061-16 - Resolution - Amending Resolution No. 003-13 Social Media PolicyRESOLUTION NO. 061-16
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY OF PORT ORCHARD, WASHINGTON AMENDING
RESOLUTION NO.003-13, SOCIAL MEDIA POLICY
WHEREAS, the Port Orchard Police Department has expressed an interest in creating a
Police Department Facebook account as another way to inform the public of City business; and
WHEREAS, at the June 21, 2013, Council work study session meeting, Council directed
staff to revise the Social Media policy to allow for a Police Department page, upon attorney
review of the amended policy; now, therefore,
THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PORT ORCHARD HEREBY RESOLVES AS FOLLOWS:
THAT: the attached Exhibit A establishes the Social Media Policy.
PASSED by the City Council of the City of Port Orchard, APPROVED by the Mayor and
attested by the City Clerk in authentication of such passage this 12th day of July 2016.
R
Robert Putaansuu, Mayor
ATTEST:
Brandy'Ri'earson, CMC, City Clerk
CHAPTER 14.
SOCIAL MEDIA POLICY
14.1 PURPOSE
This policy is to provide guidelines and define individual and departmental
responsibilities for the use of social media, such as Facebook and/or Twitter.
The purpose of social media is to inform as many citizens of City business in an effective
and efficient manner. This will build a stronger community, by providing citizens a better
understanding of their government.
14.2 DEFINITIONS
Blog: A self -published diary or commentary on a particular topic that may allow visitors
to post responses, redactions, or comments.
Content: Any text, metadata, QR codes, digital recordings, videos, graphics, photos, and
links on approved sites.
Employee: Elected officials and personnel appointed to a position (regular, temporary, or
volunteer) of service with the City.
Employer: The City of Port Orchard
Page: The specific portion of a social media website where content is displayed, and
managed by an individual or individuals with administrator rights.
Post: Content that an individual shares on a social media site or the act of publishing
content on a site.
Profile: Information that a user provides about himself or herself on a social networking
site.
Public Record: Any writing containing information relating to the conduct of
government or the performance of any governmental or proprietary function prepared,
owned, used, or retained by any state or local agency regardless of physical form or
characteristics (RCW 42.56.010(2)).
Social Media Coordinator: A City of Port Orchard employee who has been designated
to oversee the City's social media program.
Social Media Representative: A City of Port Orchard employee who has been trained in
the Social Media Policy and who has been designated to establish and/or maintain a
social media account on behalf of their department. A representative must be identified
before the City department can use social media.
Social Media / Web 2.0: Internet -based technology communication tools with a focus on
immediacy, interactivity, user participation and information sharing. Examples include,
but are not limited to: forums; weblogs; wikis; social networking, communication, and
bookmarking sites; podcasts; photo or video sharing sites; and real-time web
communication sites/systems.
14.3 RESPONSIBILITIES
It is the responsibility of the Social Media Coordinator to train the Social Media
Representatives, determine the content provided on the social media sites is subject to records
retention requirements, assign and maintain a list of logins and passwords, and to oversee the
City's social media program generally in order to ensure the City's social media activities adhere
to the guidelines set forth herein.
It is the responsibility of Social Media Representatives to read and adhere to relevant
policies, to maintain archival data, maintain current accurate information via City social media
platforms, and to ensure that the City is being appropriately represented. (see City's Personnel
Policies Manual Chapter 10.1)
It is the responsibility of Department Directors or designees to enforce this policy, to
ensure that relevant City standards are met, and to ensure that the use of social media platforms
meets the City's business needs. It is also the responsibility of Department Directors or designees
to review and make decisions regarding the approval and distribution of information on social
media platforms.
It is the responsibility of the LAN Technician/ IT Manager to grant access to technology
resources to appropriate staff.
It is the responsibility of Human Resources to integrate the policy into new employee
training, orientation, and ongoing training of City work rules and policies.
