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1 CITY OF STAR SOCIAL MEDIA USE POLICY, STANDARDS AND PROCEDURES AND USE OF NON-CITY SOCIAL MEDIA SITES I. POLICY STATEMENT A. Purpose. To address the fast-changing landscape of the Internet and the way residents and businesses communicate and obtain information about the City of Star online, the City of Star departments may consider using social media tools to reach a broader audience. The City encourages the use of social media to further the goals of the City and the missions of its departments, where appropriate. The City has an overriding interest and expectation in deciding what is “announced” or “spoken” on behalf of the City on social media sites. This policy establishes internal procedures for the use of social media by the City, its departments and employees. B. General. 1. All of the City’s social media sites that are posted by City departments, committees, and offices will be subject to approval by the Communications Specialist, the Mayor and the City Clerk’s Office. 2. The City’s website (www.staridaho.org) will remain the City’s primary and predominant internet presence. Wherever possible, content posted to the City’s social media sites will also be made available on the City’s website. Wherever possible, content posted to the City’s social media sites must contain hyperlinks directing users back to the City’s official website for in-depth information, forms, documents or online services necessary to conduct business with the City of Star. 3. The most appropriate uses of social media tools are as informational channels to increase the City’s ability to broadcast its messages to the widest possible audience; and as channels for disseminating time-sensitive information as quickly as possible (e.g. emergency information). 4. The City’s social media sites are subject to the Idaho Public Records Act. Any content posted or maintained in a social media format that is related to City business, including a list of subscribers, posted communication, and communication submitted for posting, may be a public record subject to public disclosure. All public records requests for information contained in City social media sites must be in writing to the City Clerk’s office or through the City’s website (www.staridaho.org). The City Clerk’s office shall be responsible for responding completely and accurately to any public records request for public records on social media; provided, however, such requests shall be handled in collaboration with the City Attorney’s office. Content related to City business shall be maintained in an accessible format and so that it can be produced in a ---PAGE BREAK--- 2 response to a request. Wherever possible, such sites shall clearly indicate that any articles and any other content posted or submitted for posting may be or are subject to public disclosure upon request. Users shall be notified that public disclosure requests must be directed to the City Clerk’s office or the City’s website (www.staridaho.org). 5. Idaho law and the City of Star’s Record Retention Manual shall apply to social media formats and social media content. Unless otherwise addressed in a specific social media standards document, the department, board, commission or office maintaining a site shall preserve records required to be maintained pursuant to a relevant records retention schedule for the required retention period on a City server in a format that preserves the integrity of the original record and is easily accessible. Appropriate retention formats for specific social media tools will be detailed in standards established by the Communications Specialist for each type of social media site, including but not limited to: Twitter, Facebook and Video Posting. 6. Wherever possible, the following information must be displayed to users, or made available by hyperlink, on each City social media site: Terms of Use of [Name of Site]: This [type of social media] is intended to [description of purpose]. Any comment or materials posted by a user of this site may be attributed only to that user and does not necessarily reflect the opinions or ideals of the City of Star, its employees, or elected or appointed officials. The City of Star does not warrant the accuracy of any statement or claim made here, is not responsible for any user-generated content, and does not endorse any opinion expressed here. Users who wish to appear before the City Council or desire a response to a comment or complaint must go to the City’s website and fill out an official complaint form. All users must comply in all respects with [name of social media site]’s terms of use and the City of Star’s Social Media Policy, found at [link]. 7. The City reserves the right to restrict or remove any content that is deemed in violation of this Social Media Policy or any applicable law. 8. The City will approach the use of social media tools as consistently as possible, enterprise wide. 9. All City social media sites shall adhere to applicable federal, state and local laws, regulations and City policies and site specific terms of use and privacy policy. II. TERMS OF PUBLIC’S USE OF SOCIAL MEDIA SITES. A. General. The City seeks to serve all its constituents by hosting an open but civil dialogue. Reasonable arguments for opposing views are encouraged. ---PAGE BREAK--- 3 B. Compliance with Applicable Social Media Terms and Conditions. All comments posted to a City social media site shall be bound by the terms and conditions of use of such social media site. Where appropriate, the City may report any violation of such terms and conditions to the respective social media site. C. Acceptance. A user’s submission, posting, or other publication of a comment constitutes acceptance of the City’s Social Media Policy. D. Prohibited Content. Users and visitors to social media sites shall be notified that the intended purpose of the site is to serve as a means of communication between City departments and members of the public. The City’s social media site articles, posts and comments containing any of the following forms of content shall not be allowed and shall be removed as soon as possible by the Site Administrator upon approval by the Mayor or appropriate department head: 1. Be unrelated or irrelevant to the topic of the specific post. The Social Media Sites are not meant for comments which do not directly relate to the purpose or topical scope of the page and the post upon which is being commented, including random or unintelligible comments; 2. Contain profane, obscene, or violent language or content; 3. Contain threats to any person or organization; 4. Contain defamatory, harassing or personal attack language or content; 5 Communicate private personal information (whether the user's or someone else's), including home address, phone home or cell phone number, personal email address, or other personal identification information; 6. Contain language or content which promotes, fosters, or perpetuates harassment or discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, citizenship status, disability, genetic information, veteran status, sexual