Social Media Policy

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SOCIAL MEDIA POLICY

Purpose:

As more and more citizens participate in Social Media platforms to receive and share information, it is imperative the City of Flagler Beach utilize these types of technologies to enhance customer service and community outreach and to encourage citizen involvement. The purpose of this policy is to establish a standard approach and a consistent method for the City to share information across Social Media platforms. 

Applicability:

City Social Media communications are to be used for media inquiries, to share public announcements and information and as links to outside sources. This policy shall apply to and serve as a guide for all City Commissioners, City employees, City departments and contracted entities that distribute information for or about the City as directed or as permissive by this policy.

Definitions:

Authorized User: a City employee, in the transaction of official business on behalf of the City of Flagler Beach,  authorized by the applicable department director to establish, create, edit or maintain any Social Media account,  and the posts it may contain.
External Entity:any person or party not employed by, or an authorized representative of, the City of Flagler Beach.

External Information: any Social Media post by an External Entity, and the information or substance it contains.

Post: any e-mail, message, picture, graphic, image, advertisement, notification, feed, stream, transmission, broadcast, podcast, video, instant message, text message, blog, microblog, status update, wall post, comment and/or any and all other form, means or attempt at communication which is uploaded, posted to or otherwise displayed on, or transmitted by, any Social Media forum.

Social Media: user-created content that comes in various formats such as Facebook,Twitter, TweetDeck, YouTube, Snapchat, Google, Yahoo Groups, Instagram, Flickr, Facetime, Tumblr, Skype, ooVoo, Myspace, LinkedIn, blogs, video sharing, podcasts, message boards or other online forums and includes picture and video sharing.

Social Media Uses:

With authorization from the City Manager, Social Media accounts may be created on behalf of the City and routinely maintained for the promotion of the City, its services, its job opportunities, its events and/or any other matters which are, from time to time, deemed to be appropriate and related to City business.

Any Social Media account created on behalf of the City may be terminated at any time, as deemed appropriate by the City Manager or a designee thereof.

Only an Authorized User may Post information on a Social Media account maintained on behalf of the City.

It shall be the responsibility of the applicable department director, and the specified Authorized Users in such department, to ensure that any information Posted on a City Social Media account is appropriate, and is related to the City, its services, job opportunities and events.

It shall be the responsibility of the applicable department director, and the specified Authorized Users in such department, to remove or censor any and all inappropriate External Information Posted on a City Social Media account by an External Entity.

City employees shall not engage in discussion on any Social Media account, or any other online format, which is maintained personally, by the City or otherwise, concerning matters of City business.

Entities contracted by the City to perform services on behalf of the City shall not Post or engage in discussions on any Social Media account, or any other online format, which is maintained personally, concerning matters of City business.

City elected officials shall not Post or engage in discussions on any Social Media account, or any other online format, which is maintained personally, by the City or otherwise, concerning matters of City business or matters that may come before the City Commission for action.

Members of any citizen committees, commissions or advisory boards shall not Post or engage in discussions on any Social Media account, or any other online format, which is maintained personally, by the City or otherwise, concerning matters of City business or matter that may come before the member’s board for action.

Livestreaming through Social Media:

Social Media sites may be used by the City to live stream certain City meetings; however, in no event shall the City be required to live stream any of its meetings. In the event a City meeting is being live streamed by way of a Social Media platform, or other means, any available live posting or live comment feature will be disabled and at no time during or after the live streaming of a meeting will the City, any of its Authorized Users or any other City representatives respond to any Social Media Posts, including those Posts about the meeting or the topics discussed during the meeting.