§ 30.14 SOCIAL MEDIA POLICY AND DISCLAIMER.

   (A)   This policy and disclaimer applies to the Village of Riverlea's official social media presence, which includes the following:

      (1)   The official village website and domains: riverleaohio.org & riverleaohio.com.

      (2)   The Riverlea Ohio Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/VillageOfRiverlea.

      (3)   The Riverlea Ohio Twitter account: https://twitter.com/RiverleaOH.

   (B)   The "Friends of Riverlea" Facebook page is not run by the village and is therefore not an official village social media presence.

   (C)   The village allows for and encourages the submission of content including but not limited to comments, photos, videos, and links. Typical submissions will include but are not limited to:

      (1)   Notice of official village business, such as meetings of the Village Council and its standing committees, and meetings of the Village Planning Commission;

      (2)   Social events that are sponsored by and partially or fully funded by the village, such as the Easter egg hunt, the summer picnic, and the Halloween party;

      (3)   Other planned or unplanned events that impact village residents, such as construction notices, utility disruptions, and police reports;

      (4)   Reposting of documents that have been placed in the village kiosks;

      (5)   Other useful notices and reminders, such as invitations to get involved in village government, messages of appreciation to volunteers and departing public officials, and notice of upcoming elections.

   (D)   Village residents are reminded that photos may be taken at village events and then posted to the village's social media sites. While it is not always practicable to gain permission to post such photos beforehand, as a courtesy the village will remove or redact photos if a request is sent to the Village Web Manager.

   (E)   In accordance with the village’s Social Networking Policy, any post containing the following content is prohibited on the village's social media sites:

      (1)   Comments not topically related to the particular subject being discussed;

      (2)   Comments in support of or in opposition to political campaigns or ballot measures;

      (3)   Profane language or content;

      (4)   Content that promotes, fosters, or perpetuates discrimination on the basis of race, creed, color, age, religion, gender, marital status, national origin, immigration status, status with regard to public assistance, physical or mental disability, or sexual orientation;

      (5)   Sexual content or links to sexual content;

      (6)   Solicitation of commerce or advertisements;

      (7)   Illegal content or encouragement of illegal activities;

      (8)   Information that may tend to compromise the safety or security of the public or public systems;

      (9)   Accusations or implications that a particular individual is guilty of any criminal conduct or immoral activity. Defamatory material will not be permitted. If a person believes that there is a legitimate basis to make a complaint against the village, any of its employees or a third party, then appropriate alternative means of registering the complaint must be utilized;

      (10)   Content containing personally identifiable information such as social security numbers or village employee personal email addresses;

      (11)   Content that violates a legal ownership interest of any other party;

      (12)   Content that violates federal, state or local law.

   (F)   The Web Manager will monitor content on each of the social media sites to ensure adherence to this policy and appropriate use. The Web Manager retains the authority to remove information from the social media sites, subject to the review and approval of the Village Council.

   (G)   Public Records and Open Meetings Law.

      (1)   Subject to certain statutory exceptions, most documents and records maintained by the village, including but not limited to electronic records, are public records under Ohio law. Public records generated via social networking or social media activity of the village shall be retained pursuant to the village's record retention schedule, and in compliance with the Ohio Public Records laws in the event that the social media records are subject to these laws.

      (2)   A public official or employee shall not violate the Ohio Open Meetings Law through the use of social media sites or by engaging in social networking. Specifically, no member of a public body (including Councilmembers and members of the village's boards, commissions, or other public bodies) shall conduct, through the use of social media, a pre-arranged discussion of public business of the public body by a majority of its members.

   (H)   Any content related to village business, including but not limited to a list of subscribers, their e-mail addresses, posted comments, and information submitted for posting but rejected, may also be a public record subject to public disclosure.

   (I)   Social media can be a useful tool for sharing thoughts and bringing people together, but comments and content that are not considered by the village, in its sole discretion, to meet the standards of the Social Media Policy are subject to deletion. The village reserves the right to block or delete individuals who violate this policy.

   (J)   Please note that content that is not posted by officials or employees of the village do not reflect the opinions and positions of the village or its employees. If you have any questions please contact the Village of Riverlea Web Manager at [e-mail], [phone].

(Res. 2019-10, passed 12-16-2019)