This quick reference guide for Legistar users provides step-by-step instructions on how to generate an agenda and agenda packet. To create a new agenda, you combine the legislative files or agenda items you previously created and organize them with the Meeting Agenda Report. The best practice is to generate an agenda, which automatically places the legislative files or agenda items in the correct position on the agenda. You can also manually add and arrange files or agenda items to an agenda after it is generated. This function is highly effective to use to add last minute items, create special meetings that do not require a template, or to add placeholders for unfinished files or agenda items.
Step 1: Scheduling a Meeting
Agenda creators must complete these steps well ahead of time so drafters can draft files or agenda items. It is a best practice to schedule meetings a year in advance. This allows drafters to create items far in advance of the agenda date.
Click Agendas in the left menu to open the Agendas module. The Calendar tab is displayed.
Click New to create the meeting for which you want to generate an agenda.
Accept the default meeting body or select another meeting body from the Agenda for the drop-down menu.
In the Date field, change the date to the date of the meeting.
Verify the default settings for the Location and Time, and Status fields.
Select Save on the green bar in the top left hand side of the module.
Once these steps are taken, drafters will have the ability to select this as an agenda date.
Note:
If you are generating an agenda, continue to step 2, and skip step 3.
If you are creating an agenda without a template, skip step 2 and continue to step 3.
We recommend you schedule meetings as far in advance as possible. For example, if you release a meeting calendar for a year at a time, we recommend you schedule meetings for the next year. This will allow drafters to create items for a specific agenda date far in advance.
Step 2: Generating an Agenda
Click the Files tab.
In the Files module you can search by agenda date for the upcoming agenda.
You will see a list of all Files assigned to the agenda. You can then enter each file to check and edit it as needed. You may need to “unlock” the file and manually change the file type or status in order to adjust the file as needed to pull onto your agenda in the right place. To understand how file criteria drives agenda placement, please refer to the Agenda Definitions report, which can be run from Legistar Administration.
Click the Agenda tab to enter the Agenda module. The Calendar tab is displayed.
Highlight the appropriate date, and either double click or click the Agenda tab located near the top right.
Click Generate. The agenda generates in the Agenda window. When you click Generate, Legistar assigns legislative files to the agenda based on the preset agenda definitions and agenda dates you have set for the selected meeting body. You should review each file and verify each file is in its correct location. The following additional variables determine where a file appears on an agenda: File Type, Status, and Controlling Body. Remember this placement is not absolute, you can arrange files and agenda items manually. The agenda definitions is a default template to guide your agenda layout.
Notes:
The agenda is not published on InSite as long as it remains in Draft status. Users can only view the agenda on InSite when the agenda status is changed to Final.
When you generate your agenda and run the report using the Publish to InSite – Calendar (PDF) setting in the Destination field, Legistar creates an exact replica of the agenda in the Minutes module, which is used to record the meeting’s motions and votes.
If you need to completely regenerate your agenda, please drag the cursor to select all lines and click Delete at the bottom of your screen. To regenerate your agenda, all items and lines must be removed from the agenda to reactivate the Regenerate button.
Step 3: Creating an Agenda Without a Template
You can create agendas manually for special meetings or cancellation notices. Typically, these agendas will only contain a few agenda lines.
Click the Agenda tab.
Click Add, and select one of the options from the drop-down menu available:
Repeat the previous step as necessary. Step 4 below describes the agenda line options in more detail.
Step 4: Adding Agenda Lines
Click the Adddrop-down arrow at the bottom of the screen.
There are multiple ways to add new lines to the agenda document:
Select Add after Selected Line to add a new line after the existing line.
Select Add before Selected Line to add a new line before the existing line.
Best Practice: Select Add Many Lines to enter more than one line after the existing line. Hold down your Ctrl key and select legislative files from the menu on the left, and click the arrow to move the files onto the agenda.
Note: Use the Copy Selected Line option to copy selected lines (see below). You can also right-click on any line in the agenda to display the agenda line options:
Use the Agenda Item and Header/Comment options to select whether or not the line is an agenda item or a header/comment line.
Header/Comment lines are procedural items such as invocation and roll call, or section titles such as “Communications from Municipal Agencies” or “Bills Introduced.”
Legislative files are database files that are easily recognizable on the agenda form as they display File ID numbers.
Fill in the fields at the top of the screen; the fields that are displayed depend on whether the line is an agenda item or a header/comment line.
For agenda items, click the drop-down arrow in the File ID field, select a file from the list of files, then double-click the file. The file appears in the File ID field, and the file type appears in the File Type field. If necessary, fill in the Description and Comment fields. Make sure to click Save for your entries to appear in the agenda below.
For header/comment lines, select a title from the drop-down list in the Header List field. The Description field is filled in automatically. If necessary, change the Style of the header line, fill in the Comment field, and fill in the Item # field if you’re not using auto-numbering. Make sure to click Save for your entries to appear in the agenda below.
