Government Bodies are how legislative groups are organized within your Legistar database. This article describes how to add new bodies and body types.

Adding a New Body Type

  1. From the left menu, click Government Bodies, The Main tab displays in the right window 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.
The government bodies Main tab where users select bodies
  1. Click New. The default settings for a new record are displayed.
Adding a new body type within the Main tab
  1. Complete the following fields and checkboxes (fields with asterisks are required):
ItemDescription

*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, Alternative 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 WebThis 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.
  1. Click Save. This body type is now available in the system, and you can classify bodies with this type.


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. 

​bodiesmain332014.png

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

bodiesaddnew332014.png

  1. Complete the following fields and checkboxes (fields with asterisks are required):
     
    ItemDescription

    *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.

    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.

    Auto Export

    This checkbox is selected by default, and applies if you have set up Legistar to automatically export agenda data to MediaManager.

    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.

    Show On Web

    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.

    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.

     
  2. Click Save.
     
  3.  Complete the following steps to set security rights to this body by security group:
    1. From the left menu, click System Security, then click Security Features.
    2. Click the Body Security tab. You should see the new body you created in the list of bodies on this tab.
    3. Select a security group from the drop-down list available in the User Group field, e.g. Department Drafter.
    4. 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.
    5. Click Save.
    6. 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.