbering the entire sequence, we recommend that you assign the sequence numbers as follows: 5, 10, 15, etc. Force Header Select this checkbox to print the section heading even if there are no files listed below the heading. If you leave this checkbox 108

109 blank, the section heading only prints if there are legislative files found by the system that match the data retrieval logic for this line. Examples of section headings for which you would select the Force Header checkbox: CALL TO ORDER, INVOCATION, APPROVAL OF MINUTES, ADJOURNMENT. *Body Type This is a read-only field, which displays the body that you have selected. Agenda Number Enter the number this section will have on the agenda form and print on the report. The number can be in numeric or alphabetical format. Users can change the number manually on the Agenda and Minutes screens. Section Header Enter the heading that displays on the form and prints on the report. Examples: APPROVAL OF MEETING MINUTES, UNFINISHED BUSINESS. Style Select the heading style i.e. the format and position of the heading from the drop-down list provided. This field previews what each style looks like. Use the Header Styles screen in the Workflow Controls section to set up header styles. Section Footer Enter the section footer, which displays at the end of the section. Controlling Body Select a controlling body from the drop-down list provided. The controlling body enables the grouping of items by committee or department names that report on the primary legislative body's agenda. File Type Select a legislative file type from the drop-down list provided. The file type enables users to indicate which status to use under this heading. 109

110 Note: Users can pull in items by file type without selecting a status and vice versa. Use the Legislative Files screen to set up the file types that will be available in this field. It s possible to create a new file type from the Agenda Settings screen as follows: 1. Click the appropriate plus sign beside the field. 2. Click New, and add the new record. 3. Click Save, then click Go Back. The new record is now available in the drop-down list. Select a legislative file status from the drop-down list provided. The file status enables users to specify the status of the file type. Note: Users can pull in items by file status without selecting a type and vice versa. File Status Use the File Statuses tab in the Legislative Files section to set up the file statuses that will be available in this field. It s possible to create a new file status from the Agenda Settings screen as follows: 1. Click the appropriate plus sign beside the field. 2. Click New, and add the new record. 3. Click Save, then click Go Back. The new record is now available in the drop-down list. 4. Click Save. Specifying Advanced Agenda Settings by Body Type 1. From the left menu, click Workflow Control, click the government body for which you want to specify advanced agenda settings, then click the Advanced Settings tab. The Advanced Settings screen is displayed. 110

111 2. Select an agenda item, and complete the following fields: Item Description Edit Standard Paragraph Enter additional text to display on the agenda. Typically, this text is for informational purposes regarding procedures during the meeting. Edit SQL This field should be used only by Granicus or by a system administrator who has had advanced training from Granicus on this function. 3. Click Save. 111

112 Running Reports from the Workflow Controls Section It s possible to run the following reports from the Workflow Controls section: Report Description Actions Displays a list of all existing workflow actions in the system in alphabetical order, based on the Workflow Control screen. Information includes the action name, whether or not taking this action populates the Final Action field in the Files module with the date this action was taken, whether or not the system should assign an enactment number when this action is taken, whether or not the system should automatically lock the legislative file when this action is taken, whether or not the action requires a "sent to" body to complete the routing of the file, whether or not the action is in the active tense, and the sort order of the action. To run this report: 1. From the left menu, click Workflow Control. 2. Click Report. Agenda Definitions Displays a list of all existing agenda definitions in the system for a specific body type, based on the Workflow Controls > Agenda Definitions screen for that body type. Information includes the section ID, section header, whether or not the section header prints if there are no legislative files associated with that section, and the sort order of the section. Additionally, the report lists valid actions for the section. 112

113 To run this report: 1. From the left menu, click Workflow Control > [Body Type]. 2. Click Report, then select Agenda Definitions Report. Valid Actions Listing Displays a list of all valid actions for a specific body type, based on the Workflow Controls > Workflow Actions screen for that body type. For each file type, information includes the action name, status, status on pass, status on fail, and whether or not this is a standard action. To run this report: 1. From the left menu, click Workflow Control > [Body Type]. 2. Click Report, then select Valid Actions Listing. 113

114 Votes and Attendance Settings Use the Votes and Attendance section to control how attendance and votes are displayed and printed on various reports in Legistar. This section also enables you to control the formatting of meeting member names in reports. Settings can be different for each body type. Use the Default Display Settings screen to establish the generic format that will be used everywhere if there is no specified format, and then use the body type screens only if you want specific body type formats to be different from the standard or default for your entire organization. Otherwise, you do not need to make any other entries. If you click a body type that does not have any entries, the system prompts you to copy the default display settings to this body type. If you wish to make any exceptions for a particular body type, click Yes and make the appropriate changes. 114

115 Configuring Default Display Settings for Attendance Use the Attendance Format screen to configure the default attendance format that the system uses on minutes reports when a body doesn t have a specific format. The left side of the screen includes settings that enable you to configure how you would like attendance to be displayed on your Minutes reports. The right side of the screen includes settings that enable you to configure how the voting members names display in attendance lists on your Minutes reports. 1. From the left menu, click Votes and Attendance Settings, then click Default Display Settings. 2. Click the Attendance Format tab. The Attendance Format screen is displayed by default. 3. Configure the following settings (settings with an asterisk are required): Setting Description 115

116 *Display Select Attendees and Tally to display both the attendee names and tally on the roll call, select Attendees to display only attendee names on the roll call, or select Tally to display only the attendance tally on the roll call. *Tally Format Select Horizontal to list attendees names in a string across the page, or select Vertical to display attendees names in a list under the attendance type. *Show Attendance Types In Tally Select Yes to display the attendance type as a label in front of the list of attendees, or select No to not do this. *Format Select Singular for the display to use the singular form of the attendance type as a label, or select Plural for the display to use the plural form of the attendance type as a label. Use the Vote and Attendance Types screen in the Work Flow Options section to specify the singular and plural forms. Separate Attendance Types With Specify how you to separate the attendance type label from the attendance either the tally or the names depending on your selection in the Display setting above. Example: Use a colon. Prefix All Attendances With Enter the text you would like to display at the beginning of the attendance (before the attendance type is displayed), or leave this setting blank. Prefix All Names With Enter the text you would like to display as the attendee s title before the name of each attendee. Typically, you specify the title on the right side of the screen, where you have more control over the formatting used for each member type. Separate Names With Specify how you would like to separate the names of attendees in the list; for example, they can be separated by a comma or semicolon. Note: Make sure to add a blank space after the separator. 116

117 Replace Last Separator With Use this setting to add, and before the last name in the list (for example: Chair Johnson, Council Member Hernandez, and Council Member Smith). Note: Make sure to add a blank space after the separator. 4. On the right side of the screen, select each Member Type (i.e., Chair, Vice Chair, or Member), then configure the following settings: 5. Click Preview to see an example of your chosen configuration. 6. Click Save after you ve configured both the attendance and member type settings. 117

118 Configuring Default Display Settings for Votes Use the Vote Format screen to configure the default vote format that the system uses on minutes reports when a body doesn t have a specific format. The left side of the screen includes settings that enable you to configure how you would like the vote to be displayed on your Minutes reports. The right side of the screen includes settings that enable you to configure how the voting members names will display in voter lists on the Minutes report. 1. From the left menu, click Votes and Attendance Settings, then click Default Display Settings. The Vote Format screen is displayed by default. 2. Configure the following settings (settings with an asterisk are required): Setting Description 118

119 *Display Select Voter Names and Tally to display both the voter names and tally on a vote, select Voter Names to display only voter names on the vote, or select Tally to display only the vote tally on a vote. *Tally Format Select Horizontal to list voters names in a string across the page, or select Vertical to display voters names in a list under the vote type. *Show Vote Types In Tally Select Yes to display the vote type as a label in front of the votes, or select No to not do this. *Format Select Singular for the display to use the singular form of the vote type as a label, or select Plural for the display to use the plural form of the vote type as a label. Use the Vote and Attendance Types screen in the Work Flow Options section to specify the singular and plural forms. Separate Vote Types With Specify how you to separate the vote type label from the votes either the tally or the names depending on your selection in the Display setting above. Example: Use a colon. Prefix All Votes With Enter the text you would like to display at the beginning of the vote (before the vote type is displayed), or leave this setting blank. Prefix All Names With Enter the text you would like to display as the voting member s title before the name of each voting member displayed. Typically, you specify the title on the right side of the screen, where you have more control over the formatting used for each member type. Separate All Names With Specify how you would like to separate the names of voting members in the list; for example, they can be separated by a comma or semicolon. Note: Make sure to add a blank space after the separator. 119

