Windows x64 Beta 1 · MSI 1.7.0.1

The signed Windows x64 beta 1.7.0.1 passed the documented fresh Windows Sandbox checks with synthetic data.

Townlight Zoning Manual

Townlight Beta 1 · Naming candidate documentation edition 2 November 2026

Contents

• Using this manual
• Beta identity
• First run
• Daily workflow
• Connected workflows
• Architecture
• Discretionary processes and staff review
• Technical specifications
• Configuration and administration
• API and integration examples
• MCP and automation boundary
• Security and permissions
• Backup recovery and maintenance
• Troubleshooting
• Verified workflows and limits
• Terms of service and license
• Glossary
• Alphabetical subject index
• Source and document control

Using this manual

Townlight Zoning helps planners, land-use staff and authorized reviewers. Zoning combines local parcel geometry, cited zoning rules and staff review. It retains questions, corrections and snapshots with provenance so downstream staff can identify the precise evidence used.

Staff should begin with First run and Daily workflow. Administrators should also read Architecture, Technical specifications, Configuration, Security and Recovery. Developers should use the exact API/data dictionary and examples. The table of contents and alphabetical subject index link to the relevant sections in the HTML edition; the PDF preserves headings and searchable text. An editable Word edition is included with the same documentation companion.

Beta identity

Use an empty database and fresh Windows profile. The installer refuses legacy profile initialization. The approved profile path is %LOCALAPPDATA%\CivicSuite. Keep existing profiles and backups.

First run

1. Download the signed MSI, matching source companion and checksums from the public Windows release.
2. Verify the MSI hash and Authenticode publisher before installing on a fresh Windows profile. See the Windows acceptance summary for the tested setup.
3. Launch Townlight under the intended named Windows account. Choose the storage folders. Select Townlight Inspections candidate (inspections-preview) for the bounded desktop composition, including Access and Notice. A narrower default selection will not expose all workspaces.
4. Enter the city profile, time zone and contacts. Create the first named local administrator, sign in and choose protected backup storage. Continue without local AI is valid for the deterministic workflows.
5. Run Health Check and wait for readiness. Open Townlight. In System Health select Finish Records Migration to activate the canonical Python/PostgreSQL runtime. Do not fabricate migration receipts or seed accounts.
6. Create named staff through Settings. Import authorized sources using each product’s source library. All examples in this package are synthetic; they are not municipal authority.
7. Provision Station separately if it is part of the beta exercise. Selecting the desktop composition does not start or configure Station. Configure vision explicitly only if automatic photo drafting is selected.

Daily workflow

1. Prepare parcel data

Use the complete supported bundle, including jurisdiction, dataset metadata and original hashes. The coordinates must be EPSG:4326. A loose geometry file is not the full source envelope.

2. Import and inspect

Check the complete source envelope before selecting Import parcel dataset. That control submits directly; inspect the saved validation/provenance result afterward. Correct a refused source bundle and preserve the evidence. Do not force acceptance by editing SQL.

3. Register cited rules

Associate the zone, rule kind/key and value with the relevant public Code section. Inspect overlays and effective context. Leave missing authority visible for planner review.

4. Ask a parcel question

Look up the intended parcel and ask the supported question. Read the returned citation, applicability and disclaimer. Do not present an uncertain answer as an official decision.

5. Record review and context

Record a correction and its reason when needed. Select permitted Meetings history explicitly. Preserve the question/review history and distinguish staff-only precedent from public material.

6. Create a snapshot

Review the audience and exact content before creating the immutable snapshot. A public snapshot must satisfy its permitted-source contract; choosing a public label does not sanitize private notes.

7. Use it downstream

Select the exact snapshot for Records or the permitted provider path. The receiving workflow rechecks visibility, source identity and hash before retaining or exporting it.

Working safely

Use your own named account and save before leaving a screen. A saved draft is durable; unsaved form text may not be. If a write has an unknown result, reopen its record before repeating it.

Read source jurisdiction, dates, citation, version and visibility. A copied source hash identifies exact bytes, not their legal applicability. If a source changes or permission is removed, resolve the source problem rather than substituting stale cached content.

