Feb 02 2026: implement remembering logged in, correct timezone

app/models/inspection.py

@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 from app import db
-from datetime import datetime
+from app.utils.time_utils import now_eastern
 import json
 
 
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ class InspectionTemplate(db.Model):
     description = db.Column(db.Text)
     frequency   = db.Column(db.Enum('daily', 'weekly', 'monthly', 'quarterly'))
     created_by  = db.Column(db.Integer, db.ForeignKey('users.id'))
-    created_at  = db.Column(db.DateTime, default=datetime.utcnow)
+    created_at  = db.Column(db.DateTime, default=now_eastern)
     form_schema = db.Column(db.JSON, nullable=True)
 
     checklist_items = db.relationship('ChecklistItem', backref='template', lazy='dynamic', cascade='all, delete-orphan')
@@ -57,7 +57,7 @@ class Inspection(db.Model):
     facility_id     = db.Column(db.Integer, db.ForeignKey('facilities.id'), nullable=False)
     area_id         = db.Column(db.Integer, db.ForeignKey('areas.id'))
     inspector_id    = db.Column(db.Integer, db.ForeignKey('users.id'), nullable=False)
-    inspection_date = db.Column(db.DateTime, nullable=False, default=datetime.utcnow)
+    inspection_date = db.Column(db.DateTime, nullable=False, default=now_eastern)
     overall_score   = db.Column(db.Numeric(5, 2))
     status          = db.Column(db.Enum('in_progress', 'completed', 'flagged'), default='in_progress')
     notes           = db.Column(db.Text)          # inspector free-text notes

app/models/issue.py

@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 from app import db
-from datetime import datetime
+from app.utils.time_utils import now_eastern
 
 
 class IssueComment(db.Model):
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ class IssueComment(db.Model):
     user_id       = db.Column(db.Integer, db.ForeignKey('users.id'), nullable=False)
     status_at_time = db.Column(db.String(20))   # snapshot of issue status when comment was made
     body          = db.Column(db.Text, nullable=False)
-    created_at    = db.Column(db.DateTime, default=datetime.utcnow, nullable=False)
+    created_at    = db.Column(db.DateTime, default=now_eastern, nullable=False)
 
     # Relationships
     author = db.relationship('User', foreign_keys=[user_id])
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ class Issue(db.Model):
     photo_path    = db.Column(db.String(255))
     status        = db.Column(db.Enum('open', 'in_progress', 'resolved'), default='open')
     assigned_to   = db.Column(db.Integer, db.ForeignKey('users.id'))
-    reported_at   = db.Column(db.DateTime, default=datetime.utcnow)
+    reported_at   = db.Column(db.DateTime, default=now_eastern)
     resolved_at   = db.Column(db.DateTime)
     result_notes  = db.Column(db.Text)
     result_photos = db.Column(db.JSON)   # list of relative paths e.g. ["uploads/issue_photos/abc.jpg"]

app/models/user.py

@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 from app import db, login_manager
 from flask_login import UserMixin
 from werkzeug.security import generate_password_hash, check_password_hash
-from datetime import datetime
+from app.utils.time_utils import now_eastern
 
 @login_manager.user_loader
 def load_user(user_id):
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ class User(UserMixin, db.Model):
     email = db.Column(db.String(255), unique=True, nullable=False, index=True)
     password_hash = db.Column(db.String(255), nullable=False)
     role = db.Column(db.Enum('admin', 'supervisor', 'inspector'), nullable=False)
-    created_at = db.Column(db.DateTime, default=datetime.utcnow)
+    created_at = db.Column(db.DateTime, default=now_eastern)
 
     # Relationships
     inspections = db.relationship('Inspection', backref='inspector', lazy='dynamic')

app/routes/auth.py

@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ def login():
         user = User.query.filter_by(username=form.username.data).first()
 
         if user and user.check_password(form.password.data):
-            login_user(user)
+            login_user(user, remember=form.remember_me.data)
             # Use validated next URL — never redirect blindly to request.args['next']
             next_page = _safe_next(request.args.get('next'))
             flash(f'Welcome back, {user.username}!', 'success')

app/routes/dashboard.py

@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ from app.models.issue import Issue
 from app.models.user import User
 from sqlalchemy import func
 from datetime import datetime, timedelta
+from app.utils.time_utils import now_eastern
 
 bp = Blueprint('dashboard', __name__)
 
@@ -15,7 +16,7 @@ bp = Blueprint('dashboard', __name__)
 @login_required
 def index():
     # Get today's date range
-    today_start = datetime.utcnow().replace(hour=0, minute=0, second=0, microsecond=0)
+    today_start = now_eastern().replace(hour=0, minute=0, second=0, microsecond=0)
     today_end = today_start + timedelta(days=1)
     