120 Replace Last Separator With Use this setting to add, and before the last name in the list (for example: Chair Johnson, Council Member Hernandez, and Council Member Smith). Note: Make sure to add a blank space after the separator. 3. On the right side of the screen, select each Member Type (i.e., Chair, Vice Chair, or Member), then configure the following settings: Setting Description Display Select a display name format to determine how the names will display in voter lists on the Minutes report, including whether or not they will include titles. Title Format Select Personal Title to display the voting member s personal title, i.e., Mr., Mrs., or Dr., or select Office Title to display the voting member s office title, i.e., Chair, Councilwoman, or Council Member. Use the Government Bodies > Office Members tab for each body to set up titles for each member. You can also select No Title, or select Others and enter a title in the Title field. Title If you selected Others in the Title Format field, enter a specific title to use for the selected member type in voter lists. 120

121 4. Click Preview to see an example of your chosen configuration. 5. Click Save after you ve configured both the vote and member type settings. 121

122 Specifying Vote and Attendance Settings by Body Type After you ve created your default display settings, all of your body types will automatically use them as a template. If you want to create vote and attendance settings that are specific to an individual body type, complete all of the above steps after selecting that body from the left navigation. For example, if you want to configure your City Council differently from the default display settings, complete the following steps: 1. From the left menu, click Primary Legislative Body under Vote and Attendance Settings. The system prompts you to load the default vote and attendance settings for this body, since none exist. 2. Click Yes for both prompts. 3. Edit the settings on the Vote Format tab, then click Save. 4. Edit the settings on the Attendance Format tab, then click Save. The following figure illustrates a portion of the Vote Format screen for the Primary Legislative Body: 122

123 Approval Tracking Use the Approval Tracking section to do the following: Set up approval sequences and add approval members to a sequence Set up templates and add variables to templates Approval Tracking Prerequisites Section Prerequisites Each approver must be registered as a person. Make sure you have added the following data for each approver in the People section: Name (Main tab) People preference for ing notifications (Main tab) Approver checkbox must be selected (Main tab) Alternate Approver, which is the backup approver--each approver must have a backup approver (Main tab) Department for grouping of sequences, which allows departments to only see their own approvals (Main tab) Address for ing notifications (Address tab) 123

124 Viewing and Adding Approval Sequences Use the Approval Sequences screen to set up approval sequences. 1. From the left menu, click Approval Tracking, then click Approval Master. The Approval Sequence screen is displayed by default. The screen displays a list of previously added approval sequences. 2. Click New. The following fields display: 3. Complete the following fields (fields marked with asterisks are required): Item Description *Approval Sequence Enter a name for the approval sequence. In the Files module, users can select approval sequences from the drop-down menu 124

125 available when they click Add Sequence under the Approval Tracking tab. File Type If you want to make the sequence exclusively available to users drafting a specific file type, select the file type from the dropdown list available in this field. This helps reduce the number of sequence options available to drafters in order, and avoids confusion. Use the Legislative Files section to set up the file types that will be available in this field. Sequence Owner If you want to make the sequence exclusively available to a specific user (based upon login ID) or body, select the name of the user or body from the drop-down list available in this field. Selecting a body limits the sequence to members of that body. The most common use for this field is to select drafters departments. This limits sequences to each drafter s department. Approved File Status Select the approved file status from the drop-down list available. Use the File Statuses screen in the Legislative File section to set up the file statuses that will be available in this field. 4. Click Save. The next step is to add approval members to the sequence. 125

126 Adding Approval Members Use the Approval Members screen to add approval members to an approval sequence, and set the default order for an approval sequence. 1. From the left menu, click Approval Tracking, then click Approval Master. 2. Select the sequence to which you want add approval members, then click the Approval Members tab. 3. Click New. The following fields are displayed: 4. Complete the following fields (fields marked with asterisks are required): Item Description *Approver Select the name of the individual you want to include in the approval sequence. *Due Days Enter the number of days the individual will have to review the item they are requested to approve. * Template Select the template that Legistar should use to notify the approver either to take and action, or an FYI that the file is in an approval process. *Action Type Select the setting that determines whether or not the individual is required to take action on the file in the approval sequence. FYI individuals will not be required to approve or disapprove the file. 5. Click Save. The following figure illustrates an approval sequence: 126

127 6. The # column determines the order in which the individuals must approve. If you want to add someone to a position in the list that is occupied, add a new person using the steps detailed above to add the person to the bottom of the list. Then use the up arrow on the right side of the list pane to move this person up to the correct position. You can also highlight any person in the list and use the arrows to rearrange that person's position in the sequence. Note: If an asterisk (*) appears for an individual, this indicates the individual is either (a) an FYI notification, or (b) someone who is immediately notified of the file s existence, and can approve of the file at any time during the process. 127

128 Viewing and Adding Templates Use the Templates screen to view and add templates. s are sent to the appropriate users when actions are taken on the Approvals screen. The system determines the template to use based upon your system settings for Approval Tracking. 1. From the left menu, click Approval Tracking, then click Templates. The screen displays a list of previously added templates. 2. Click New. The following fields display: 128

129 3. Complete the following fields and checkboxes (required fields are denoted with an asterisk): Item Description * Template Name Enter a name for the template. Legistar uses this name when choosing the templates to send during approvals. Template Subject Enter the text that you want to appear in the subject line of the template. Text Enter the text that you want to appear in the body of the template. Use in Sequences Select this checkbox to use this template in approval sequences. For example, this checkbox is selected for the Individual Review Request template or the FYI template. Template Variable Select one or more template variables from the drop-down list available. Use the Template Variables screen to set up these variables. 4. Click Save. 129

130 Viewing Template Variables Use the Template Variables screen to view template variables. When you add a variable to an text template, the system automatically includes the information contained in the variable in the . See the table on the next page for examples of template variables. 1. From the left menu, click Approval Tracking, then click Template Variables. 2. Select a template variable to view the variable name and description in the Template Variable and Description fields respectively. The list of template variables displays in the right window pane of the screen. 130

131 Examples of Template Variables: This table lists existing template variables, and describes the fields from which the variables pull the relevant information: Variable Description Action Date Pulls from the Final Action field for the relevant file in the Files module. Action Note Pulls from the Notes field under the Approval Tracking > Approve tab. Approver Pulls from the Approver Name field under the Approval Tracking > Manage tab in the Files module. Disapprover Pulls from the Approver Name field under the Approval Tracking > Manage tab in the Files module, when an approver has disapproved a file. File ID Pulls from the File ID field for the relevant file in the Files module. File Status Pulls from the Status field for the relevant file in the Files module. File Type Pulls from the Type field for the relevant file in the Files module. Mailto: Requestor Address Pulls from the field for the designated individual, which is under the Address tab in the People section of Administration. Requestor Pulls from the Requester field under the Approval Tracking > Manage tab in the Files module. The requester is the person who initiates the approvals process. Target Agenda Date Pulls from the Agenda Date field for the relevant file in the Files module. Title Pulls from the Title field for the relevant file in the Files module. 131

132 132

133 Running Reports from the Approval Tracking System It s possible to run the following reports from the Approval Tracking section: Report Description Approval Action Displays a list of all existing approval actions in the system in alphabetical order, based on the Approval Tracking > Approval Action screen. Information includes the action name, action type, and whether or not the action requires notes. To run this report: 1. From the left menu, click Approval Tracking > Approval Action. 2. Click Report, then select Approval Action. Approval Sequence Displays a list of all existing approval sequences in the system in alphabetical order, based on the Approval Tracking > Approval Master screen. Information includes the sequence name, and the file type and owner. For each number in the sequence, information includes the approver, the number of days they have to approve the file, and the request type. To run this report: 1. From the left menu, click Approval Tracking > Approval Master. 2. Click Report, then select Approval Sequence. Template Displays a list of all existing templates set up in the system, based on the Approval Tracking > Template screen. Information includes the template name, what it s used for, and the subject and body text of the template. 133

134 To run this report: 1. From the left menu, click Approval Tracking > Templates. 2. Click Report, then select Templates. 134

135 System Security Legistar classifies users into security groups, and establishes profiles of data and program access for each group. Administrators assign each user to a security group, and the user inherits all the data and program access permissions of his or her group. This section describes how to set up security groups. how to set up users, and how to create users for specific security groups. 135

136 Viewing and Creating Security Groups Use the Security Features screen in the System Security section to create security groups, and assign access rights and body security permissions to those groups. 1. From the left menu, click System Security, then Security Features. The Functional List tab is displayed by default. This tab enables you to specify the level of access each security group will have in the Legistar system. The list is divided into the following categories: Administration, General, Legislative Files, Meeting Agendas, Meeting Minutes, Reports, View Approvals, Media Integration, and InSite. Colors have specific meanings on this screen: Color Description Green The group has access to all functions in that category. Grey The group has access to one or more, but not all, functions in that category. You can expand the category to see which functions are allowed. Red The group has no access to that category at all. The following figure illustrates the Functional List tab before you select a security group: 136

137 2. Click the plus sign to the right of the User Group field. The Group Name field is displayed: 3. Enter a name for the security group in the Group Name field, and click Save. Repeat for each new group. 4. Click Go Back to return to the Functional List tab. 5. Select the group you created from the drop-down list provided in the User Group field. 137

