1 – Mission
Communication is a key component that is essential in achieving continuity, harmony and cooperation in the City of El Lago which enhances, preserves and protects our citizens’ quality of life. It is the mission of this Communication Policy to better inform and engage citizens, businesses and visitors by providing and responding with timely, reliable and accurate information in an effective and transparent manner.
This Comprehensive Communication Policy is an evolving document, which outlines the objectives and tactics needed to effectively achieve the stated mission and should be reviewed biannually by the City Council and modified as necessary.
2 – Goals
- Ensure timely, reliable and accurate information dissemination and response
- Increase citizen, business and visitor awareness and engagement through the use of multiple communication platforms
- Consistently create and implement policy and procedures for existing and new technologies
- Implement controls for outgoing communications
- Generate and review measurement and data tools
3 – Applicability
This policy is applicable to all City of El Lago employees, elected and appointed officers, officials, and to all members of City boards and Commissions. This policy also applies to all City of El Lago personnel who personally utilize any social media or other internet activity that may impact the City’s credibility, reputation, employee morale, services or goals of the City of El Lago.
4 – Ethical Obligation
This policy affirms the premise that employees and public officials, whether elected or appointed, have an ethical obligation to represent and serve the citizens of El Lago without bias or prejudice; holding themselves, both individually and as a collective body, to the highest standard; complying not just with the Texas and City of El Lago’s Codes of Ethics, but also to the spirit of good government and the broad unwritten ethical responsibilities that come with public office.
5 – Maintaining the Image of the City
The City of El Lago desires to communicate regularly with its citizenry and to retain a positive identity through that communication. To that end, the City of El Lago will strive to provide policy, management and educational tools for City staff, Officials, Board members and Commissions when communicating with the public through all the various information outlets; including but not limited to verbal, written, digital and social media. Additionally, all communications should be issued in a consistent nature and at no time will communications with the intent to politicize information, support or deride candidates, affect the outcome of city elections or achieve personal political gain be acceptable. Communicating effectively, transparently and consistently will produce the desired positive municipal identity.
Communicating Effectively
Effectively communicating information includes communicating in a manner where the information is readily available to the target audience; concisely, intentionally and purposefully. The information should be brief, but comprehensive; accurate and useful; readily understandable.
Communicating Transparently
Transparency promotes accountability in the information provided to the citizens, businesses and visitors of El Lago. The City of El Lago strives to ensure the public’s trust and establish a system of transparency, public participation and collaboration. Timely, reliable, honest, unbiased and accurate communication is an integral part of achieving transparency so that the integrity of the City’s message is unquestionable. It is critical that all City Officials and employees understand and adhere to the policy of transparency.
Communicating Consistently
All messages going out of the City should have a consistent look, value and attitude which should be applied to all manners of communication and across all communication platforms so that the identity of the City is clearly visible and all messages from the City are compatible. The same outgoing message from the City should go to every City communication platform in the same (or as close as possible) format. The content may be limited, as necessary for space, but should direct the audience to the City’s website for the most comprehensive information regarding the message.
Use of Disclaimers
A City Official, whether elected or appointed, is always a City Official and at no time can separate themselves from their elected or appointed position. Additionally, employees of the City, over time, become well known by the community and are directly associated with the City. When an Official or employee puts out city related information on any media platform, misunderstandings can easily occur as to whether information is the official city position or a personal observance or opinion. To avoid this type of misunderstanding and resulting confusion, it must be made abundantly clear that, unless you are talking for the City as appointed to do so by the Mayor, what you are saying is only your personal opinion. Therefore, whenever using any media application (whether City or privately owned) and discussing anything related to the City (whether stated or implied), it is mandatory that City Officials (elected or appointed) and employees of the City use a disclaimer. (e.g. “Anything I say or publish is my personal opinion and not the opinion or position of the City of El Lago, or a reflection of the City’s policies.”)
The use of a disclaimer is also mandatory for any City employee, Official or other City liaison who refers to or identifies themselves as a City employee, Official or City liaison in any media application, whether City owned or private. An example would be if the Official or employee has a Facebook account where their position with the City is listed. (e.g. “While I work for the City of El Lago, anything I publish is my personal opinion and not the opinion or position of the City of El Lago, or a reflection of the City’s policies.”)
