HomeMy Public PortalAboutResolution No. 431-14 06-17-2014RESOLUTION 431-14
A RESOLUTION OF THE RICHLAND HILLS CITY COUNCIL FOR THE PURPOSE
OF ADOPTING A SOCIAL MEDIA USAGE POLICY FOR PUBLIC
COMMUNICATIONS
WHEREAS, the role of technology in the workplace is constantly expanding and now
includes social media communication tools that facilitate interactive information sharing,
interoperability, and collaboration and are increasingly important tools for outreach and
communication for government entities; and
WHEREAS, to address the way residents communicate and obtain information online, the
Richland Hills Municipal Government may consider using social media tolls to reach a broader
audience and encourages the use of social media in accordance with this Policy to further the goals for
the City and the missions of its departments, where appropriate; and
WHEREAS, the use of social media tools by the City provides a way to build community and
to officially and rapidly communicate directly with stakeholders, partners, the general public and the
media as part of online communications; and
WHEREAS, the official City website and its associated functionality remains the primary and
predominant public source for in-depth information, forms, documents, or online services necessary to
conduct business with the City; and
WHEREAS, the City desires to augment traditional communication methods with the use of
social media channels as prescribed in the attached policy; and
WHEREAS, the City Council of Richland Hills recognizes that the City Manager may have
need to modify this policy from time to time without further action from the City Council.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY OF RICHLAND HILLS that the
City Council adopts the attached Policy for the use of social media on behalf of the City.
CITY OF RICHLAND HILLS
ill Agan, May
ATTEST:
\~~~~u~uutirnriii~~
\\,~~`GN~~ ND y~ ~,,,/~
l~ -,
inda Cantu, City Secretary ~~ ~ •~ ~'~'';
~~ ~' ~
_ : ~ • ~`
APPROVED AS TO FORM AND LEGALITY: _~ '•
:,
City Att
June 17, 2014
4A-3
1. POLICY
This policy establishes guidelines on using social media to conduct official city business in order
to promote communication, transparency, participation, and collaboration with the citizens of
Richland Hills, the general public, and those doing business with the city.
The city supports the use of social media to enhance communication and information exchange
in furthering the goals, mission, and overall outreach of the city.
2. PURPOSE
The purpose of this policy is to provide guidance to employees on the acceptable use of social
media resources and implement a social media strategy. to engage the general public in providing
services to residents and businesses in the city.
3. SCOPE
This policy applies to all users of any of devices utilizing city networks, and those using
technologies hosted outside and within the city network. It includes user responsibilities when
accessing social media services.
It also applies to all city employees who access social media sites in the course of their city
duties, using city networks,. or city equipment, or using their official city position or title.
4. DEFINITIOl!~IS
4.1 Content - Infoi7nation that is dated and published.
4.2 I;ziternct Service Provider-Company or other entity that runs Internet sites that make
social media sites available to users.
4.3 Personal Identifying Information -Personal Identifying Information (PII) is any
information which can be used to distinguish or trace an individual's identity such as
name, social security number, biometric records, etc., alone or when combined with
other personal or identifying information, which is linked or linkable to a
specific individual, such as date and place of birth, mother's maiden name.
4.4 Public Information Officer (PIO) or designees- employees charged with providing
information to the media and public as required by law and according to the standards of
their profession, and city or department policies.
4.5 Site Administrator -Employee designated and authorized to manage the administration
of social media site.
4.6 Social Media - A collection of web based technologies to turn communications into
interactive dialogues between individual users, groups of users, or communities.
Page 1
June 17, 2014
4A-4
5. RESPONSIBILITIES
5.1 Employees charged with Public Information Officer (PIO) duties shall:
5.1.1. Assist city employees in complying with this policy and in managing social media
sites.
5.1.2 Be responsible for moderating public comments.
5.1.3. Ensure that content posted by the City adheres to this social media policy for
appropriate use, messages and branding, and such content is consistent with the
goals of the city.
5.1.4 Ensure that format for the presentation of proposed content on the city's social
media sites meet applicable standards and policies.