138 6. (Optional) If the new group has the same or similar security profile to one that is already created, select the existing group from the drop-down list provided in the Clone Security Settings field, then click Copy to copy all permissions from this group. This is a shortcut that enables you to quickly create a new security group based on the security profile of an existing group, and then make changes to the new group as required. 7. Do one or more of the following: To... Do This... Grant this security group access to all categories and functions Click Grant All. Grant this security group access to a specific category and all functions within that category Select the checkbox associated with the category. The category turns green. Grant this security group access to specific functions within a category, but not the entire category Click the plus sign associated with the category to open the list of functions, and select the checkboxes associated with the functions. The functions turn green, and the category turns grey. The functions you don t select turn red. Revoke this security group s access to all categories and functions Click Revoke All. Examples: The following figure illustrates how the Functional List might look for an Agenda & Minutes Creators security group. In this example, the Agenda & Minutes Creators group has access to all functions within the Reports, View Approvals, 138

139 Media Integration, and InSite categories, and does not have access to any functions within the Administration category. The group has access to one or more functions (but not all functions) in the General, Legislative Files, Meeting Agendas, and Meeting Minutes categories. The following figure illustrates the expanded Legislative Files category for the Agenda & Minutes Creators security group. In this example, the Agenda & Minutes Creators group has access to all functions aside from Delete Legislative Files. 139

140 The following figure illustrates how the Functional List might look for a Department Drafter security group. In this example, the Department Drafter group has access to all functions within the InSite category, and does not have access to any functions within the Administration or Media Integration categories. The security group has access to one or more functions (but not all functions) in the General, Legislative Files, Meeting Agendas, Meeting Minutes, Reports, and View Approvals categories. The following figure illustrates the expanded Meeting Agendas and Meeting Minutes categories for the Department Drafter security group. In this example, the Department Drafter group has access to the View Meeting Agenda Reports and View Meeting Agenda (final) functions in the Meeting Agendas category, and the View Meeting Minutes (final) and View Meeting Minutes Reports functions in the Meeting Minutes category. 140

141 8. Select the Body Security tab. This tab enables you to specify the type of access each security group has to meeting agendas and minutes, and legislative files (which are controlled by specific bodies). The following figure illustrates the tab before you have selected any checkboxes: 9. Do one or more of the following: To... Do This... View and edit all meetings and files associated with all bodies Click Grant All. View and edit all meetings and files associated with specific bodies Select the appropriate checkboxes in the All column. 141

142 View meetings associated with specific bodies Select the appropriate checkboxes in the View Meetings column. Edit meetings associated with specific bodies Select the appropriate checkboxes in the Edit Meetings column. View files associated with specific bodies Select the appropriate checkboxes in the View Files column. Edit files associated with specific bodies Select the appropriate checkboxes in the Edit Files column. Revoke all permissions Click Revoke All. Important Notes: In most cases, you only select checkboxes associated with meeting bodies, and you don t select checkboxes associated with departments. The one exception is if you organize your agendas by department or have security groups for each department. Bodies that are unchecked do not show up in drop-down lists associated with the In Control field in the Files module or Meeting For the fields in the Agendas and Minutes modules. Examples: The following figure illustrates how the Body Security tab might look for an Agenda & Minutes Creators security group. In this example, the security group can view and edit all meetings and files for all bodies aside from the Clerk s Office. The security group cannot view or edit any meetings or files controlled by the Clerk s Office. 142

143 The following figure illustrates how the Body Security tab might look for a Department Drafters security group. In this example, the security group can view all meetings for all bodies except the Clerk s Office, but cannot edit meetings for any bodies. This security group can view and edit files for all bodies except the Clerk s Office. 143

144 144

145 Viewing and Creating User Accounts Use the User Accounts screen in the System Security section to create and maintain user accounts, reset their passwords, and activate or deactivate accounts. 1. From the left menu, click System Security, then User Accounts. The User Accounts screen is displayed. This screen displays a list of all existing users, regardless of their security groups; this is useful when you want to find a specific user but you don t know his or her security group. 2. Click New. The following fields are displayed: 3. Complete the following fields and checkboxes (fields with asterisks are required): Item Description *User Name Select a user name from the drop-down list provided. Use the People section to set up the person records that will be available in this field. 145

146 It s possible to create a new person record from the User Accounts screen as follows: a. Click the plus sign beside the field, then click New, and add the new record. b. Click Save, then click Go Back. The new record is now available in the drop-down list. Select a security group from the drop-down list provided. This is the group through which the user gains his or her access rights to the system. *Security Group Use the Security Features section to set up the security groups that will be available in this field. You can create a new security group from the User Accounts screen as follows: a. Click the plus sign beside the field, then click New, and add the new record. b. Click Save, then click Go Back. The new record is now available in the drop-down list. Active Status This checkbox is selected by default. Deselect the checkbox only if you want to de-activate a user who no longer needs access to the system. After you deactivate the user here, you should clear the Active checkbox for their Person record on the People screen (Main tab). Note: To display all users, whether Active or Inactive status, click the Tools menu and clear the Show Active Users Only menu item. Last Password Change This field stores a log of the date when you last changed that user's password. This is an informational field only, but it can help you keep track of how often you are changing user passwords. *Logon Name Enter a logon name for the user. This is the name the user will use to sign in to the system. *Set Password For new accounts, the password is automatically set to password by default. When a user logs on for the first time, he or she should change this password, which has a maximum of twelve characters. The system displays the date of this password change on the User Accounts screen. *Confirm Password Make sure to enter the same password entered in the Set Password field. 146

147 Login Limit Set a login limit for each user. This is the number of times the same user can be logged into the system concurrently (e.g., on a computer at home and in the office). This is turned off by default. 4. Click Save. Note: System administrators can see a list of users currently logged on by clicking the Tools menu and selecting Currently Logged On. 147

148 Viewing and Creating User Accounts for a Specific Security Group It s possible to select a specific security group from the left menu to display only the users who belong to that group, and create a new user account from this security group screens. You can also use the EZ- Edit tab to add multiple users to the group in one action, then use the Main tab to edit them individually if necessary. 1. From the left menu, click System Security > User Accounts, and click a security group. The screen displays a list of all existing users who belong to that group. The following figure illustrates the screen for the Agenda & Minutes Creators group: 2. To add more users to the group in one action, click the EZ-Edit tab. The tab displays Non-Members and Current Active Members lists. 3. Do one or more of the following: To... Do This

149 Move an individual non-member to the Current Active Members list Select the member name and click Move all non-members to the Current Active Members list Click Move an active member to the non-members list Select the member name and click Move all active members to the non-members list Click 4. Click Save. 5. Click the Main tab and edit individual user accounts if necessary. 149

150 System Settings System settings affect the way the Legistar program works in many ways, and you use them to specify your local system preferences. Usually, you specify system settings during set up and rarely change them afterwards. Almost all of the system settings require you to enter a value for the system to work correctly; there is a default value for each setting. You should contact Granicus for advice if any of the settings are blank. For convenience, we have grouped system settings by function area: Settings Group Description General Settings that apply to the entire system or to more than one section. Legislative Files Settings that apply to the Files module. Agendas Settings that apply to the Agendas module. Minutes Settings that apply to the Minutes module. Vote Actions Settings that apply to Vote Actions. File Locations Meeting Settings that apply to file locations such as export and import folders. Settings relating to meetings in LiveManager. Color Settings Settings that apply to the colors that are displayed in various places in the system. Approval Tracking Settings that apply to the Approval Tracking Process. 150

151 Local Settings Legistar Administration Guide Throughout the setting groups, some of the setting names appear in Bold. This indicates that the system applies the setting value to any new user account created by the system administrator, but the individual user may change his or her local setting at any time. If the system administrator subsequently changes a setting in bold, it will apply to any new user after that, but the change will not affect any existing user accounts. To change a local setting: 1. Click the Tools menu from the Home module in Legistar and select Local Settings. 2. Click the appropriate menu title on the Personal Settings tab to open the setting you want to change. 3. Change the appropriate setting, and click Save. 151

152 General Settings 1. From the left menu, click System Settings. The General settings are displayed by default. The following figure illustrates these settings: 2. Review the following settings (use the arrow pointing downwards to scroll down to see some of them): Name Description/Function Default Setting 152