6 – Communications Director
To ensure the City Communication Policy and Plan are clearly and consistently communicated, all media relations on (including, but not limited to paper, television, radio, digital and other significant forms of communication) behalf of the City of El Lago should be achieved through a cooperative effort with the designated Communications Director. At the starting of each mayoral term, the Mayor will appoint a Communications Director, which is a position also confirmed by the City Council. This person can be an existing staff member or resident of the City that has communications training, degree and/or experience that would qualify them for work in an organization as a reporter, writer or editor. While not the official spokesperson, this person shall be charged with the responsibility of reviewing outgoing media communication (excluding event legal notice and mundane communications), ensuring they are of a consistent look and nature with the image of the City.
7 – Paper, Television and Radio Media Relations
Given the nature of City Staff and Officials positions, you may at times receive interview requests directly from the media. Generally, the Mayor is the Key Spokesperson representing the City , all others should defer general media inquiries directly to the Mayor. The Mayor may defer the media to individual Council members or other City Officials which, in certain instances, may be the specific Subject Matter Expert.
8 – Bulletin Boards and signs
Bulletin boards and signs shall be utilized to inform the citizenry as an additional method of communication and as deemed necessary or prescribed by law; or as an alternate form of communication in the instance of an extended power outage. All bulletin boards and signs shall be reviewed regularly for condition, timeliness and relevancy.
The designated bulletin board for official public meeting notification shall be at City Hall directly across from City Hall front doors, and shall be maintained in compliance with the Texas Local Government Code and the Texas Open Meetings Act. Additionally, the City shall use bulletin boards at City Hall, the Community Center, and the Municipal Court building to disseminate information relevant to the citizenry for on-site notification and/or education.
The City may utilize temporary signage on public right-of ways including City entrances, or other City owned property, to notify the citizenry of relevant information such as civic events, meetings and emergency instructions.
9 – Education and Outreach
The City of El Lago shall offer citizens additional ways of staying informed and engaged through the use of newsletters, an annual City report, email, website, select social media, print and telephone communications.
Newsletter
The E-newsletter will be put into a standard format set by the Mayor and can be modified with the Mayor’s approval from time to time. The City Secretary or a delegate of that Office, shall be responsible for gathering the data and putting it into the designated format. Items for the newsletter may include meeting schedules, ordinance updates and service reminders.
Annual City Report
The City will release an Annual City Report. This is a comprehensive report that covers happenings and highlights of the previous fiscal year (September – October) plus the upcoming year’s calendar of events and other current hot topic information such as tax rates, budget objectives, new ordinances, etc.
Survey
An annual survey that will analyze residents’ response to the E-newsletter, city services and other relevant topics will be developed, approved by Council and made available via the City website. The survey results will be reviewed at a regularly posted City Council meeting and posted on the City’s website.
10 – City Website – www.ellago-tx.gov
The City of El Lago’s website, www.ellago-tx.gov, is the City’s main portal of information to residents and businesses and should be represented, viewed and considered as the most current and authoritative source for information in the City and to where, all with questions, are directed. Therefore, it is imperative that the content of the website is regularly and consistently maintained and edited in a manner that is informative, accurate and fresh.
All outgoing communication from the City should be first posted on the City website in a searchable and obvious area. Additionally, all federal or state mandated notices shall be posted along with City public meetings, agendas, meeting minutes, financials, Ordinances and current City contacts. City provided emergency notifications, services, events and fee based products will be posted, modified and removed as necessary. Relevant current civic information and contacts may be placed on the website as well as the listing of El Lago City businesses and those Vendors which are registered to work within the City boundaries.
Website Data Responsibility
It is the responsibility of the Communications Director, the City Secretary and each respective Official with oversight to the City Council, Emergency Management, Public Safety, Building Department, Events Liaison, Parks Board and City Municipal Court Administrator to review the content and make or submit appropriate changes regularly.
Website Analytics
Quarterly website analytic reports should be generated and presented to the City Council by the Communications Director with positive suggestions on how to better utilize the site.