14.4 POLICY AND PROCEDURE
Social media platforms must comply with applicable federal, state, and city laws, regulations and
policies. This includes adherence to established laws and policies regarding copyright, public
records, records retention, First Amendment rights, privacy and security laws, and conduct
policies established by the City of Port Orchard.
The best, most appropriate uses of social media platforms for the City of Port Orchard fall into
two general categories: as channels for disseminating time -sensitive information as quickly as
possible (i.e., emergency information); and as marketing or promotional channels which increase
the City's ability to deliver its messages to the widest possible audience.
14.4.1 Designation of Social Media Coordinator and Social Media Representatives
The Public Records Officer is hereby designated as the Social Media Coordinator for the
City. As such, he/she is responsible for coordinating the activities of Social Media
Representatives and overseeing the social media program generally pursuant to Section
3.0 above.
Each Department Director will designate at least one Social Media Representative for the
department, who is responsible for providing and updating content and information
posted on the social media site(s) pursuant to Section 3.0 above.
14.4.2 Request for Creation of Social Media Site
All requests for official City of Port Orchard social media sites are subject to review and
approval by the Mayor. To request a new social media site, a Social Media Approval
form (Appendix C) must be submitted to the Mayor.
14.4.3 Terms of Service
Typically, a Terms of Service (TOS) agreement is associated with the use of third -party
social media tools. Each social media site usually requires users to accept a TOS
agreement specific to that site.
a. In order to avoid violations, the Social Media Coordinator in conjunction with the
City Attorney, will review the most current TOS prior to implementing any new social
media site.
b. The Social Media Coordinator in conjunction with the City Attorney will review
significant amendments made to the TOS for any sites currently used by the City, to
determine whether these amendments contradict City policy.
c. If the TOS appears to contradict City policy, the Social Media Coordinator will
notify the Mayor, who will determine whether the use of such social media site is
appropriate.
14.4.4 Access, User Names, and Passwords
Requests for social media sites or account changes (including, but not limited to adding
or removing a social media sites, creating new user accounts, and changing permissions)
must be submitted using the Social Media Approval form (Appendix Q.
a. Each Social Media Representative authorized to access and update a social media
site must have a unique user account. Multiple Social Media Representatives will not
share a generic login, and Social Media Representatives may not share their login or
passwords with other staff members, volunteers, or others who update the social
media site. Upon separation of the Social Media Representative, the Social Medial
Coordinator will be responsible for changing the login and password.
b. Each social media user account will be set up in conjunction with an official City e-
mail account for the purposes of privacy, security, and records retention.
c. The Social Media Coordinator will maintain a list of all City social media sites, logins,
and passwords. As needed, she/he may create administrative user accounts to enable
the City to change account settings and to immediately add, edit, or remove content
from social media sites. (see City's Personnel Policies Manual Chapter 9.3 (C))
14.4.5 Site Maintenance, Format and Content
14.4.5.01 Official Website
The City of Port Orchard's official website (www.cityofportorchard.us) will
remain the City's primary and predominant internet presence.
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14.4.5.02 Language
Content provided by the City on social media sites should avoid the use of
abbreviations, jargon, acronyms, or slang iterations. Although social media sites
are often more casual than other communication tools, they still represent the City
and should maintain a professional image (see Personnel Policies Manual Chapter
9.3(B)).
14.4.5.03 Site Standards & Templates
For consistency and ease of use, the City's social media sites will use approved
names, official titles, and the official City logo in the header/main page whenever
possible.
14.4.5.04 Equal Access
Social Media sites requiring membership or subscription to view content should
be avoided. Security settings should be as open as possible to allow the public to
view content without requiring membership or login. When posting information
on a social media site that requires membership or subscription, the City will
provide an alternate source for the information so those who are not members
may have equal access.
14.4.5.05 Updates and Maintenance
A social media platform, like any communication resource, must be updated
regularly to ensure the information provided is current, accurate, and useful.
Social Media Representatives are responsible for maintaining social media sites
by viewing and updating them as necessary and appropriate. As a general rule of
thumb, social media site content should be updated at least once per week.