153 Auto Save If set to YES, any changes made to Legistar data will automatically save when you exit the program. However, you should occasionally click Save when working in Legistar. Each user may change this setting for his or her account if necessary. Click the Tools menu and select Local Settings. Click the General menu title on the Personal Settings tab, change the Auto Save setting, and click Save. YES Calendar Display If set to YES, the Calendar tab within the Agendas and Minutes modules displays data from the default date ranges set in Personal Settings > Agendas and Personal Settings > Minutes respectively. If set to NO, then the Calendar tab does not use the specified date ranges and displays all meetings in the database. Each user may change this setting for his or her account if necessary. Click the Tools menu and select Local Settings. Click the General menu title on the Personal Settings tab, change the Calendar Display setting, and click Save. YES Default Administration Report Format Specifies the format for reports generated from Administration. The available options are PDF and MS-Word. PDF Default Address Specifies the default address to which from Legistar is initially addressed. Use this setting to send reports or text to a specific address. When you create the , you may edit the addressee. customercare@granicus.com Default Attachment Format Specifies the format for reports generated from Legistar and redirected from the Legistar print command to as an attachment. The available options are PDF and MS-Word. PDF Default Body Text Specifies the text that is automatically included in the body of an when users Legistar reports. Users may edit this text before sending the . A Legistar report is attached. Please review. Display Format Specifies the format of how the user name is displayed throughout Legistar. FIRST NAME displays the person s first name, LAST NAME displays the person s last name, and DISPLAY NAME displays the person s first and last name. DISPLAY NAME 153

154 Print Attachment with Agenda and Minutes If set to YES, the system prints attachments with the agenda and minutes. YES Recent Files Limit Sets the default number of files that appear under the Recent lists (Recent Agendas, Recent Files, and Recent Minutes) in the Home module. The minimum is 1 and the maximum is 25. Each user may change this setting for his or her account if necessary. Click the Tools menu and select Local Settings. Click the General menu title on the Personal Settings tab, change the Recent Files Limit setting, and click Save. 10 Search Results Threshold Sets the maximum number of files retrieved within the Search feature. If there are additional files available outside of the set search threshold, users receive a message prompting them to display all search results. Each user may change this setting for his or her account if necessary. Click the Tools menu and select Local Settings. Click the General menu title on the Personal Settings tab, change the Search Results Threshold setting, and click Save. 200 Use Microsoft Word as the Text Editor If set to YES, Legistar uses Microsoft Word as the editor for the drafting of legislative text in the Files module. If set to NO, Legistar uses the Legistar RTF text editor for that purpose. Note: Regardless of the editor, Legistar stores and displays the actual text of legislative files as RTF in all displays and reports. Therefore, you should use only those text attributes that are supported by both RTF and the Legistar Report writer when you edit text in Microsoft Word. YES Show History Tab If set to YES, Legistar displays the History tab in the Files module. If set to NO, this tab is not visible in the Files module. YES Show Attachment Tab If set to YES, Legistar displays the Attachment tab in the Files module. If set to NO, this tab is not visible in the Files module. YES Show Association Tab If set to YES, Legistar displays the Association tab in the Files module. If set to NO, this tab is not visible in the Files module. YES 154

155 Show Details Tab If set to YES, Legistar displays the Details tab in the Files module. If set to NO, this tab is not visible in the Files module. YES Show Info1 Tab If set to YES, Legistar displays the Info1 tab in the Files module. If set to NO, this tab is not visible in the Files module. Use the Info 1 Tab Caption Legislative Files setting to set the name for this tab. NO Show Info2 Tab If set to YES, Legistar displays the Info2 tab in the Files module. If set to NO, this tab is not visible in the Files module. NO Use the Info 2 Tab Caption Legislative Files setting to set the name for this tab. Show Non Meeting Bodies On The InSite Calendar If set to YES, Legistar displays non-meeting bodies on the InSite calendar. If set to NO, Legistar does not display these bodies on the InSite calendar. NO Work Style If set to YES, a rich text format is used to display the meeting data with which you are working in the Agendas and Minutes modules. This display is NOT a preview of your final agendas or minutes document. If set to NO, then Legistar displays all agenda lines as plain text. Each user may change this setting for his or her account if necessary. Click the Tools menu and select Local Settings. Click the General menu title on the Personal Settings tab, change the Work Style setting, and click Save. YES Additional Home Screen Help Menu Item Text Use this field to insert the name of an additional item into the Help Menu; e.g., a user guide written by your own organization. No value entered Additional Home Screen Help Menu Item URL Use this field to enter the URL to which the item you selected in the Additional Home Screen Help Menu Item Text field links, e.g., the link to your organization s user guide. No value entered Restrict Agenda Date Selection If set to YES, the system allows users to only pick an agenda date of an already-scheduled meeting. YES 155

156 3. When you change a setting, click Save and then click Exit to exit Administration. Click the Tools menu in Legistar, and select Refresh Administration for your changes to take effect in the system. 156

157 Legislative Files Settings 1. Click the Legislative Files menu title to open the Legislative Files settings. The following figure illustrates these settings. 157

158 2. Review the following settings (use the arrow pointing downwards to scroll down to see some of them): Name Description/Function Initial Setting Add Contact on Add New File If set to YES, Legistar displays the address for the user who clicked the New button. The address is pulled from the user s 1 field on the People screen (Address tab). Prerequisite: You must enter the address for the user on the People > Address tab. YES Allow View Attachment Via Web Default If set to YES, then the Show this Attachment on Internet Reports checkbox on the Attachments tab in the Files module is selected by default, and any new attachment added to a legislative file is viewable on the InSite web portal by default. Users must deselect the checkbox for attachments that should not be viewable on the InSite web portal. YES Matter Not Viewable Via Web Default If set to YES, newly created legislative files are not viewable on the InSite web portal, and will remain that way through drafting, approvals, and the draft agenda. Once the draft agenda has been finalized, the system automatically deselects the checkbox. YES Default Body Sponsor Specifies the default body sponsor that appears in the Sponsor field on the Associations tab in the Files module. Each user may change this setting for his or her account if necessary. Click the Tools menu and select Local Settings. Click the Legislative Files menu title on the Personal Settings tab, change the Default Body Sponsor setting, and click Save. NONE Default File Controlling Body Sets the default controlling body for a new user account, which in turn becomes the controlling body for any legislative file created by that user. This selection appears in the In Control field when users generate a new legislative file in the Files module. City Council 158

159 Each user may change this setting for his or her account if necessary. Click the Tools menu and select Local Settings. Click the Legislative Files menu title on the Personal Settings tab, change the Default File Controlling Body setting, and click Save. Default File Status Sets the default status for a new legislative file. System administrators can edit the available default status options using the File Status field in the Legislative Files > File Statuses section of Administration. Examples of file statuses include Draft, Passed, Adopted, etc. If you use approval tracking, this should say Draft. Draft Each user may change this setting for his or her account if necessary. Click the Tools menu and select Local Settings. Click the Legislative Files menu title on the Personal Settings tab, change the Default File Status setting, and click Save. Default File Type Sets the default file type for a new legislative file. System administrators can edit the available default file type options using the Type Name field in the Legislative Files section of Administration. File types include resolution, ordinance, proclamation, appointment, etc. Resolution Each user may change this setting for his or her account if necessary. Click the Tools menu and select Local Settings. Click the Legislative Files menu title on the Personal Settings tab, change the Default File Type setting, and click Save. Default Name Sponsor Sets the individual sponsor for legislative files. The file s sponsors are displayed in the Sponsors field on the Associations tab in the Files module. You can enable individuals as sponsors in the Sponsor Type field for any legislative bodies in the Government Bodies > Bodies section. NONE Each user may change this setting for his or her account if necessary. Click the Tools menu and select Local Settings. Click the Legislative Files menu title on the 159

160 Personal Settings tab, change the Default Name Sponsor setting, and click Save. File Draft Status The status of the legislative file when it is being drafted. You can control access to files of this status in the System Security > Security Features section. Draft Print Attachment With Reports Default Sets the default for the automatic printing of attachments with the appropriately enabled reports. If set to YES, then attached documents are set to print with reports. YES Show Tool Tip in File Display Enables you to mouse-over a field and receive a definition for that field. This is only applicable if help text has been entered for the field in the Label Settings > Legislative Files section (Help Text field). Text Editor Default Font Specifies the font that is automatically selected for use in the Legistar RTF text editor. Users may set this to any available font within the text editor. Arial Text Editor Default Font Size Specifies the default font size for the Legistar RTF text editor. 12 Info 1 Tab Caption Specifies the label used on the first locally defined tab in the Files module. The Show Info1 Tab General setting specifies whether or not this tab is visible. Info 1 Info 2 Tab Caption Specifies the label used on the second locally defined tab in the Files module. The Show Info2 Tab General setting specifies whether or not this tab is visible. Info 2 Assign File ID as Specifies the type of File ID that Legistar automatically assigns to new files created in the Files module. If set to None, then Legistar prompts the user to select the File ID before saving the record. Permanent File ID 160