5.2 The Department Director or designee shall:
5.2.1 Develop controls and mechanisms to manage department social media sites and
ensure that administrative authority and posting rights on behalf of the city are
accessible only by authorized staff. This includes ensuring that content posted by
the city does not infringe trademark, service mark or copyright rights and that
content posted by the city does not violate any city ordinances, resolutions,
administrati~-e directives, or any state or federal laws, rules, or regulations.
5.2.2 Develop mechanisms to collect and manage department records following
de~~tmental, city and state retention schedules and records management policies.
Questions about retention schedules, records management or open records request
can be referred to the city secretary, who is responsible for these areas.
5.2.3 Develop processes to ensure employees understand the goals and restrictions of
social media. Tlus includes ensuring that employees do not misuse city
govenunent identity in the posting of content to social media sites, ensuring that
employees do not use social media sites to conduct private commercial
transactions or private business activities while at work, unless prior approval is
provided by the Department Director.
5.2.4 Ensure that employees receive and understand this policy, and that employees
understand the acceptable uses of social media on city networks.
5.3 The city employees shall:
5.3.1 Use social media and social networking to conduct official city business only
while at work.
Page 2
June 17, 2014
4A-5
5.3.2 Abide by the city's policies and rules established to govern
appropriate behavior, performance and acceptable use of city provided internet
and email services when posting to social media or networking sites while
conducting official city business.
5.3.3 Violation of this policy may result in:
Limitation of access rights;
2. Restriction of computer privileges;
3. Disciplinary action up to and including tei7nination of employment with
the city of Richland Hills;
4. Civil and/or criminal charges when appropriate..
6. PROCEDURE
6.1 The city of Richland Hills' website (homepage www.richlandhills.com ~~ sub-sites),
will remain the city's primary and predominant internet presence. The best, most
appropriate city of Richland Hills uses of social media fall generally into three categories:
As channels far disseminating time-sensitive information as quickly as possible.
As marketing/promotional channels which i~t~rease the city's ability to broadcast
its messages to the widest possible audience.
As channels for encouraging input of contents from the public consistent with this
policy regarding city programs or services.
6.2 Geoeral Guidelines on Creating and Using Department Social Media Sites
6.2.1.. City of Richland Hills departments may utilize social media and social network
sites to enhance communications with various stakeholder organizations and the
public in support of city goals and objectives.
6.2.2 All content posted by the city of Richland Hills on social media sites shall abide
by all applicable state, federal and local laws, regulations and policies including
all information technology, city records management policies and other applicable
city policies.
6.2.3 Failure to obtain written approval from the requesting department director to
establish, use, or maintain a website in the name of the city or of any city
department may result in disciplinary action, up to and including termination of
employment.
Page 3
June 17, 2014
4A-6
6.3 Register Department Social Network Media Site
6.3.1 Departments shall coordinate with the city manager, or designee, as the authority
who will oversee and confirm decisions for hosting department social media sites.
Department directors will be responsible for maintaining a list of all social
networking application domain names in use, the names of all employee
administrators of these accounts, as well as the associated user identifications and
passwords currently active.
6.4.2 Department directors or their designee will register department media sites with
appropriate social media networking hosting providers and ensure that the type of
site registered for the department is a group registration and not individual
registration. Employees with access to any social media site shall have their own
identity account with their title and name.
6.4 Manage Department Social Network Media Site
6.4.1 Department directors ot`d+~signees must review contents regularly and update
them as new information is generated. Secure the accounts and passwords by
changing access passwords regularly using city accounts and passwords policy
specified in city policies. Do not use the same passwords used in
city prod=action network to logon to department media site(s). Change passwords
promptly if an employee is removed as administrator or an employee separates
from city employment or if the password to the site has been compromised.
6.4.2 Dep~u anent director or designee must ensure that content posted by the city to
city si#es represent official city.
6.4.3 Department director or designee must maintain and manage a list of social media
domains, active:ascount logins and passwords.
6.4.4 Department direc~tar or designee must ensure that the source of all content and
communication are clearly stated.
