This site is designed and maintained using Macromedia software, Cascading Style Sheets, XHTML, and JavaScript according to W3C specifications. Using these web protocols allow for future compatibility with the Internet as well as backward compatibility for older browsers and systems. Using this method also makes updating the site and maintaining the look and flow of the site quicker and easier.
Organization
The site is organized into nine major sections: City Hall, Community, Housing & Redevelopment, Inspections, Parks, Trails & Recreation, Permits & Licenses, Planning & Zoning, Public Safety (Fire and Police), and Public Works. Users can easily identify which category they fall into and quickly find information pertinent to them. The drop down menus give users more specific choices and each page has links relating to the topic in the right column. These methods of navigation allow users easy access to the information they are seeking. It is recommended that JavaScript is enabled in your browser to receive the full benefit of the web site's navigational capabilities.
Note: In order to use links to web sites outside www.hopkinsmn.com, pop up blockers must be disabled in your web browser. More information about the City of Hopkins' Link Policy & Disclaimer.
Accessibility
This site is built with the intention of making the information available to all possible audiences, including the visually impaired, those with limited mobility, those who are working with slower computers, browsers, and modems.
Some of the steps taken to ensure widespread accessibility include:
- adding ALT descriptions to all graphic images
- using TITLE attributes when necessary
- giving data tables header information
The site has been checked against the World Web Wide Consortium's Web Accessibility Initiative (Level A) guidelines.
Fonts
The text on this web site uses Cascading Style Sheets formatted so that you can change the font size to suit your needs. Please note that significantly increasing the text size may affect the layout of the web site.
To increase or decrease the font size in your browser:
Firefox
- Hold the Ctrl button and + or -.
- From the View menu, select Text Size, then select Increase or Decrease.
Microsoft Internet Explorer 5.0 or above
- From the View menu select Text Size, then choose the preferred size - anywhere from smallest to largest.
Microsoft Internet Explorer (Macintosh)
- From the View menu, select Text Zoom, then select the preferred size - anywhere from 50% - 200% (or custom) or Larger/Smaller.
Netscape
- Hold the Ctrl button and + or -.
- From the View menu, select Text Zoom, then select the preferred size - anywhere from 50% - 200% (or custom) or Larger/Smaller.
- From the Edit menu select Preferences, select Appearance, then Fonts. Reset the size.
Opera
- Hold the Ctrl button and + or - (Zooms entire page, not just text).
- From the View menu select Zoom, then select a size from the list
PDF Use
Some forms and reports are available in PDF documents on this Web site. Viewing and printing these files requires Adobe Acrobat Reader, available FREE from the Adobe website. It is recommended that you use version 7.0 or above in order to get the full benefit of the online form capabilties.
Testing
The site has been tested with Windows 2000 using Internet Explorer (versions 5-7), Opera 8.5, Mozilla 1.5 and 1.7, Netscape (versions 6-8), and Firefox 1.5.
Although this site has been tested with a number of browsers, using the most up-to-date versions of Internet Explorer, Firefox, or Opera is recommended.