161 Allow save Null value for Required File ID Specifies whether or not Legistar allows blank file IDs (i.e., files that have no number assigned). YES Approval Tracking Tab Caption Sets the name for the Approval Tracking tab in the Files module. Approval Tracking Details Tab Caption Sets the name for the Details tab in the Files module. Details Legislative Files Tab Order Sets the order of the tabs from left to right in the Files module. Example: See example TextFile Attachments Associations Details SupplementalInfo1 SupplementalInfo2 Approva Tracking History Attachments Tab Caption Sets the name for the Attachments tab in the Files module. Attachments Text File Tab Caption Sets the name for the Text File tab in the Files module. Text File Associations Tab Caption Sets the name for the Associations tab in the Files module. Associations History Tab Caption Sets the name for the History tab in the Files module. History 3. When you change a setting, click Save and then click Exit to exit Administration. Click the Tools menu in Legistar, and select Refresh Administration for your changes to take effect in the system. 161

162 Agenda Settings 1. Click the Agendas menu title to open the agenda settings. The following figure illustrates these settings: 2. Review the following settings: Name Description/Function Initial Setting Agenda Draft Status Specifies the draft status of the agenda, which is the status an agenda should be in to prevent users from viewing it until it is ready to be published. Draft Beginning Date Range For Calendar Sets a specific time frame for displaying past agendas on the Calendar tab in the Agendas module. Enter a number, and the Calendar tab displays all of the agendas starting with this many days before the current

163 date. For example, if you enter 90, the Calendar tab displays all agendas from the current date to 90 days before the current date. If you do not specify a number in the Beginning Date Range For Calendar and Ending Date Range For Calendar settings, then the Calendar tab displays only agendas for the current date. Default Meeting Body Specifies the default meeting body for any new user account, which in turn becomes the meeting body for any new meeting record created by that user. Each user may change this setting for his or her account if necessary. Click the Tools menu and select Local Settings. Click the Agendas menu title on the Personal Settings tab, change the Default Meeting Body setting, and click Save. City Council Ending Date Range For Calendar Sets a specific time frame for displaying future agendas on the Calendar tab in the Agendas module. Enter a number, and the Calendar tab displays all of the agendas ending with this many days after the current date. For example, if you enter 90, the Calendar tab displays all agendas from the current date to 90 days in the future. If you do not specify a number in the Beginning Date Range For Calendar and Ending Date Range For Calendar settings, then the Calendar tab displays only agendas for the current date. 90 Print Attachments Cover Page As Specifies the type of report that prints as the cover page for each agenda item packet when printing attachments, or when using the Agenda Packet button to create an electronic Packet. Text File Report Print Cover Page Without Attachments If set to YES, the agenda item information packet cover page prints regardless of whether or not there are attachments for the item. YES Status of New File on the Fly Specifies the status that is set when users add a new file on the Agenda screen in the Agendas module (by clicking the plus sign next to the File ID field). Draft Agenda Item Number Specifies the auto numbering format in the agenda creation process. The options are numeric (1), alpha caps (A), or alpha small (a)

164 Agenda Numbering - Carry Header Number Specifies whether or not the number or identifying text from the previous agenda header line is prefixed to the agenda item number during the auto-numbering. For example, if the Agenda Item Number setting is set to 1, and the Agenda Numbering - Carry Header Number setting is YES, then each agenda item number for items listed under an agenda header that has A in its item number field will be numbered as A1, A2, A3, etc. NO Reset Numbers On Header Levels Specifies the header level(s) on which the numbering restarts when you number agenda lines automatically. You may restart auto numbering at any combination of the header levels, or not at all. Do not reset Show Lock/ Unlock All Files Menu Items on Agenda Screen If set to YES, the Lock All Legislative Files and Unlock All Legislative Files commands are enabled on the Tools Menu when users are on the Agenda tab in the Agendas module. YES Agenda Final Status Specifies the Final status for an agenda; for example, this may be Final Revised. Final Allow Add Files In Approval Status To Agenda During Generation And Manually If set to YES, users can add files in approval status to an agenda or the files can be pulled into the agenda automatically. YES Synchronize Agenda Number Fields If set to YES, the number the file receives on the Agenda is automatically placed on the Agenda Number field on the Details tab in the Files module. YES 3. When you change a setting, click Save and then click Exit to exit Administration. Click the Tools menu in Legistar, and select Refresh Administration for your changes to take effect in the system. 164

165 Minutes Settings 1. Click the Minutes menu title to open the Minutes settings. The following figure illustrates these settings: 2. Review the following settings (use the arrow pointing downwards to scroll down to see some of them): Name Description/Function Initial Setting Beginning Date Range for Minutes Calendar View Sets a specific time frame for displaying past minutes on the Calendar tab in the Minutes module. Enter a number, and the Calendar tab displays all of the minutes starting with this many days before the current date. For example, if you enter 90, the Calendar tab displays all minutes from the current date to 90 days before the current date. If you do not specify a number in the Beginning Date Range For Minutes Calendar View and

166 Ending Date Range For Minutes Calendar View settings, then the Calendar tab displays only minutes for the current date. Consent Master Line Header Level Specifies the printing style of the master line headers. You define the styles in the Workflow Control > Header Style section. 1 Consent Text Specifies the Consent Text placed in the Consent Master line when passing the Consent Agenda. The Forgoing items were passed on the consent vote. Default Absent Value Specifies the attendance type used for Absent. You add attendance types in the Vote and Attendance Settings section of Administration. Absent Default No Value Specifies the vote type used for a No vote. You add vote types in the Vote and Attendance Settings section of Administration. No Default Present Value Specifies the attendance type used for Present. You add attendance types in the Vote and Attendance Settings section of Administration. Present Default Yes Value Specifies the vote type used for a Yes vote. You add vote types in the Vote and Attendance Settings section of Administration. Aye Ending Date Range For Minutes Calendar View Sets a specific time frame for displaying future minutes on the Calendar tab in the Minutes module. Enter a number, and the Calendar tab displays all of the minutes ending with this many days after the current date. For example, if you enter 90, the Calendar tab displays all minutes from the current date to 90 days in the future. If you do not specify a number in the Beginning Date Range For Calendar and Ending Date Range For Calendar settings, then the Calendar tab displays only minutes for the current date. 90 Minutes Draft Status Specifies the status used for minutes when they are in draft, prior to being final. Draft 166

167 Allow Publishing Draft Meetings and Show Meeting Details on Web Specifies whether or not agendas and minutes that are in Draft status may be published to InSite, and whether or not the Meeting Details link is enabled for the agenda items. NO Minutes Final Status Specifies the Final status for minutes; for example, this may be Final Revised. Final Member Type to exclude from Attendance and Votes listings Specifies whether or not you want to include members who aren t in attendance or voting members in attendance or votes lists. Include All Types Do Not Set Final Action Date and Enactment Number on Failed Vote Specifies whether or not a final action date and enactment number is automatically assigned to a file that has failed a vote. YES Default Font Size for RTF Action Notes Specifies the default font size for action notes in the Minutes module and in Meeting Manager. Note: This setting only applies if RTF is enabled for the Action Notes field. 12 Default Font Face for RTF Action Notes Specifies the default font for action notes in the Minutes module and in Meeting Manager. Note: This setting only applies if RTF is enabled for the Action Notes field. Arial 3. When you change a setting, click Save and then click Exit to exit Administration. Click the Tools menu in Legistar, and select Refresh Administration for your changes to take effect in the system. 167

168 Vote Actions Settings 1. Click the Vote Actions menu title to open the Vote Actions setting. The following figure illustrates the setting: 2. Review the following setting: Name Description/Function Initial Setting Consent Vote Action Specifies the action that is assigned to the consent master line when a consent vote is taken. Approved on the consent agenda 3. When you change a setting, click Save and then click Exit to exit Administration. Click the Tools menu in Legistar, and select Refresh Administration for your changes to take effect in the system. 168

169 File Locations Settings 1. Click the File Locations menu title to open the File Locations settings. The following figure illustrates these settings: 2. Review the following settings: Name Description/Function Initial Setting Export Folder Specifies the set directory to which data is saved when users run a report and select the Save the Report checkbox. Users may select an alternative directory at that time if necessary. C:\Program Files\Granicus\ Legistar5\Export Import Folder Specifies the set directory from which you will import data; save your attachments here to import them into Legistar. C:\Program Files\Granicus\ Legistar5\Import Text File Import Folder Specifies the default directory you can use for storing the text files you will import into Legistar. C:\Program Files\Granicus\ Legistar5\Import Templates Import Folder Specifies the set directory from which you will import templates using the Import option within the MS Word Add-In. \\ \ granicus_nas\ Legistar5\[CLIENTFOLDER]\import 169

170 Legislative Files Packet Destination Specifies the location where legislative files are saved when you select the packet destination when running Legislative File reports. C:\Program Files\Granicus\ Legistar5\Packet 3. When you change a setting, click Save and then click Exit to exit Administration. Click the Tools menu in Legistar, and select Refresh Administration for your changes to take effect in the system. 170