orientation or gender identity/expression; 7. Solicit for, promote, or advertise a business or product, or propose a commercial transaction; 8. Support or oppose political campaigns or candidates for elective office; 9. Contain sexual content or links to sexual content; 10. Contain duplicate comments by the same User; 11. Encourage, solicit, or incite illegal activity, including speech integral thereof; ---PAGE BREAK--- 4 12. Include conduct in violation of any federal, state, or local laws; 13. Contain information that may tend to compromise the safety or security of the public or public systems; 14. Contain content which violates a legal ownership interest (e.g. patent, trademark, copyright, trade secret) of the City or any other party; 15. Contains confidential or proprietary information; 16. Contains information which may interfere, inhibit, or compromise current investigations, law enforcement tactics, or the safety of public safety department staff and officers; 17. Contain any content or language which constitutes an element of any crime; or 18. Contains spam or comments posted by "bots" or other automatic software programs. These guidelines must be displayed to users or made available by hyperlink. Any content removed based on these guidelines must be retained, including the time, date and identity of the poster when available. E. Definition of User. As used in this policy, a “user” is any person who accesses, views, follows, likes, links to in any manner, and/or posts comments on a City social media site. F. Definition of Site Administrator. As used in this policy, “Site Administrator” means the City employee, director, board member, commission member or other designee responsible for establishing, monitoring and maintaining a City social media site. III. PROCEDURES. A. Social Media Site Standards. The Communications Specialist shall establish standards of use for each type of social media site proposed for use by City departments, commissions, or boards, including but not limited to: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Flicker, Pinterest, YouTube, etc. B. Establishment of City Social Media Sites. No City department, commission, board, committee, employee or any other person shall establish a City social media site without prior approval by the Communications Specialist. Persons seeking to establish a City social media site shall submit to the Communications Specialist a written proposal, which shall include the following information: ---PAGE BREAK--- 5 1. The mission, vision and objectives of the proposed site; 2. The City employee(s) designated to establish, monitor and maintain the site; 3. Design, content and features of the proposed site; 4. Whether users may post comments or messages on or through the site, and if so the schedule and plan for reviewing and following up on such comments; and 5. The proposed approach for removal of any comments pursuant to this policy. C. Maintenance of Social Media Sites. All City social media sites shall make clear that they are maintained by the City and that they follow the City’s Social Media Policy. 1. The Site Administrator or designee shall make a good faith effort to respond within three working days, or as otherwise defined in the proposal described in Section III(A) herein, to all comments or posts in which a user asks a question or requests feedback. When the Site Administrator responds to a comment, in his/her capacity as a City employee, the employee’s name and title should be made available, and the employee shall not share personal information about himself or herself, or other City employees. 2. All City social media sites shall be administered or overseen by a Site Administrator designated by the director of the department, board or commission creating the new social media site. Upon creation of the site, the Site Administrator shall provide to the Communications Specialist, the Mayor and the City Clerk’s Office all login information and passwords necessary to administer the social media site, and shall provide any updated login or password information to the Communications Specialist, the Mayor and the City Clerk’s Office. Upon separation from City employment, the Site Administrator shall provide to the Communications Specialist all login information and passwords necessary to administer the social media site and shall relinquish and transfer all administrator rights to the Communications Specialist and the Communications Specialist shall immediately change the password necessary to administer the social media site. 3. As is the case for the City’s website, the department’s director or designee will be responsible for the content and upkeep (including maintenance and monitoring) of any social media site that department may create. 4. The Communications Specialist, the Mayor and the City Clerk’s Office will monitor content on all City social media sites to ensure adherence to the City’s Social Media Policy, consistency with the interest and goals of the City of Star, and enterprise-wide consistency in messaging and information across platforms and Site Administrators. 5. City employees or officials using or administering City social media sites shall conduct themselves at all times as a representative of the City and in accordance with all City policies. A failure to do so may result in disciplinary action. 6. The City must be able to immediately edit or remove content from social media sites. ---PAGE BREAK--- 6 7. For each social media tool approved for use by the City the following documentation will be developed and adopted: Operational and use guidelines; Standards and processes for managing accounts on social media sites; City and departmental branding standards; Enterprise-wide design standards; and Standards for the administration of social media sites. IV. CITY EMPLOYEES’ AND OFFICIALS’ USE OF NON-CITY SOCIAL MEDIA SITES. A. Prohibited Conduct. City employees or officials using personal or non-City social media sites should be aware that all social media sites are or may be accessible by the public, including by other City employees and officials. City employees or officials shall not use personal or non-City social media sites in any way that may adversely affect his or her employment, workplace and/or that of other City employees, including but not limited to: bullying, gossiping, sexual harassment, abuse of City or other public resources, violation of City policies, or illegal activity. Such use of a personal or non-City social media site may result in disciplinary action as provided in the City of Star Personnel Policy. B. Personal Use. Where a City employee or official wishes to use or comment on a non-City social media site in his/her personal capacity regarding work or subjects associated with the City, or where such employee is or would reasonably be believed to be speaking in his/her professional capacity as a representative of the City, the provisions of this and other City policies shall apply and where necessary, the following disclaimer should be used: “The postings on this site are my own and do not necessarily represent the City’s positions or opinions.”