14.4.5.06 Commenting and Discussions
Commenting and/or discussion boards are prohibited, unless approved by the City
Council.
14.4.5.07 Disclaimers
Users of the City's social media sites shall be notified that the intended purpose of
the site is to serve as a mechanism for communication between City departments
and members of the public.
a. All social media sites must include a general disclaimer regarding
public records and external links. (see Appendix A)
14.4.6 Appropriate Use
All City of Port Orchard presences on social media platforms are considered an extension
of the City's Personnel Policies Manual.
Approved Social Media Representatives are permitted to access and maintain approved
City social media accounts during regular work hours and/or using City equipment.
Employees representing the City via social media platforms must conduct themselves at
all times as representatives of the City of Port Orchard. Employees who fail to conduct
themselves in an appropriate manner are subject to the disciplinary procedures outlined in
applicable City's Personnel Policies Manual Chapter 9.4).
a. When posting information on the City's or another agency's social
media site, the Social Media Representative must identify themselves
by full name, title, agency, and contact information, and shall address
issues only within the scope of their specific authorization.
b. All content posted by the Social Media Representative on the City's
social media sites should be true and not misleading and all claims
should be substantiated. In the event inaccurate information is posted
on the City's social media sites it should be removed as soon as
discovered and a public correction should be made.
c. If employees exchange information on the City's or another agency's
social media site, but are not authorized to speak on behalf of the City,
they must clarify that they are presenting information on their own
behalf and that they do not represent the position of the City.
14.4.7 Public Records Act Compliance
Any public records created through the use of social media platforms are subject
to State and Local public records laws and records retention requirements. (see
Disclaimers, Appendix A)
Each City -sponsored social media site must clearly indicate that any articles or
other content posted or submitted for posting are subject to public disclosure laws.
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An original record is created when unique information related to City businesses
is posted on social media sites, which are not provided via the City's official
website or in another format, and are, therefore, subject to the Public Records Act
and records retention requirements. Examples of original records that may be
created through use of social media sites include, but are not limited to:
a. Account information (user names, passwords, etc.);
b. Listings of social media site `friends,' `followers,' `fans,' etc.;
c. Information posted to social media sites that was not first provided via
the City's official website, press release, or other format.
All social media content with public records value must be maintained for the
minimum required retention period in an easily accessible format that preserves
the integrity of the original record to the extent possible. The Social Media
Representative should refer to the most recent versions of the Washington State
approved Records Retention Schedules for applicable records retention
requirements. In general, the majority of content provided by the City on social
media sites must be retained for at least two years (see Appendix B). Various
methods may be employed to retain public records created on social media sites.
Options include:
a. Archiving Software/Service: The City may use software or service
designed to capture content from social media sites for retention and
retrieval;
b. E-mail: Updates, comments and account change notifications are sent
to a City email account created for this purpose and retained as described
in this section;
c. Website Capture: Web capture tools may be used to capture snapshots
of City's social media sites in their native format, such as the Washington
State Digital Archives website capturing program; or
d. PDF Format: Staff may convert social media pages to PDF format, and
the PDF files saved for retention purposes. This option retains the content
and formatting (look and feel) of the original web page.
14.4.8 Privacy and Security
See the City's Personnel Policies Manual Chapter 9.3 (c) for information related to
privacy.
Employees should not include personally identifiable information about themselves or
others, such as Social Security Numbers, personal phone numbers, email addresses, or
home address via official City social media sites. As a security measure, Social Media
Representatives shall not use the same password used in their personal accounts as the
City's password.
Employees may not post any content involving or related to any of the following:
a. Items that are involved in litigation or that could be involved in future
litigation;
b. Violates copyright license agreements;
c. Promotes or advertises any political campaign or ballot measure;
d. Can be used for or to promote any illegal activity;
e. Promotes or solicits for an outside organization or group unless
authorized by the Mayor;
f. Defamatory, libelous, combative, offensive, disparaging, demeaning,
or threatening materials related to any person or group; or
g. Personal, private, sensitive or confidential information of any kind.