171 Color Settings 1. Click the Color Settings menu title to open the Color settings. The following figure illustrates these settings: 2. Review the following settings: Name Description/Function Initial Setting Date Text Color (Future) Sets the color in which fields containing future dates display date text. Green Date Text Color (Past) Sets the color in which fields containing past dates display date text. Black Date Text Color (Today) Sets the color in which fields containing current dates display date text. Red Field Focus Color Sets the background color of any active field (when the cursor is placed in it). Yellow Frozen Locked Fields Sets the background color of any locked field. Grey 171

172 Grid Row Selection Color Sets the field color for any selected rows. Yellow 3. When you change a setting, click Save and then click Exit to exit Administration. Click the Tools menu in Legistar, and select Refresh Administration for your changes to take effect in the system. 172

173 Approval Tracking Settings 1. Click the Approval Tracking Settings menu title to open the Approval Tracking settings. The following figure illustrates these settings: 173

174 174

175 2. Review the following settings: Name Description/Function Initial Setting template: Summary Specifies the template used when Send daily summaries only is selected for the Notice Preference setting. Individual Review Request template: For your information Specifies the template used when an approver wants to know more information about a file, so that he or she can contact the requester for any other information. The template includes the requester s address. FYI Notification template: Disapproval notice to requester Specifies the template used when an approver disapproves a file. In this case, Legistar sends the requester a disapproval notification mail. Item Disapproved Notice template: Alternate approver not defined template: Delegation notification Specifies the template used when an approver has not defined an alternate approver for himself or herself. Specifies the template used when an approver delegates a file to the alternate approver, which means that now the alternate approver must take action on that file on the approver s behalf. This happens only when an approver delegates a file to an alternate approver. No Alternate Approver Delegation template: Sequence restarted Specifies the status of the sequence when a sequence is paused by an approver during the approval process. Approval Sequence Restarted template: Sequence paused Specifies the status of the sequence when a sequence is paused by an approver during the approval process. Approval Sequence Paused template: Reminder notice Specifies the template used when an approver has not taken any action on a given file within the given due days. Overdue Individual Review Request template: Sequence approved Specifies the template used when an initiated sequence is approved by all approvers; in this case, an Approval Sequence Completed Notice mail is sent to the requester. Approval Sequence Completed Notice 175

176 template: Extend due date template: Alternate approver has not responded Specifies the default template ID used when notifying approvers of an extended due date. Specifies the template used when an alternate approver has not taken any action on a file. Extend Due Date Do Not Send template: Disapproval notice to sequence members Specifies the template used when an approver disapproves a file. In this case, Legistar sends a mail regarding the cancellation of the particular file to all approvers who have already approved that file. Disapproval Notice to Approvers template: Individual review request Specifies the template used when a requester initiates a sequence; in this case, an individual review request is sent to the approver for approving the file. Individual Review Request template: Escalation Specifies the template used when a requester initiates a sequence and an Escalated Individual Review Request is sent to the approver for approving the file. Escalated Individual Review Request template: Sequence canceled Specifies the template used when an approver cancels a sequence at any time after it has been initiated; in this case, an Approval Request Cancellation mail is sent to the FYIs as well as to the approver who cancelled it. Approval Request Cancellation Notice Type Specifies how Legistar sends s to the approver: Select Send Individual Notices to send one mail for each file to the individual bodies. Send individual notices Select Send Daily Summaries Only to send only one mail on a daily basis, which will have information regarding all files. Select Send No Notices to not send any approval-related mails to individuals. Default from Address Specifies the default Granicus address that sends s when the is generated by the system or from a user that didn t have an address entered on their account. DoNotReply@Granicus.com 176

177 File status on FYI Specifies the status of each approval line for FYI reviewers. The status appears in the Status field on the Approval Tracking tab. FYI File status on Approved Specifies the status of a file when an approver approves it. Agenda Ready File Status on Paused Specifies the status of a file when the approval process is paused. ATS Paused File Status on Disapproved Specifies the status of the file when an approver in the approval process disapproves the file. Draft File Status on Canceled Specifies the status of the file when the approval process is cancelled. ATS Cancelled File Status on Initiated Approval Process Specifies the status of a file when an approval sequence is initiated. ATS Review Approvals Due Date Extension Specifies the number of extended due days when an approver extends the number of days for taking any action on a file. 2 Escalated Due Days When a file is escalated, this setting determines the number of days the new approver will have to respond to the file. 1 Approval Due Days Sets the number of days within which an approver must approve a file. 2 Show Approval Setting in Legislative Master Report Specifies whether or not to display the Approval Setting in Legislative Master Reports. YES Show Complete Approval Sequence List on Web Specifies whether or not to display the Complete Approval Sequence List on the InSite web portal. YES Show Complete Approval Sequence List with FYI on Web Specifies whether or not to display the Complete Approval Sequence List With FYI on the InSite web portal. NO 177

178 Lock Matter File on Final Approval Specifies whether or not Legistar automatically locks files when the approval is completed. YES Allow Requester to Pause/Restart Sequence Specifies whether or not the user who initiated the Approval Tracking Sequence is allowed to pause and restart the sequence. YES Send on Text File Change When In Approval Process Specifies whether or not a notification is sent to approvers when a text file changes during the approval process. YES 3. When you change a setting, click Save and then click Exit to exit Administration. Click the Tools menu in Legistar, and select Refresh Administration for your changes to take effect in the system. 178

179 Meeting Settings 1. Click the Meeting menu title to open the Meeting setting. The following figure illustrates the setting: 2. Review the following setting: Name Description/Function Initial Setting Import Private Notes From LiveManager Specifies whether notes designated as Private in LiveManager import via MediaManager after a meeting. If set to Yes, the system will import private notes; if set to No, it will not import private notes. YES 3. When you change a setting, click Save and then click Exit to exit Administration. Click the Tools menu in Legistar, and select Refresh Administration for your changes to take effect in the system. 179

180 Label Settings Use the Label Settings section to change field labels in the Legistar program as well as impose access controls on the data fields. The section is divided into four categories, and each of those categories is further divided into the tabs that make up the sub-sections of those screen forms. Each of the screens uses the standard Legistar workspace above the form to make changes, and displays the various data fields in the grid below. There are two types of controls: Field Label Controls and Field Access Controls. Note: If you make a change in this section, users will only see the change when they next log on to the system. Label Setting Program Attachments Details Legislative Files Extra Info 1 Extra Info 2 File Text History Legislative Files (main workspace) Agendas Agendas Agendas Calendar Actions Meeting Minutes Consent Votes Minutes Minutes Calendar 180

181 Text Search Text Search Note: The procedure below applies to all screens in the Label Settings section. 1. From the left menu, click Label Settings, then click the section in which you want to work (e.g., Legislative Files), then click the subsection for which you want to change labels (e.g., Attachments). This screen displays a list of all existing labels. 2. Select the label you want to edit, and make the appropriate changes to one or more of the following fields and checkboxes: Item Description Screen Name Displays the screen name, which you cannot change on this screen. However, you can change screen names in the System Settings section if necessary. System Default Label Displays the default field name, which you cannot change. User Defined Label Displays the label that is displayed next to the data field on the screen form. You may change this to whatever you want, as long as the label you choose fits comfortably in the space allowed on the screen form. Help Text Enter help text for the field label. This text displays as a tool tip on the screen when users move their cursors over the field label. 181

182 Set the field status: Field Status Active: enables the data field for normal data entry. Disabled: the data field is visible and displays any existing data, but users cannot edit it on this screen. Invisible: this field is not visible on the screen to any user. Required Field Select this checkbox if data input is required for this field; users cannot exit the record until they enter data in the field. Tab Stop Select this checkbox for the cursor to stop in this field when users press the Tab key on the screen form. This is useful when only a few of the fields on the screen are normally used when creating new records, and the user wants to quickly advance from one to another without using the mouse. 3. Click Save. 182

183 Report Design Use the Report Design section to set up the reports used in the Legistar system. You can modify the report options, set default options, and descriptions, and rename your reports on demand without having to customize each one. The reports are divided into four categories, each of which contains several reports: Report Category Reports This category includes the following reports: Certified Copy Legislative Files Legislative Master File Summary Signature Text File Agenda This category includes the following reports: Agenda Hearing Notice Meeting Agenda 1 and Meeting Agenda 2 This category includes the following reports: Meeting Minutes Meeting Minutes 1, Meeting Minutes 2, and Meeting Minutes 3 Meeting Referral Notice General This category includes the following reports: General Certification 183

184 Hearing Notices File Summary General Files Introduced Meeting Attendance Meeting Calendar Subject Matter Index Voting Records Mailing Labels 184

185 Setting Up the Certified Copy Report The Certified Copy report provides file text and information for distribution to the public. This report would most likely be run after a file has been passed at a meeting. The report includes the clerk's signature and the..title and..body file sections. You can only produce the report for files that have a final action. To run this report, select a file in the Files module, click the Reports menu and select Certified Copy. 1. From the left menu, click Report Design > Legislative Files, then click Certified Copy. The General screen is displayed. 2. (Optional) Make the appropriate changes to these fields, then click Save: Item Description 185