6.4.5 Department director or designee must ensure that content posted by the city does
not advocate for or against the election of any candidate for city office, any city
cause or proposition.
6.4.6 Department director or designee must ensure that content posted by the city to
department social media sites complies with applicable laws and rules respecting
ethics, conflicts of interest, and electoral campaigning and content does not
violate local, state or federal laws.
Page 4
June 17, 2014
4A-7
6.4.7 Department director or designee must ensure that entities seek and obtain prior
authorization and approval from the city, through the city manager's office before
using social media contents owned by the city for commercial gains. Written
agreements will be needed.
6.4.8 Department director or designee must ensure that content posted posted by the
city does not include or divulge identifying information ofnon-employees.
Wherever possible, department director or designee must ensure that content
posted by the city to city social media sites are also available on the city's main
website and should contain links directing users back to the city's official
websites for in-depth information, forms, documents or online services necessary
to conduct business with the city.
6.4.9 Department director or designee must ensure that users and visitors to city
department social media sites are notified that the intended purpose of the site is
to serve as a mechanism for communication between city. departments and
members of the public in furtherance of city programs and/or services.
Comments on the City of Richland Hills' social media sites must adhere to
the following:
A. Users mush comply with the Terms of Use of the social media site;
B. Individuals who post or comment are legally responsible for their
cohunents and/or posts. Comments and/or posts must not breach
any law, confidentiality orcopyright.
6-?t.10 Department director or designee must ensure that the department social media sites
are not used by the city as advocacy for or against approval of any item on a
Richland Hills city council agenda that has been posted on the city's official
website.
6.4.11 Department director or designee must ensure that the department social media sites
are not used as advocacy for or against a quasi judicial proceeding pending
before the Richland Hills city council or before any city board, or commission, or
impeaching or bolstering the credibility of any prospective witness at any such
proceeding.
6.4.13 Department director or designee must ensure that:
A. The city has the non-exclusive right to maintain, reproduce, further
distribute, delete, and destroy any and all contents posted on the
department site, and those who choose to comment are notified that
Page S
June 17, 2014
4A-8
posting matter on the department site constitutes consent for the city to
copy, distribute, and re-use the content as the city sees fit.
B. The persons posting to the site are aware that they are subject to the State
of Texas Public Information Act and their comments may be disclosed to
third parties.
C. Individuals making comments are aware of their responsibility to
adhere to the following:
o Users must comply with the Terms of Use of the social media
site;
o Individuals who post. or comment are legally responsible for
their comments and/or posts. Comments and/or posts must not
breach any law, confidentiality or copyright.
C. Unless any state ~xfederal law or city ordinance otherwise requires, any
removed content need not be preserved.
D. ~ 6.5 Record RetentiottlQpeu Records Act/State Law
6.5.1 Departmentsocial media sites and their contents are subject to State of
Tea~as laws, including but not limited to laws on record retention and
public information.
6.5.2 When responding to open records requests or to document subpoenas,
department director or designee will include in their search for responsive
document the contents of department social media sites in addition to all
other records locations.
6.5:3 The department director or designee maintaining a social media site shall
preserve records required to be maintained pursuant to relevant records
retention schedules for the required retention period on a city server in a
format.tbat preserves the integrity of the original record and is easily
accessible. The records thus maintained are the official record copy for
retention requirements. Departments shall not rely on hosting entities as
the primary mechanism for maintaining and disposing of city records.
6.5.4 Contents related to city business shall be maintained by the director or
designee in an accessible format so that it can be produced in response to
an open records request or legal discovery. Wherever possible, such sites
shall clearly indicate that any articles and any other content posted or
submitted for posting are subject to public disclosure. Users shall be
Page 6
June 17, 2014
4A-9
notified that public disclosure requests must be directed to the relevant
department records retention coordinator. Records required to be
maintained pursuant to a relevant records retention schedule shall be
maintained for the required retention period in a format that preserves the
integrity of the original record and is easily accessible using the approved
city platforms.
Page 7