Town of Pecos City Social Media Policy

The Terms of Use

"Social Media Account" shall mean any of the Town of Pecos City's accounts or online services that allow for interaction with City residents and other stakeholders, including, but not limited to, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Snapchat, Instagram and LinkedIn, etc... These accounts are LIMITED PUBLIC FORUMS, are not available for general public discourse, but rather limits the topics that may be discussed.

The Town of Pecos City aims to promote effective communication and maintain a courteous dialogue. In that spirit, the rules for posting external comments on any Town of Pecos City social networking site or digital media will maintain a productive forum for community discussion. Our moderators, who consist of the Town of Pecos City Community Engagement Team, shall use these rules to ensure that all posted comments are constructive and are appropriate for all participants, while making sure to respect a wide range of opinions.

A. Posted Comments MUST comply with the following:

1. Comments and posts must be civil and may not contain libelous, slanderous, offensive, threatening, profane, malicious, or insulting language.
2. References to the personality of individuals or personal attacks are not permitted.
3. Abusive or fake profiles/accounts are prohibited.
4. Advertising, business, or promotional announcements are not permitted.
5. Comments and posts must be within the scope of the topic under discussion.
6. Participants are accountable for what they post. Comments must not breach any law, confidentiality or copyright.
7. Comments and posts cannot serve electoral campaign purposes. Political messages will not be published.
8. Comments and posts cannot include personally identifiable information, such as an address, phone number, social security number, or other sensitive information.
9. Comments and posts cannot represent a person other than the one posting the comment.
10. Comments and posts containing links to other websites or pages must be relevant to the topic.
11. Content that promotes, fosters, or perpetuates discrimination on the basis of race, creed, color, age, religion, gender, marital status with regard to public assistance, national origin, physical or mental disability, or sexual orientation is not permitted.
12. Comments and posts must not include sexual content or links to sexual content.
13. Solicitations of commerce are not allowed.
14. Information that may interfere with or comprise current investigations, police tactics, and the safety or security of public safety staff and/or public systems is prohibited.
15. Conduct or encouragement of illegal activity is not allowed.
16. Distribution of copyrighted photographs, music, video, graphics, or other content without the expressed permission of the copyright holder is prohibited.

B. Content Restrictions

Because communication via social media constitutes a LIMITED PUBLIC FORUM, the city reserves the right to reject or remove (if possible) any content that is deemed in violation of this policy or any applicable law.

C. Content Removal

Content that is deemed not suitable for posting by the administrators of City's social media accounts (mainly a member of the Community Engagement Team) based on the criteria defined above in Section "A", will then be removed, as technology allows, from the City's social media account(s).

D. Notice

Users and visitors to the City's social media accounts shall be notified that the intended purpose of the account is to serve as a mechanism for communication of City news, services, and events, which defines it as a LIMITED PUBLIC FORUM. By posting or commenting, users agree to the terms of use in this policy, which will be posted to the city's website and linked to, as technology allows, from each of the City's social media accounts.

E. Time of Use

The Town of Pecos City's social media accounts are not monitored actively 24/7, and as such, posts and responses should not be immediately expected if a response is deemed appropriate. Accounts are traditionally monitored during normal business hours, designated as weekdays from 8 am to 5 pm, excluding holidays. Monitoring outside of this scope of time shall be at the sole discretion of the members of the Community Engagement Team or the IT Director.

F. Emergency Notice

As the city's social media accounts are not monitored 24/7, users are advised NOT to use the City's social media accounts to report a crime or emergency situation. Crime reports and requests for Police, Fire, or emergency medical assistance must be made by dialing 911.

G. Opinions

The opinions expressed on Town of Pecos City's social media sites and those providing comments are theirs alone and do not reflect the opinions of the Town of Pecos City or any employee thereof. Comments and posts by external parties on Town of Pecos City digital media or social networking sites are not official public testimony concerning any program or project. An opinion expressed on a Town of Pecos City digital media or social networking site is posted for discussion only and is not a substitute for a formal statement in a public hearing process. A member who posts comments contrary to the terms of use policy may be prohibited from future participation. The Town of Pecos City reserves the right to update the Terms of Use as it sees fit to do so.

H. Trolls/Trolling

A Troll is internet slang for a person who intentionally tries to instigate conflict, hostility, or arguments in an online social community platform. Trolls often use inflammatory messages to provoke emotional responses out of people, disrupting otherwise civil discussions. Town of Pecos City will not tolerate those who are deemed "Trolls" or are "Trolling" on any digital platform owned by the City. Resolutions to those persons involved in Trolling are outlined in this document.

Adopted by Resolution 21-08-01R by the Town of Pecos City Council on 12 August 2021.