26/08/2026
Your council votes shouldn't disappear into PDFs
But they often do
The PDF problem A resident asks who voted on a zoning change, and the answer may be buried across dozens of scanned minutes. Clerks end up opening files, searching by hand, and retyping what the record already contains
Searchable public records Instead of sending someone a stack of PDFs, a clerk can point them to one place where motions, ordinances, and roll-call votes are easy to find. The official record stays clear and usable
Less hand-keying When meeting records are structured for search, routine questions don't turn into an afternoon of document hunting. Residents get answers faster, and clerks keep their time for the work only they can do
A record people can use Transparency isn't just posting documents online. It's making council decisions findable in plain language, so residents can see what happened, when it happened, and how their elected officials voted