Keep originals and derivatives separate. Review the intended audience before export. A public summary excludes private fields only through the applicable copy contract and your review. A renamed private packet is still private content.

Drafting, review, approval, attachment, export, fulfillment and publication are separate operations. A Townlight workpaper does not itself adopt law, issue a permit, impose a fine or release a records response. The responsible staff member records the applicable decision.

Connected workflows

Consumes Code authority and permitted Meetings evidence. Supplies permitted snapshots to Records and context to Planning and Permitting.

Product boundary

The accepted path is local GeoJSON/PostGIS. It does not establish every ArcGIS, assessor or CKAN connector. Answers and process explanations are informational and do not issue an entitlement or an official zoning determination.

Architecture

The drawing shows the principal staff/evidence path. Native commands carry trusted identity to Python business services; PostgreSQL and retained original files hold durable state. A downstream copy does not silently transfer decision authority. Station has its own configured authority/media boundary, database and mutable files. The connected-workflow text supplies the drawing’s reading order and accessibility alternative.

Discretionary processes and staff review

Explain the cited process

In the existing Zoning workspace, complete Variance, conditional use or nonconformity question. Supply the applicable process Code section, zone code, optional comma-separated standard to cite, and optional observed condition, for example front_setback=8 feet. Select Explain the cited process. Choose actual imported public authority; the synthetic values below require matching synthetic sources to return supported guidance.

The mounted API is POST /desktop/v1/zoning/standards/process-explanation under the normal authenticated staff session. Its equivalent request body is:

{"question":"Explain the synthetic variance process","process_section":"18.20.050","zone_code":"SYN-R","rule_types":["front_setback"],"observed":{"front_setback":"8 feet"}}

Read process citations and each cited standard independently. The output can explain a verified process while reporting unavailable standards or review flags. A difference between an observation and a cited standard is an informational flag; it is not a variance finding, approval, nonconformity determination or substitute for planner review. If no relevant authority is available, obtain the source or leave the item unavailable. Do not attach an unrelated citation to a proposed requirement.

Keep parcel import and inspection in the right order

Check the complete JSON envelope, original hashes and EPSG:4326 geometry before submitting Import parcel dataset. That control sends the import directly; it does not open a separate preview/commit screen. Inspect the returned validation/provenance and saved dataset. The browser refuses bundle files larger than 20 MiB; valid geometry and metadata remain subject to server validation. Correct the source bundle after a refusal and retain earlier evidence rather than forcing SQL changes.

Use the existing specialist review contracts

The standalone Zoning application’s review/analytics/report routes are documented source capabilities, not extra native desktop screens. In a deployment where its actual staff authentication is already configured:

• Create an ambiguity review with zone_code, question and reason at /api/v1/townlight_zoning/staff/ambiguity-reviews. Read its returned ID and list state. Update that ID with status, optional assigned_to and resolution; use open, in_review, resolved or closed. Resolving or closing requires a nonempty resolution.
• Retain a flagged answer at /api/v1/townlight_zoning/staff/flagged-answers with the original question/answer, zone, flag reason and source citations. Use /{review_id}/improve with improved_answer and improvement_notes. Preserve the original and improvement attribution; a correction does not rewrite the imported Code source.
• Read /api/v1/townlight_zoning/staff/questions/analytics with the desired high_volume_threshold to identify repeated questions and uncertain answers. Analytics counts are review aids, not jurisdictional conclusions.
• Create /api/v1/townlight_zoning/staff/reports/outline with a title and actual selected question_ids/queue_item_ids. Review the resulting outline and citations before incorporating it in a staff report. It is not a filed report or a meeting decision.

A synthetic ambiguity request is:

{"zone_code":"SYN-R","question":"Which retained setback rule applies?","reason":"Synthetic overlay ambiguity requires planner review"}

Do not send invented staff-role headers or assume these standalone paths exist at the installed desktop origin. The native workspace’s supported review/history/snapshot controls continue to use its fixed authenticated bridge. Use the technical supplement to distinguish the two surfaces.

