Social Media Policy
Users of City of Garden City social media forums must be notified on the forum site that:
1. The intended purpose of the forum is to serve as a medium for communication between the City of Garden City and members of the public;
2. Submission of comments by members of the public constitutes participation in a limited public forum;
3. A comment posted by a member of the public is the opinion of the poster only;
4. Publication of the comment does not imply endorsement of, or agreement by, the City of Garden City; and
5. Comments do not necessarily reflect the opinions or policies of the City of Garden City unless expressly stated by an authorized user.
User-generated comments on the City of Garden City’s social media forums shall only be allowed when comments are consistent with the provisions of this policy. Posts and comments containing any of the following inappropriate forms of content are not allowed:
1. Comments not topically related to the particular post, thread, topic, or article being commented upon;
2. Profane, obscene, sexual, or violent language or content, or links to such;
3. Defamatory or personal attacks;
4. Threats of harm to any person or organization;
5. Content that promotes, fosters, or perpetuates harassment or discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, citizenship, physical or mental disability, genetic information, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression or any other characteristic protected by law;
6. Solicitation of commerce, including but not limited to advertising for any business or product for sale;
7. Comments in support of or opposition to political campaigns, candidates, or ballot measures of any kind;
8. Encouragement of illegal activity;
9. Conduct that violates any federal, state, or local law;
10. Information that may compromise the safety or security of the public or public systems;
11.Content that violates a legal ownership interest of any person or entity, such as trademark, patent or copyright or;
12.Confidential or proprietary information;
13. If activity listed in 4, 8, 9, or 10 occurs, employees must secure the information and notify the City of Garden City police department;
14. Support or oppose political campaigns or candidates for elective office.