Documentation

Everything you need to get started and make the most of CivicCA.

Getting Started

  • Quick start guide Log in, create your first body and meeting, then build an agenda.
  • First agenda walkthrough Add sections, drag items into order, attach files, and publish to the portal.
  • Importing data Migrate existing bodies, people, and legislation from Legistar CSV exports.
  • Inviting your team Add users with admin, editor, contributor, or viewer roles and send invitations.

Agenda Builder

  • Creating sections Organize agendas with sections like Consent Calendar, Public Hearing, and New Business.
  • Drag-and-drop items Reorder agenda items and move them between sections with drag-and-drop.
  • File numbers & sponsors Assign unique file numbers (e.g., 26-107) and link sponsoring council members.
  • Fiscal impact & consent calendar Flag items with fiscal impact amounts and mark routine items for consent.

Meetings

  • Scheduling & locations Set meeting dates, times, and locations with recurring schedule support.
  • Body assignment Link each meeting to a legislative body like City Council or Planning Commission.
  • Video integration Embed YouTube or Zoom recordings so the public can watch past meetings.
  • Live streaming setup Connect a YouTube Live stream for real-time meeting broadcasts on the portal.

AI Features

  • Summarization setup Generate plain-language summaries of agenda items and full meetings via Claude AI.
  • Transcription Upload meeting audio for automatic transcription with speaker diarization via AssemblyAI.
  • Compliance checker AI reviews agendas for Brown Act compliance: 72-hour posting, proper notice, and required citations.
  • Smart search configuration Enable AI-powered semantic search across agendas, minutes, and legislation.

Dais & Live Meeting

  • Live meeting mode Activate live mode to track the current agenda item and broadcast status in real time.
  • Speaker queue & timer controls Manage the public comment queue with configurable per-speaker time limits.
  • Council display Show a chamber-facing screen with the current item, vote tally, and speaker timer.
  • Kiosk mode Deploy a lobby kiosk where visitors can sign up to speak or browse the agenda.

Public Portal

  • Portal setup & branding Configure your city's name, logo, colors, and subdomain for the public-facing portal.
  • Embeddable widgets Add upcoming meetings, calendars, or agendas to your city website via iframe embeds.
  • eComment configuration Enable public comment submission with AI moderation and staff review workflows.
  • Notification subscriptions Let residents subscribe to email alerts for specific bodies, meetings, or legislation.

Voting & Legislation

  • Roll call recording Record Aye, Nay, Abstain, and Absent votes per member on each agenda item.
  • Motion tracking Log who moved, who seconded, and the final result for every action taken.
  • Legislation history Track an ordinance or resolution from introduction through committee to enactment.
  • Vote reports Export vote summaries and individual member voting records as PDF or CSV.

Collaboration

  • Item comments & @mentions Leave comments on agenda items and @mention colleagues to request input.
  • Review workflow Route draft agenda items through department review and approval before publishing.
  • Department submissions Allow department staff to submit agenda items with attachments for editor review.
  • Activity tracking View a full audit log of who edited, approved, or commented on each item.

Administration

  • User management & roles Create accounts with five role levels: super admin, admin, editor, contributor, and viewer.
  • SSO setup Connect your city's identity provider for single sign-on via SAML or OAuth.
  • Compliance rules Configure Brown Act posting deadlines, quorum thresholds, and notice requirements.
  • API access Generate API keys to integrate CivicCA data with your city's website or other systems.

Coming Soon — Full documentation is being written. Contact us at hello@civicca.com for help in the meantime.