Source contracts: townlight_runtime/zoning_bridge.py, townlight_zoning/main.py, the imported rule/source models and desktop Zoning view.

Technical specifications

Runtime and storage

The accepted package targets Windows x64 fresh installation. Its native shell uses Rust 2021, Tauri 2 and Microsoft WebView2; browser assets are JavaScript built with Vite 8.1.6. This describes the native desktop frontend; Station has a separate React operator, specified below or in its product manual. Canonical business workflows use bundled CPython 3.13.5, FastAPI, Pydantic, SQLAlchemy and Alembic, with PostgreSQL 17 / PostGIS and managed original files. The installed runtime tested here contains FastAPI 0.162.0. Package minimum Python requirements can differ from the bundled executable; the metadata reference preserves both. No stack rewrite is implied by the beta label.

The native transport is fixed to loopback 127.0.0.1:15480; PostgreSQL uses the configured local runtime port (default 15432). Optional local model service defaults to 127.0.0.1:15434. Those are deployment defaults, not internet endpoints. The runtime has health, module and readiness endpoints; readiness is stronger than process existence. The task queue is the existing local Core task infrastructure, not an assertion that a separate Redis service is required for this desktop composition.

The default native profile is %LOCALAPPDATA%\CivicSuite; the historical directory name remains part of compatibility. Do not rename it to Townlight. A configured TOWNLIGHT_PROFILE_ROOT must be absolute. Local configuration and secrets live under that profile; protected managed files and database state must be backed up coherently. Source/runtime identity is distinct from a product’s display label.

Data and consistency

GeoJSON import datasets; parcels and zone/overlay context; cited rules; questions and answers; review events; selected Meetings history; immutable snapshots.

Versioned saves use expected prior revision identifiers where defined. Reopen and reconcile on conflict. Exact exports and handoffs use source IDs, current visibility, revision and SHA256. Review belongs to the saved revision and does not transfer silently to edited text. Database changes use the owning product’s migrations; a request or readiness check is not an authorization to mutate schema.

Capacity and platform statements

This beta has synthetic single-profile workflow evidence. It does not have a published benchmark for concurrent staff capacity, minimum RAM/CPU, large-source limits or a field SLA. Do not turn a developer machine’s specification into a supported minimum. The signed MSI is 2,082,697,216 bytes; allow additional disk for extracted runtime, database, originals, exports, media and backups. Select equipment/storage after sizing those actual workloads.

The exact runtime payload lock records pinned files, sizes and hashes. The component metadata records shipped dependency declarations. These references are more precise than a manually copied dependency list. Third-party and historical license notices must accompany their matching payloads.

Configuration and administration

Native deployment configuration

Use Setup, Settings and System Health for supported staff operation. Administrators provision folders, backup storage, named accounts and the city profile. Select inspections-preview for the bounded desktop composition, including Access and Notice. Station remains a separate service boundary. Do not use a standalone product’s demo server as a substitute for the installed workspace.

Technical deployments use TOWNLIGHT_PRODUCT_PROFILE, TOWNLIGHT_PROFILE_ROOT, DATABASE_URL, TOWNLIGHT_RUNTIME_PORT, PORTAL_MODE and the runtime-managed secret files. Treat database URLs and native session proofs as secrets. The installed native domain runtime explicitly refuses non-loopback binding. PORTAL_MODE=private is the accepted posture; changing it does not by itself commission an internet portal, authentication provider or reverse proxy.

The isolated documentation exporter sets a fictional profile and unusable synthetic database origin only to read schemas; those values are not deployment configuration. Keep deployment values in the intended process/account scope. An already-running process does not automatically inherit later environment edits.

API and integration examples

Native command example

The following JavaScript belongs in the existing trusted Townlight frontend/development environment with invoke imported from @tauri-apps/api/core. It is not a command for an arbitrary web page or an instruction for nontechnical staff. IDs must come from records created in an isolated synthetic exercise.

import { invoke } from '@tauri-apps/api/core';
const result = await invoke('zoning_domain_request', {request: {operation: 'history', id: questionId}});
console.log(result);

Trusted local HTTP example

An administrator/developer can inspect an already-configured isolated runtime from a trusted local process. This PowerShell example reads the signed-in synthetic profile’s existing proof into memory; it does not create a user, seed a session, reveal the proof in output or bypass a permission check. Do not use real city data in development examples. A read response does not prove approval or publication.