     # Statistics for today
@@ -55,7 +56,7 @@ def index():
         ).count()
     
     # Calculate average score (last 30 days)
-    thirty_days_ago = datetime.utcnow() - timedelta(days=30)
+    thirty_days_ago = now_eastern() - timedelta(days=30)
     avg_score_query = Inspection.query.filter(
         Inspection.status == 'completed',
         Inspection.overall_score.isnot(None),

app/routes/inspections.py

@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ import os
 import json
 import uuid
 from datetime import datetime
+from app.utils.time_utils import now_eastern
 from flask import (Blueprint, render_template, redirect, url_for,
                    flash, request, current_app, jsonify)
 from flask_login import login_required, current_user
@@ -223,7 +224,7 @@ def start():
             facility_id     = form.facility_id.data,
             area_id         = form.area_id.data or None,
             inspector_id    = current_user.id,
-            inspection_date = datetime.utcnow(),
+            inspection_date = now_eastern(),
             status          = 'in_progress',
             notes           = form.notes.data or None,
         )
@@ -300,7 +301,7 @@ def execute(inspection_id):
             score = _compute_score_from_form(form_fields, responses)
             inspection.overall_score = score
             inspection.status        = 'completed'
-            inspection.completed_at  = datetime.utcnow()
+            inspection.completed_at  = now_eastern()
 
             # Persist the final form data alongside any inspector notes
             _save_responses(inspection, responses)
@@ -401,7 +402,7 @@ def flag_issue(inspection_id):
             photo_path    = photo_path,
             status        = 'open',
             assigned_to   = form.assigned_to.data or None,
-            reported_at   = datetime.utcnow(),
+            reported_at   = now_eastern(),
         )
         db.session.add(issue)
 

app/routes/issues.py

@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-from datetime import datetime
+from app.utils.time_utils import now_eastern
 from flask import (Blueprint, render_template, redirect, url_for,
                    flash, request, current_app)
 from flask_login import login_required, current_user
@@ -66,7 +66,7 @@ def view(issue_id):
             issue.assigned_to = form.assigned_to.data or None
 
         if form.status.data == 'resolved' and not issue.resolved_at:
-            issue.resolved_at = datetime.utcnow()
+            issue.resolved_at = now_eastern()
         elif form.status.data != 'resolved':
             issue.resolved_at = None
 
@@ -130,7 +130,7 @@ def create():
             photo_path  = photo_path,
             status      = 'open',
             assigned_to = form.assigned_to.data or None,
-            reported_at = datetime.utcnow(),
+            reported_at = now_eastern(),
         )
         db.session.add(issue)
         db.session.commit()

app/routes/reports.py

@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 import csv
 import io
 from datetime import datetime, timedelta
+from app.utils.time_utils import now_eastern
 from flask import (Blueprint, render_template, request,
                    Response, stream_with_context)
 from flask_login import login_required, current_user
@@ -17,7 +18,7 @@ bp = Blueprint('reports', __name__, url_prefix='/reports')
 
 def _date_range():
     """Parse ?start= and ?end= query params; default to last 30 days."""
-    end_default   = datetime.utcnow()
+    end_default   = now_eastern()
     start_default = end_default - timedelta(days=30)
     try:
         start = datetime.strptime(request.args.get('start', ''), '%Y-%m-%d')

app/templates/auth/login.html

@@ -33,6 +33,11 @@
                             </div>
                         {% endif %}
                     </div>
+
+                    <div class="mb-3 form-check">
+                        {{ form.remember_me(class="form-check-input") }}
+                        {{ form.remember_me.label(class="form-check-label text-muted") }}
+                    </div>
                     
                     <button type="submit" class="btn btn-primary btn-lg w-100">
                         <i class="bi bi-box-arrow-in-right"></i> Login

app/utils/forms.py

@@ -11,8 +11,9 @@ from app.models.user import User
 # ── Auth ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
 
 class LoginForm(FlaskForm):
-    username = StringField('Username', validators=[DataRequired(), Length(min=3, max=100)])
+    username    = StringField('Username', validators=[DataRequired(), Length(min=3, max=100)])
-    password = PasswordField('Password', validators=[DataRequired()])
+    password    = PasswordField('Password', validators=[DataRequired()])
+    remember_me = BooleanField('Keep me logged in')
 
 
 class UserForm(FlaskForm):

app/utils/time_utils.py

@@ -0,0 +1,24 @@
+"""
+time_utils.py
+-------------
+Centralised time helpers for the JQC application.
+
+All timestamps are stored as Eastern Time (America/New_York) so that
+displayed dates reflect the local business timezone without any
+conversion layer in templates or reports.
+"""
+
+from datetime import datetime
+import pytz
+
+EASTERN = pytz.timezone('America/New_York')
+
+
+def now_eastern() -> datetime:
+    """Return the current wall-clock time in US/Eastern (naive datetime).
+
+    Stored as a naive datetime in the database so that existing DateTime
+    columns require no schema change.  The value is always Eastern local
+    time (auto-adjusts for EDT / EST).
+    """
+    return datetime.now(tz=EASTERN).replace(tzinfo=None)