186 Report Display Name Change the report display name if necessary. This name appears at the top of the report. Report Description Change the report description if necessary. This description appears on the Settings screen for the report when you select it in the Files module. 3. Click the Settings tab. The following figure illustrates the Settings screen: 4. Make the appropriate changes to one or more of the following fields and checkboxes: Item Description Available Variables Displays a list of different variables you can add to the signature block; these variables contain information about the legislative file and its printed report. A pipe is displayed in front of each variable name; e.g., CLERKNAME is used for the clerk's name. 186

187 To add an available variable to the signature block, click your cursor in the signature block to specify where you want to position the variable in the text, then select an available variable and click the arrow to move it to the signature block. Signature Block This is the pre-filled text that appears on the report, and is the verbiage used by your organization most of the time; therefore, changes to this text should be minimal if at all. To change a variable or word in the signature block, either type directly in the block, or place your cursor where you want to add the variable, and click the arrow to move the variable across from the Available Variables field. Use Select this checkbox to include the signature line in the report. Digital Signature Select this checkbox to print the signers signature image on the report. You must first have uploaded the image for the signer in the People > Photo & Signature section. Signer1 Enter signature text. This text appears next to the report s signer, and should be the desired title for the signer. Examples: Approved as to Form, Attest by, Certified by. Note: To display a signer in this field, select the Can Sign checkbox for the office member on the Bodies > Office Members tab, and then specify the body in the Report Design > Legislative Files > Signature > Settings screen. SignatureText1 Select a signatory name from the drop-down list provided. The name appears for the signature line of the report. If you leave this field blank, the report selects the first name from the dropdown list. Display Select the display format of the signatory name from the dropdown list provided. Preview A display-only field that enables you to view the signature block before it is printed. Click Preview to do this. 187

188 5. Click Save. Legistar Administration Guide 188

189 Setting Up the Legislative Master Report The Legislative Master Report displays all the information available for the selected legislative file, including its sponsors, indexes, and history. The Master report contains the File Number, File Type, Status, Enacted Number, Effective, Version, In Control, File Name, Date Introduced, Requester, Cost, Final Action, Comment, Title, File Text, and History. To run this report, select a file in the Files module, click the Reports menu and select Master. 1. From the left menu, click Report Design > Legislative Files, then click Legislative Master. The General screen is displayed. 2. (Optional) Make the appropriate changes to these fields, then click Save: Item Description 189

190 Report Display Name Change the report display name if necessary. This name appears at the top of the report. Report Description Change the report description if necessary. This description appears on the Settings screen for the report when you select it in the Files module. 3. Click the Settings tab. The following figure illustrates the Settings screen: 4. Make the appropriate changes to one or more of the following fields and checkboxes: Item Description Legislative Files This is a heading. 190

191 Show Legislative File History Notes Select this checkbox to print the notes that were taken in reference to each action taken on the file. Show Legislative File History Votes Select this checkbox to print the votes that were taken on the file. Show Action Text Select this checkbox to include action text in the report. Show Text Title Select this checkbox to print the title contained in the Title field rather than the..title of the file text. Legislative Text This is a heading. With Page Break, Without Page Break, or Do not show Select With Page Break to print the report with the text printed on a second page after the Legislative File information, select Without Page Break to print the report with the text immediately following the history of the file, or select Do Not Show to print the report without the text of the file. Show All Text Select this checkbox to display all text on the report. You cannot select this option and the Sections option together, as this option overrides the sections specified in the Sections option, and prints the entire text of the file. Code Section This is a heading. Code Section Show Number Select this checkbox to print related code sections attached to a legislative file on the report. Code Section Number First Select this checkbox to print the code section number of related code sections attached to a legislative file. Show Code Section Name Select this checkbox to print the code section name of related code sections attached to a legislative file. Code Section Number Separator Accept the default separator or enter a different separator between the code section number and name. 191

192 Code Section Separator Accept the default separator or enter a different separator between code sections on the report. Sections Click Sections to display the file sections, then select the checkboxes associated with the file sections you want to include on the report. You cannot select this option and the Show All Text option together. 5. Click Save. 192

193 Setting Up the File Summary Report The File Summary Report displays a summarized version of the legislative file. The report contains only the basic data about a file; it prints the file number; type, title, status, introduced date, meeting date, department, drafter, controlling body and sponsor information. This report is useful if you want the results of the files found in a search. To run this report, select a file in the Files module, click the Reports menu and select File Summary. The report does not have settings.. 1. From the left menu, click Report Design > Legislative Files, then click File Summary. The General screen is displayed. 2. (Optional) Make the appropriate changes to these fields, then click Save: 193

194 Item Description Report Display Name Change the report display name if necessary. This name appears at the top of the report. Report Description Change the report description if necessary. This description appears on the Settings screen for the report when you select it in the Files module. 194

195 Setting Up the Signature Report The Signature Copy report provides a place to assign the required official signatures and their preceding title and body of the ordinance or resolution. This type of report is most likely to be run after the file has been passed. To run the report, select a file in the Files module, click the Reports menu and select Signature Copy. Note: There must be a final action date assigned for the legislative item in order to print a Signature Copy report. 1. From the left menu, click Report Design > Legislative Files, then click Signature. The General screen is displayed. 2. (Optional) Make the appropriate changes to these fields, then click Save: Item Description 195

196 Report Display Name Change the report display name if necessary. This name appears at the top of the report. Report Description Change the report description if necessary. This description appears on the Settings screen for the report when you select it in the Files module. 3. Click the Settings tab. The following figure illustrates the Settings screen: 4. Make the appropriate changes to one or more of the following fields and checkboxes: Item Description 196

197 Available Variables Displays a list of different variables you can add to the signature block; these variables contain information about the legislative file and its printed report. A pipe is displayed in front of each variable name; e.g., CLERKNAME is used for the clerk's name. To add an available variable to the signature block: Click your cursor in the signature block to specify where you want to position the variable in the text, then select an available variable and click the arrow to move it to the signature block. Signature Block This is the pre-filled text that appears on the report, and is the verbiage used by your organization most of the time; therefore, changes to this text should be minimal if at all. To change a variable or word in the signature block, either type directly in the block, or place your cursor where you want to add the variable, and click the arrow to move the variable across from the Available Variables field. Preview A display-only field that enables you to view the signature block before it is printed. Click Preview to do this. Use Select the appropriate checkbox or checkboxes to include the signature line for one or more signers at the end of the report. Digital Signature Select the appropriate checkbox or checkboxes to print one or more signers signature images. You must first have uploaded the image for the signer in the People > Photo & Signature section. Signature Text (1 5) Enter signature text in one or more of these fields. This text appears next to the report s signer, and should be the desired title for the signer. Examples: Approved as to Form, Attest by, Certified by. Signer (1 5) Select a signatory name from the drop-down list provided in one or more of these fields. The name appears for the signature line of the report. If you leave these fields blank, the report selects the first name from the drop-down list. 197

198 Ensure all intended signers are added to the proper body and the Can Sign checkbox is selected for each in the Government Bodies screen. Display Select the display format of the signatory names from the drop-down list provided. 5. Click Save. 198

199 Setting Up the Text File Report The Text File report prints the complete text of a legislative file with little additional information. You can select the specific sections to print. You usually print this type of report for a full text review of the legislation. To run this report, select a file in the Files module, click the Reports menu and select Text File. 1. From the left menu, click Report Design > Legislative Files, then click Text File. The General screen is displayed. 2. (Optional) Make the appropriate changes to these fields, then click Save: Item Description 199

200 Report Display Name Change the report display name if necessary. This name appears at the top of the report. Report Description Change the report description if necessary. This description appears on the Settings screen for the report when you select it in the Files module. 3. Click the Settings tab. The following figure illustrates the Settings screen: 4. Make the appropriate changes to one or more of the following fields and checkboxes: Item Description With Page Break, or Without Page Break Select With Page Break to print a copy of the report with the text printed on the second page of the legislative file information, or select Without Page Break to print the report with the text immediately following the history of the file. Show All Text Select this checkbox to display all text on the report. You cannot select this option and the Sections option together, as this option overrides the sections specified in the Sections option, and prints the entire text of the file. 200

201 Sections Click Sections to display the file sections, then select the checkboxes associated with the specific file text sections you want to include on the report. 5. Click Save. 201

202 Setting Up the Agenda Hearing Notices Report The Agenda Hearing Notices report is a brief agenda overview designed to be sent to attendees before a meeting. To run the report, select an agenda in the Agendas module, then click Reports and select Agenda Hearing Notices. 1. From the left menu, click Report Design > Agenda, then click Agenda Hearing Notices. The General screen is displayed. 2. (Optional) Make the appropriate changes to these fields, then click Save: Item Description Report Display Name Change the report display name if necessary. This name appears at the top of the report. 202