$profilePath = Join-Path $env:LOCALAPPDATA 'CivicSuite'
$sessionPath = Join-Path $profilePath 'config\local-session.json'
$session = Get-Content -LiteralPath $sessionPath -Raw | ConvertFrom-Json
$headers = @{ 'X-Townlight-Session' = $session.session_hash }
Invoke-RestMethod -Uri 'http://127.0.0.1:15480/desktop/v1/zoning/workspace' -Headers $headers
Remove-Variable session, headers

Complete synthetic source bundle

The synthetic Zoning bundle is the retained fixture used by the beta staff exercise. It includes the complete supported source envelope rather than a shortened pseudo-payload. Keep its fictional source labels. For Planning, wrap it as {"bundle": BUNDLE, "expected_previous_revision": null}; for Permitting use {"bundle": BUNDLE, "expected_revision": null}. Code and Zoning take their own complete import envelopes. Replace null with the current expected revision when revising an existing source, as the applicable schema requires. These are import examples, not legal authority or permission to load them into a live city profile.

A synthetic write with subsequent readback

This example demonstrates the existing Meetings HTTP contract in an isolated exercise. It is intentionally fictional. It does not start a service. Its authentication setup is included so it can be run independently under the signed-in synthetic account. If a write times out, inspect current records before repeating it.

$profilePath = Join-Path $env:LOCALAPPDATA 'CivicSuite'
$sessionPath = Join-Path $profilePath 'config/local-session.json'
$session = Get-Content -LiteralPath $sessionPath -Raw | ConvertFrom-Json
$headers = @{ 'X-Townlight-Session' = $session.session_hash }
$body = @{
  title = 'Synthetic documentation exercise'
  scheduled_start = '2026-11-05T18:00:00-07:00'
  location = 'Synthetic room'
  meeting_type = 'regular'
} | ConvertTo-Json
$meeting = Invoke-RestMethod -Method Post `
  -Uri 'http://127.0.0.1:15480/desktop/v1/meetings/meetings' `
  -Headers $headers -ContentType 'application/json' -Body $body
Invoke-RestMethod `
  -Uri ('http://127.0.0.1:15480/desktop/v1/meetings/meetings/' + $meeting.id) `
  -Headers $headers
Remove-Variable session, headers

This write requires Meetings to be enabled and the signed-in staff role to permit it. It is a cross-suite integration example; for this product’s request models, use the complete technical reference below.

Complete technical contract

Read the Zoning API reference for every documented operation, request field, constraint, response declaration and source supplement. Download the OpenAPI JSON for tools. For Station this is the suite-side schema only; its separate service contract is documented in the API supplement. The reference directory includes configuration/source inventories, dependency declarations, native command contracts, MCP signatures and candidate evidence.

MCP and automation boundary

No direct product MCP server is exposed by the accepted Townlight desktop or Station boundary. Do not configure an invented townlight mcp command or assume an AI client has staff permissions. The integration surfaces for this beta are native IPC, the documented HTTP APIs, source bundle imports, exact exports and the existing Station CLI.

The bundled transcription code includes a TextFlowKit MCP adapter as a separate source capability. It offers job-based transcribe_media, get_transcript, list_jobs, get_job_status and export_transcript, and additional tools declared in that adapter. It uses stdio first and optional Streamable HTTP, with the MCP SDK as an optional extra. It is not automatically launched, authenticated as Townlight staff or accepted as a Townlight product MCP deployment. This documentation does not add such a service.

For a transcription client already provisioned separately, an illustrative tool call is:

{"name":"get_job_status","arguments":{"job_id":"synthetic-existing-job-id"}}

Use a job ID returned by that transcription service. This example does not create a Townlight record or bypass its review/Records handoff. The exact optional adapter tool signatures are supplied in the MCP source reference. Station meeting capture does not become live speech recognition because this optional donor adapter exists.

