For City Council Meeting April 27, 2021
TO: Honorable Mayor and City Council
APPROVAL: Sean Grayson, Acting City Manager
FROM: Barbara A. McGee, City Clerk
Title
Request City Council to Adopt Resolution No. 7725 of the City Council of the City of Rialto, Establishing a Social Media Policy.
Body
BACKGROUND
Government agencies are increasingly using social media sites to broaden communication regarding government services and facilitate greater citizen engagement. Publicly available social media sites, such as Facebook, Twitter and Instagram provide advantageous options for meeting these objectives as they are widely available to anyone with internet access and can provide opportunities for citizen interaction at no cost to the citizen of the government entity.
Social media applications have become mainstream and users place high value on receiving information through subscriptions to social media outlets rather than seek information on websites. While social media sites are not intended to replace websites or other communication tools, they can serve as a valuable means to link users back to an organization’s website for more in-depth information.
ANALYSIS/DISCUSSION
For the reasons provided above, the City of Rialto recognizes the importance of and value in using social media sites to improve and broaden communication about the City’s mission, meetings, activities and current issues to members of the public.
The City’s policy includes, but is not limited to, the following provisions:
• Public comment that is appropriate and on topic is permitted and may be used by policy makers. By permitting use of the public comment feature, the City does not intend to create a general public forum, and all comments and posts must comply with this policy. The City reserves the right to determine whether comments will be allowed as a post.
• The City responds to select comments posted on this site in a limited manner. Should you require more information or wish to discuss a topic with a City representative, please contact the City Clerk’s office directly. Requests for public records must be made directly to the City Clerk through the City website www.yourrialto.com/RecordsRequests <http://www.yourrialto.com/RecordsRequests>. The City Clerk’s office can be reached by phone at (909) 820-2519.
• The City disclaims any and all responsibility and liability for any materials that the City deems inappropriate for posting, which cannot be removed in an expeditious and otherwise timely manner. The City reserves the right to remove any fans, followers, or subscribers that continuously violate this policy.
• When you post to a City social media site, you are subject to the policies, rules and regulations (i.e. terms of use) of the host site as well as the City of Rialto. Information you share with or post to this site may be used by the owners of the host site for their own purposes. For more information, consult the host website’s terms of use. Content appearing on this site may be subject to California public records laws and subject to disclosure by the City if requested. Every comment or posting made to this site is a public record, and may be disseminated, reproduced, or copied by the City or any other person without any further action by the poster or without notice by the City of such. You agree by posting to this site that you have no reasonable expectation of privacy as to such posts or comments.
• Pursuant to the requirements of the service provider, this website may contain content, including, but not limited to, advertisements and hyperlinks over which the City has no control. The City does not endorse any hyperlink or advertisement or content therein placed on this City social media site by the site’s owners, vendors, or partners.
If the proposed policy is adopted, it will be prominently posted on all City social media sites or made available through a prominently displayed hyperlink, so the general public will be aware of the City’s Social Media guidelines.
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT
The request is not a Project as defined by Section 15378 of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). A “Project” means the whole of an action, which has a potential for resulting in either a direct physical change in the environment, or a reasonably foreseeable indirect physical change in the environment. Pursuant to Section 15378 (b)(5), a project does not include organizational or administrative activities of governments that will not result in direct or indirect physical changes in the environment.
GENERAL PLAN CONSISTENCY
The request is consistent with Guiding Principle 3A of the Rialto General Plan:
Our City government will lead by example, and will operate in an open, transparent, and responsive manner that meets the needs of the citizens and is a good place to do business.
LEGAL REVIEW
The City Attorney has reviewed and supports this staff report
FINANCIAL IMPACT
Operating Budget Impact
Adoption of this Resolution will have no impact on the City’s Operating Budget.
Capital Improvement Budget Impact
Adoption of this Resolution will have no impact on the City’s Capital Improvement Budget.
RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends that the City Council adopt a Resolution of the City Council establishing a Social Media Policy.