How this site works

Where the information comes from

• City Council and Planning Commission agendas, packets and minutes from the City of Lakeville's official meeting portal.
• Development projects from the list city planning staff keep for the city's Interactive Development Map.
• Monthly building permit counts from the city's building inspections reports.
• Road closures from MnDOT's 511 work zone feed, and city street projects from the city's construction projects map.
• Photos taken by Civraria staff.

The site does not use social media posts, other news outlets, or anonymous tips.

What is automated

Software checks the city's meeting portal every two hours. When a new agenda is posted, it reads the packet and drafts a plain-language summary of each item. Every sentence links to the packet page it came from. The software rejects any draft whose dollar amounts, parcel numbers or names can't be found in the original document.

What a person reviews

Civraria staff read every meeting preview and recap before it is published, and check vote counts and names against the official minutes. Each new development project page is read before it is first published. After that, pages that contain only data, such as road closures, permit counts and updates to a project's status, are published with a quick check.

Rules the site follows

• People are named only as they appear in the official record, with their role. Members of the public who speak at meetings are not named.
• No words describing anyone's manner, motives or competence.
• Votes come only from official minutes or from attending the meeting.

Corrections

If something is wrong, email contact@civraria.com. Errors are fixed within 24 hours and listed on the corrections page.