203 Report Description Change the report description if necessary. This description appears on the Settings screen for the report when you select it in the Agendas module. 3. Click the Settings tab. The following figure illustrates the Settings screen: 4. Make the appropriate changes to one or more of the following fields and checkboxes: Item Description Notice Header Enter or change the text in the report header. Notice Footer Enter or change the text in the report footer. 203

204 5. Click Save. 204

205 Setting Up the Meeting Agenda Reports The Meeting Agenda 1 and Meeting Agenda 2 reports are reports that you can rename and customize; for example, you can rename Meeting Agenda 1 as Meeting Agenda, and set the criteria to produce a report that includes all the details of the agenda. You can rename Meeting Agenda 2 as Summary Agenda, and set the criteria to produce a report that includes only a summarized version of the agenda, listing only topics. To run a report, select an agenda in the Agendas module, then click Reports and select the name of the report. 1. From the left menu, click Report Design > Agenda, then click Meeting Agenda 1 or Meeting Agenda 2. The General screen is displayed. 2. (Optional) Make the appropriate changes to these fields, then click Save: Item Description 205

206 Report Display Name Change the report display name if necessary. This name appears at the top of the report. Report Description Change the report description if necessary. This description appears on the Settings screen for the report when you select it in the Agendas module. 3. Click the Settings tab. The following figure illustrates the Settings screen: 4. Make the appropriate changes to one or more of the following fields and checkboxes: Item Description Show Cover Select this checkbox to print a cover page for the report. The page would display your organization s logo, listing of body members, etc. 206

207 Show File ID Select this checkbox to display each File ID for agenda items printed on the report. Show Agenda Status Select this checkbox to print the word Draft on the agenda when in draft status; this should be unchecked when publishing the agenda. This enables individuals to distinguish between a draft and final copy of the report. Show Legislative File Sponsors Select this checkbox to print the sponsors for each agenda item on the report. List Attachments Select this checkbox to print a list all supporting documentation for each agenda item on the report. Show Agenda Notes Select this checkbox to print the notes taken on each line of the agenda. Show Legislative File History Select this checkbox to print the history associated with each agenda item. Show Legislative File History Notes Select this checkbox to print the notes taken in reference to each action taken on the agenda items. Keep Section Together Select this checkbox for the report to keep items from being separated onto different pages. Show Text Title Select this checkbox to print the title contained in the..title of the File text, or leave it blank to print the title contained in the Title field. 5. Click Save. 207

208 Setting Up the Meeting Minutes Reports The Meeting Minutes 1, Meeting Minutes 2, and Meeting Minutes 3 reports are reports that you can rename and customize. The Settings tab for the Meeting Minutes 1 and Meeting Minutes 2 reports enables you to determine the variables that you want to display on the report every time you run the report. To run a report, select a minutes record in the Minutes module, then click Reports and select the name of the report. Here are examples of commonly-used Minutes reports: Report Description Meeting Minutes A formal report that includes a cover page and all the details of the meeting. Action Summary Prints the legislative files, headers are not included. However, you can select other variables to print on the report. Meeting Referral Notice Produces all actions taken during the meeting, including those referred to another body. See the Setting Up The Meeting Referral Notice Report topic. 1. From the left menu, click Report Design > Meeting Minutes, then click Meeting Minutes 1 or Meeting Minutes 2. The General screen is displayed. 208

209 2. (Optional) Make the appropriate changes to these fields, then click Save: Item Description Report Display Name Change the report display name if necessary. This name appears at the top of the report. Report Description Change the report description if necessary. This description appears on the Settings screen for the report when you select it in the Minutes module. 3. Click the Settings tab. The following figure illustrates the Settings screen: 209

210 4. Make the appropriate changes to one or more of the following fields and checkboxes: Item Description Show Cover Select this checkbox to print a cover page for the report. The page would display your organization s logo, listing of body members, etc. Show File ID Select this checkbox to display each File ID for each agenda item printed on the report. Show Minutes Status Select this checkbox to print the word Draft on the minutes when in draft status; this should be unchecked when publishing the minutes. This enables individuals to distinguish between a draft and final copy of the report. Show Legislative File Sponsors Select this checkbox to print the sponsors for each agenda item on the report. 210

211 Show Notes Select this checkbox to print the notes taken on each line of the minutes in the report. Show Roll Call and Vote Information Select this checkbox to print the attendance and voting data associated with each line. Show Action Instead of Action Text Select this checkbox to display the short action instead of the long action text on the report. Show Text Title Select this checkbox to print the title contained in the..title of the File text, or leave it blank to print the title contained in the Title field. Show Enactment Number Select this checkbox to print the enactment number for legislative files that have had final actions taken and have been assigned a number. List Attachments Select this checkbox to prints a list of all supporting documentation for each agenda item. 5. Click Save. 211

212 Setting Up the General Certification Report The General Certification report creates a standard legal template to surround text that must be certified. To locate the report, click the Reports menu in the Home module, and select General Certification. 1. From the left menu, click Report Design > General, then click General Certification. The General screen is displayed. 2. (Optional) Make the appropriate changes to these fields, then click Save: Item Description Report Display Name Change the report display name if necessary. This name appears at the top of the report. 212

213 Report Description Change the report description if necessary. This description appears on the Settings screen for the report when you select it in the Home module. 3. Click the Settings tab. The following figure illustrates the Settings screen: 4. Make the appropriate changes to one or more of the following fields and checkboxes: Item Description Signature Block This is the pre-filled text that appears on the report. Show Signature Block Select this checkbox to include the signature block in the report. Signed Text Enter signature text. This text appears next to the report s signer. 213

214 Digital Signature Select this checkbox to print the signers signature image on the report. You must first have uploaded the image for the signer in the People > Photo & Signature section. Display Select the display format of the signatory name from the dropdown list provided. Body Select a government body from the drop-down list provided. 5. Click Save. 214

215 Setting Up the Hearing Notices Report The Hearing Notices report creates meeting and public hearing information related to legislative files. To locate the report, click the Reports menu in the Home module, and select Hearing Notices. 1. From the left menu, click Report Design > General, then click Hearing Notices. The General screen is displayed. 2. (Optional) Make the appropriate changes to these fields, then click Save: Item Description Report Display Name Change the report display name if necessary. This name appears at the top of the report. 215

216 Report Description Change the report description if necessary. This description appears on the Settings screen for the report when you select it in the Home module. 3. Click the Settings tab. The following figure illustrates the Settings screen: 4. Make the appropriate changes to one or more of the following fields: Item Description Notice Header Enter or change the text that appears at the top of the report. Notice Footer Enter or change the text that appears at the bottom of the report. 216

217 5. Click Save. 217

218 Setting Up the Meeting Referral Notice Report The Meeting Referral Notice report produces all actions taken during the meeting, including those referred to another body. The report contains all the necessary information for the referral, including any notes created for that minutes item. To run the report, select a minutes record the Minutes module, then click the Reports menu and select Meeting Referral Notice. 1. From the left menu, click Report Design > Meeting Minutes, then click Meeting Referral Notice. The General screen is displayed. 2. (Optional) Make the appropriate changes to these fields, then click Save: Item Description Report Display Name Change the report display name if necessary. This name appears at the top of the report. 218

219 Report Description Change the report description if necessary. This description appears on the Settings screen for the report when you select it in the Minutes module. 3. Click the Settings tab. The following figure illustrates the Settings screen: 4. Make the appropriate changes to one or more of the following fields: Item Description Minutes Notice Header Enter or change the text that appears at the top of the report. Minutes Notice Footer Enter or change the text that appears at the bottom of the report. 219

220 5. Click Save. 220

221 Setting Up Other General Reports The following General Reports don t have settings: Report Description File Summary Generic Displays the file ID number, type, title, status, and introduced date of a Legislative File(s). Files Introduced Displays the matter reference number and title for each matter sponsored by a legislator. Meeting Attendance Displays meeting date, body and attendance by legislator. Meeting Calendar Displays a list of body meetings by month. Subject Matter Index Displays matter reference numbers with titles sorted by index terms. Voting Records Displays the voting record of body members for each legislative matter. Mailing Labels Displays the mailing list. 1. From the left menu, click Report Design > General, then click General Certification. The General screen is displayed. 221

222 2. (Optional) Make the appropriate changes to these fields, then click Save: Item Description Report Display Name Change the report display name if necessary. This name appears at the top of the report. Report Description Change the report description if necessary. This description appears on the Settings screen for the report when you select it in the Home module. 222

223 Security Log The Security Log section has no functional application for Legistar or its users. It is strictly a tool used for support issues. If you require Legistar support, in order to troubleshoot the issue, the support agent may ask to see the security log to ascertain what data changes were made by a specific user. 1. From the left menu, click Security Log. 2. Use the Date Range fields to enter a date range, then click Go. The screen displays a list of records of all data changes that occurred within the date range you specified. The list includes the date and time and details of the record, and the username of the user responsible for the change. The following figure illustrates the screen: 223