Security and permissions

Use your own named account and save before leaving a screen. A saved draft is durable; unsaved form text may not be. If a write has an unknown result, reopen its record before repeating it.

Read source jurisdiction, dates, citation, version and visibility. A copied source hash identifies exact bytes, not their legal applicability. If a source changes or permission is removed, resolve the source problem rather than substituting stale cached content.

Keep originals and derivatives separate. Review the intended audience before export. A public summary excludes private fields only through the applicable copy contract and your review. A renamed private packet is still private content.

Drafting, review, approval, attachment, export, fulfillment and publication are separate operations. A Townlight workpaper does not itself adopt law, issue a permit, impose a fine or release a records response. The responsible staff member records the applicable decision.

The native session is validated and mapped to a persisted SQL identity. An editable actor/reviewer label is not authentication. Product/module permissions and source visibility apply at the server boundary. Revoked/unavailable authority fails closed for new Station operations; a previous permission result is not a perpetual authorization.

Use protected local folders, account permissions and credential storage. Never include the native session file, database passwords, provider keys or unredacted support bundles in a public issue or generated public documentation. A local public view is not automatically a secured internet deployment. Keep network exposure and real equipment acceptance specific to the chosen beta site.

Backup recovery and maintenance

Save work and use Core’s canonical Backup Now before maintenance. That operation stops writers. Preserve the coherent profile/database/document backup and its receipt, then use Start to resume. A source export is not a full backup.

Use Restore Latest Backup through the supported controls. If the result says Restore needs service start, use Start, then Check, and reopen a known record. Do not repeat restore merely because services need to start. The fresh-profile acceptance verified that a fulfilled request survived restore and a post-backup marker did not.

Keep Station’s dedicated database and media evidence together in its own backup. Core’s native-profile backup must not be assumed to include an external Station data directory. Stop writers during a coordinated backup. Preserve failed media attempts and logs.

On failure, record the time, selected composition, component/installer versions and exact message. Check System Health for stopped, starting, ready or failed dependencies. Use the existing Retry control after readiness; do not create duplicate business records to refresh a stale view. Share only a redacted diagnostic bundle. Preserve secrets, original evidence, recovery material and unrelated installations.

Troubleshooting

Verified workflows and limits

These results come from the identified signed candidate’s fresh normal-profile Sandbox exercise: real native IPC/HTTP/PostgreSQL and selected headless controls. All accounts, source bundles and media were synthetic. The guest install/uninstall and recovery passed, and the owned Sandbox stopped. No host installed application or standalone CivicCast was changed. This documentation task reuses those receipts; it does not claim a new software acceptance run.

See the Windows acceptance summary for this MSI. The historical evidence index applies to its original build.

The limits remain: actual city field acceptance and equipment/network commissioning; Station automatic provisioning/SCM commissioning; every UI/role combination; field recognition accuracy; and historical in-place upgrades are not certified. They are not five invented feature requirements. Fresh-install controlled beta handoff remains the accepted scope. This package makes no city-deployment, publication or general-availability claim.

Terms of service and license

Scope and status

These terms describe the Townlight Beta 1 software and this documentation package. This public Windows beta is for evaluation. No uptime commitment, support response time, indemnity, data-processing agreement or paid service is created by these documents. A separate signed agreement, if any, governs services it actually provides.

Software license and rights

Current Townlight-owned distributions identified in this candidate use AGPL-3.0-only. The full license is supplied with this documentation and with the source companion. The license governs rights to run, copy, modify and convey the covered software; these operational terms do not add restrictions to those rights. Historical grants and dependency licenses retain their own terms. CivicCast remains a separate product and is not relicensed by this documentation work.

When conveying covered software, retain applicable notices and provide the corresponding source and installation/build information required by the license. For a modified version supporting remote network interaction, follow section 13’s source-offer requirement. The companion archive identifies the source for this candidate; a link to a different public branch is not a substitute for the matching source. Read the supplied license for the complete conditions. See the GNU license reference and GNU licensing FAQ.

