Objects on the public website

Forerunner’s public website allows residents and property owners to look up information about properties in your jurisdiction. This page explains what object information can be made public, how visibility is controlled, and how to work with your Customer Success Manager to configure public access settings.

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Public website overview

The public website provides a self-service portal where residents can:

• Search for properties by address to view flood zone and risk information
• View public records attached to properties (permits, inspections, etc.)
• Access public files such as Elevation Certificates
• See properties on a map with relevant flood data layers
• Submit requests through public forms (if enabled)

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What residents can see

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Property information

When a resident searches for a property, they may see: Location data

• Street address
• Map showing property location
• Parcel boundaries (if enabled)

Flood risk information

• Flood zone designation (AE, X, VE, etc.)
• Whether the property is in a Special Flood Hazard Area
• Base Flood Elevation (if available)
• FIRM panel reference

Public records

• Records configured as publicly visible
• Record status and key details
• Links to view full record information

Public files

• Documents marked as public
• Elevation Certificates (if configured)
• Other publicly shared documents

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What’s not visible

By default, residents cannot see:

• Owner name and contact information
• Internal staff notes and comments
• Private records and files
• Sensitive risk indicators
• Internal workflow status
• Staff user information

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Controlling public visibility

Public visibility is controlled at multiple levels, allowing granular control over what information appears on the public website.

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Account-level settings

Your Customer Success Manager configures account-wide defaults: Property search - Whether property search is enabled at all Attribute visibility - Which property attributes appear publicly (flood zone, BFE, etc.) Map layers - Which layers display on the public map Search options - What search methods are available (address, parcel ID, map click)

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Record type settings

Each record type has public visibility settings: Public by default - New records are automatically visible to the public Private by default - New records are hidden unless manually made public Always private - Records of this type can never be made public Field-level visibility - Specific fields can be hidden from public view even on public records

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Individual record settings

Staff users can override the default visibility for individual records:

• Mark a normally-public record as private
• Make a normally-private record visible to the public
• Adjust visibility as circumstances change

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File visibility

Files have their own visibility controls: Document type settings - Default visibility based on document type (Elevation Certificates may default to public, internal memos to private) Individual file settings - Override visibility on specific files Inherited visibility - Some files inherit visibility from their parent record

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Property search experience

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How residents search

Residents typically find properties through: Address search - Enter a street address to find matching properties Map navigation - Browse the public map and click on properties Parcel ID - Search by parcel identification number (if enabled) Direct link - Access a property directly via URL (useful for sharing)

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Search results

When a property is found, the public website displays:

1. Property header - Address and basic identification
2. Map view - Property location with relevant layers
3. Flood information - Zone designation and risk data
4. Public records - List of publicly visible records
5. Public files - Downloadable public documents
6. Actions - Options like “Get help” or “Submit a request” (if enabled)

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Custom objects on the public website

Custom objects will be available on the public website, with visibility configured separately from properties.

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Public map layers

Custom object groups will be displayable as layers on the public map:

• Infrastructure - Show stormwater systems, flood control structures
• Boundaries - Display districts, service areas, project zones
• Facilities - Identify shelters, critical facilities

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Public object information

When residents click on public custom objects, they will see:

• Object name and type
• Key attributes configured for public display
• Related public information

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Configuration

Custom object public visibility will require:

• Enabling the object group for public display
• Configuring which attributes are visible
• Setting map layer styling for public view

Contact your Customer Success Manager if you’re interested in displaying custom objects on your public website.

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Privacy considerations

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Protecting sensitive information

When configuring public access, consider: Personal information - Owner names, contact details, and mailing addresses should typically remain private Security concerns - Detailed infrastructure information may have security implications Compliance requirements - Some data may be subject to privacy regulations Resident expectations - Consider what property owners expect to be public vs. private

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Default to private

Forerunner takes a conservative approach:

• Most data is private by default
• Public visibility must be explicitly enabled
• Individual items can be marked private to override public defaults

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Regular review

Periodically review your public visibility settings to ensure:

• Only appropriate information is publicly accessible
• New record types have correct default settings
• Sensitive records haven’t been accidentally published
• Public information serves resident needs effectively

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Setting up public access

Public website configuration is managed by your Customer Success Manager.

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Initial setup

When enabling the public website, your CSM helps with: Domain configuration - Setting up your public website URL Branding - Applying your community’s logo and colors Content - Configuring welcome messages and help text Attribute selection - Choosing which property data to display Record type settings - Setting default visibility for each record type

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Ongoing configuration

Contact your CSM when you need to:

• Change which attributes appear publicly
• Modify record type visibility defaults
• Add or remove public map layers
• Update branding or content
• Enable new public features

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What to provide your CSM

When requesting public visibility changes: For property attributes

• Which attributes should be public or private
• Why the change is needed
• Any compliance considerations

For record types

• Desired default visibility (public/private)
• Which fields should be visible vs. hidden
• Whether individual override should be allowed

For custom objects

• Which object groups to display publicly
• Attributes to show on public view
• Map styling preferences

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Frequently asked questions

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Related topics

• Records public sharing - Control public visibility for records
• Public table views - Share filtered data views publicly
• Public map layers - Configure public map display