You may also use this function to create last minute items.
Copying Agenda Lines:
This function is highly useful when using similar files or agenda items on each agenda.
Select the agenda line you want to copy.
Click the Add drop-down arrow or right-click on the selected line, and select the Copy Selected Line option.
Confirm the line is added to the agenda, and click Save.
Deleting Agenda Lines:
Select the agenda line you want to delete.
Click Delete at the bottom of the screen, or right-click on the selected line and click Delete.
Click Yes at the confirmation prompt. The line is deleted. Note that this does not the legislative file itself; it only removes it from the agenda.
Note: To delete multiple lines at once, hold down the Shift or Ctrl key to select them.
Step 5: Auto-numbering the Agenda Items
If you use agenda item numbers, complete the following steps:
Click Auto-#.
Click Yes at the confirmation prompt.
In the Item column, confirm numbers have been added to the legislative files.
Note: This will not auto-number header lines, only numbers for files and agenda items.
Step 6: (Optional) Marking Agenda Items as Consent Items
Consent votes allow a group of items to be acted on by one block vote.
You mark items for consent on the Minutes tab in the Minutes module:
Select the items you want to mark consent (by using the Shift or Ctrl keys, or dragging the cursor).
Click Mark Consent on the bottom left of the screen.
Verify the line numbers associated with the items become underlined, and turn red.
Step 7: Finalizing an Agenda
On the Calendar tab, change the agenda status to Final in the Status field. This will activate the Meeting Details link on InSite and list the agenda items.
Step 8: Export Meeting Data (once the agenda is finalized) *This step is only needed if you are using our Government Transparency Suite and/or iLegislate.
On the Calendar tab, select the meeting you wish to export.
Click the Tools menu, and select the Export Data option.
A Exporting Meeting… status message is displayed while Legistar exports the data.
The following message appears when the meeting export is completed:
Once exported, your meeting becomes an event in MediaManager (and iLegislate, if you are using this iPad application). MediaManager is used to route the agenda to LiveManager. Take note of the event name as it will appear in MediaManager, then click OK.
Note: You can export data as many times as you want, and you will need to do so if you make changes to your agenda in Legistar. However, no matter how many times you export, be sure to republish your agenda afterward to allow it to appear next to your video on InSite. See details on publishing below.
Step 9: Publishing an Agenda to InSite
Click Reports, and select the appropriate agenda report.
Under the Report Settings, set the Destination field to Publish to InSite – Calendar (PDF), verify the other settings are correct, and click Save Settings.
Click Run.
When the agenda status is set to Final, the Meeting Details link under the Calendar tab on InSite becomes live. This link lists all of the legislative files on the agenda without including the headers. When you publish the agenda using the Publish to InSite – Calendar (PDF) option, the Agenda link also becomes available on InSite.
Step 10: (Optional) Creating PDFs for Agenda Reports
Select the agenda from the list of agendas under the Calendar tab.
Click Reports, and select the appropriate agenda report.
Under the Report Settings, set the Destination field to Acrobat Format (PDF), verify the other settings are correct, and click Save Settings.
Note:The Destination field allows you to choose where you will send a finished report. Generally, your options include PDF, HTML, printer, InSite, MS Word document, and email.
Click Run.
Step 11: Creating an Agenda Packet
The Agenda Packet feature allows you to create the agenda with all corresponding attachments in one electronic PDF document. If you have Adobe Acrobat 7 or higher, you can complete the following steps to create an agenda packet:
Select the agenda from the list of agendas under the Calendar tab.
Change the agenda status to Final in the Status field.
Click Reports, and select the appropriate agenda report.
Click Agenda Packet.
Click OK at the Agenda Packet complete confirmation.
Open the packet in the drive location defined during deployment, e.g. C:\Program Files\Granicus\Legistar5\Packet
Select all of the packet files > right-click the first file > select Combine files in Acrobat.
Note: You can also create an agenda packet from InSite. See Step 12 below.
Step 12: (Optional) Creating an Agenda Packet from InSite
After you have published the agenda with attachments to InSite, open InSite and access the Calendar tab. You can access InSite via the InSite link in the top right hand corner of the Legistar interface.
Right click on the agenda hyperlink and click Copy Link Address to get the agenda’s URL.
Open Adobe Acrobat and click Create PDF from Web Page.
Paste the URL into the URL field and set Get Levels to 2.
Click Settings and make sure Create Bookmarks is checked.
Wait for the packet to be completely assembled. Once it is finished, save it to your computer using the File - Save As option.
(Optional) To upload the agenda packet to InSite, go to InSite and click Sign In, then enter your Legistar username and password.
Note: You must belong to a security group that has the necessary permissions to add meeting attachments.