Data ownership and access

Importing a document does not transfer its ownership or grant permission to publish it. The operating organization controls its accounts, access decisions, lawful source use, retention and review/release policy. Keep resident information, credentials, private notes and restricted evidence in their authorized locations. Documentation examples contain fictional data. No real city account, credential or record is required to exercise these examples in an isolated test environment.

Local operation and external processors

The accepted beta workflow is local and uses named staff accounts. Station has separate storage and credentials. Configure backup destinations and optional model/network providers deliberately. A configured external provider may receive submitted prompts, images or audio according to that configuration and provider’s terms; this documentation does not promise that every optional configuration is offline. An email outbox or local public view does not establish external delivery or an internet deployment. This static documentation site has no analytics, account collection or remote font dependency.

Staff decisions and source applicability

Staff verify the jurisdiction, source currency, permissions, citations and proposed audience. Model output and generated guidance require review. No draft is automatically an official legal interpretation, zoning determination, permit approval, fee assessment, enforcement notice or records-release decision. Official permit fee authority remains with the adopted source and responsible organization; imported amounts do not become a new authoritative calculation.

Beta operation and recovery

Use the identified candidate in its supported fresh-install scope. Preserve backups and original evidence. Test physical equipment and chosen network/service configuration before relying on them. The supplied acceptance describes selected synthetic workflows, not every screen, vendor, field condition or upgrade. Operators decide whether a particular deployment meets their own operational obligations.

Warranty and liability

The covered software’s warranty and liability conditions are those in sections 15–17 of the supplied AGPL and any applicable separate written undertaking. This documentation creates no additional warranty or limitation beyond those terms. Third-party software is subject to its retained license notices. Nothing here removes rights that applicable law makes nonwaivable.

Support and incident reporting

Use the project’s existing SUPPORT and SECURITY guidance for its matching repository. Report reproducible behavior with the version, operation and redacted logs. Do not put credentials, resident records or unredacted evidence in a public issue. Coordinate sensitive reports through the channel designated in SECURITY. No new support address or service commitment is invented here.

Ending a beta exercise and document changes

When an organization ends testing, it controls retention/export and removes access according to its policy. Uninstall may retain data; back up and inspect the selected removal options. Ending an exercise does not revoke rights already granted by AGPL. Later software/documentation versions must identify their changed candidate and scope; historical receipts retain their original identities. These terms do not claim that a city has accepted a contract merely by reading a manual.

Glossary

Alphabetical subject index

• Accounts and authentication — Security and permissions.
• AGPL and source — Terms of service and license.
• API contracts — API and integration examples.
• Architecture — Architecture.
• Backup — Backup recovery and maintenance.
• Beta version — Beta identity.
• Configuration — Configuration and administration.
• Evidence and acceptance — Verified workflows and limits.
• Fees and official decisions — Terms of service and license.
• First run — First run.
• Handoffs and audience — Connected workflows.
• MCP — MCP and automation boundary.
• Originals and provenance — Security and permissions.
• Recovery — Backup recovery and maintenance.
• Staff procedures — Daily workflow.
• Station configuration — Configuration and administration.
• Technical stack — Technical specifications.
• Troubleshooting — Troubleshooting.

Operating subject links

• Discretionary processes and staff review — Discretionary processes and staff review.
• Explain the cited process — Explain the cited process.
• Keep parcel import and inspection in the right order — Keep parcel import and inspection in the right order.
• Use the existing specialist review contracts — Use the existing specialist review contracts.

Source and document control

This edition is authored from the immutable corresponding-source companion, the generated installed-domain schema and the retained workflow receipts. The current software versions and signed artifacts are unchanged. Public historical pages are not synchronized or published by this local documentation task.

Workflow subject index

• Ask a parcel question — Daily workflow, step 4.

• Create a snapshot — Daily workflow, step 6.

• Import and inspect — Daily workflow, step 2.

• Prepare parcel data — Daily workflow, step 1.

• Record review and context — Daily workflow, step 5.

• Register cited rules — Daily workflow, step 3.

• Use it downstream — Daily workflow, step 7.

• Source inventory and file hashes

• All component metadata

• Installed domain OpenAPI

• Workflow matrix

• Full AGPL text