11 – Social Media
The City of El Lago encourages the use of social media to advance the goals of the city and disseminate information, where appropriate, but it is not to be used as a tool for interaction with residents or businesses, except in the narrow instances of emergency communication and management. The City’s social media sites are to be well maintained and updated with timely, accurate and reliable information that appropriately represents the City. The best and most appropriate use of social media for the City of El Lago is as a channel for disseminating time-sensitive information as quickly as possible. The Mayor shall be the final authority on content published to social media applications, but should encourage and consider the input and direction of the Communications Director.
The social media sites where the City currently has a presence include:
All city-related communication through social media applications should remain professional in nature and be conducted in accordance with the city’s communications policy. Authorized users of City social media sites are expected to use good judgment, take personal and professional responsibility for any content they publish via social media, and support the City’s missions and goals. Authorized users representing the City of El Lago on City social media sites and applications, in the course of their assigned duties and responsibilities, are bound by existing city policies and standards including but not limited to:
- Applicable state, federal and local laws, regulations, ordinances, and City policies, (E.g. Title VII, nondiscrimination, harassment, etc.)
- All information and technology security guidelines, procedures and policies.
- Existing City standards of conduct, ethics, rules and policies
- The Texas Public Information Act and e-discovery laws and policies (requiring content to be managed, stored and retrieved and open to public inspection and disclosure).
- Applicable state records-retention laws and City schedules for retention.
Authorization
City staff or Officials authorized responsible for developing, maintaining, and monitoring social media applications shall be designated by the Mayor. Do not access social media sites or other online forums on behalf of the City unless authorized. Unauthorized use of an authorized employee or Official’s identification or access credentials/information is a violation of this policy and will be disciplined accordingly. All authorized users are responsible for keeping their individual access information confidential and they will be held individually accountable for all entries made under their access data.
Comment Posting Disclaimer
The following disclaimer shall be posted on the City’s website and referenced on the City’s social media platforms.
“Comment Posting Disclaimer
In order to better serve its residents, the City of El Lago uses user engagement tools and websites, including social media channels, to provide residents with information in more places and in more ways than were traditionally available. All content and comments posted to this official City of El Lago social media site are subject to the Texas Public Information Act. Please be aware that anything you post may survive deletion whether by you or others.
Requests for emergency services should be directed to 9-1-1 and not through this site. Individual complaints, concerns, or service requests will not be addressed via Social Media unless the City specifically identifies the site for that purpose.
To protect your privacy and the privacy of others, please do not include sensitive personally identifiable information, such as social security numbers. The City hosted tools and websites should not be considered secure.
Posts to this site may be removed in a viewpoint-neutral manner under the City’s procedure for Social Media sites and if allowed by law, but may be preserved as a public record. The City also reserves the right to discontinue any or all City Social Media Sites at any time.
Practical and legal considerations may sometimes constrain, prevent, or prohibit discussion by the City of certain topics, including, but not limited to litigation, pending investigations, and other topics through various media including social media.
Following or “friending” persons or organizations is not an endorsement by the City and is only intended as a means of communication.
Any references or links to a specific entity, product, service or organization posted by individuals on the City Social Media Sites should not be considered an endorsement by the City or its departments, employees, or officers.
The City is not responsible for the security of social media pages and applications that reside outside the City of El Lago’ domain. In addition, the City of El Lago does not endorse or advocate an individual’s participation in a particular social media platform. The City has no control over the policies and practices of third-party social media sites that may have certain requirements that subjects individuals to the third-party’s policies, guidelines, and rules. By participating with the City of El Lago in social networking communities, you agree that you may be responsible for any damages, losses, liabilities, judgments, costs or expenses arising out of a claim by a third party relating to any posts you have made.”
12 – Priority Notification System
The City’s automated calling system is a valuable tool for communicating brief, time-sensitive bits of information. The system should be utilized for both emergency and civic announcements, but limited in the number of civic calls generated so that the system retains its value does not become a nuisance to residents. The Mayor shall be responsible for the frequency of calls as well as the content of each call and shall designate authorized users of the system.
Promotion of Priority Notification System
A “How to Register” campaign shall be launched notifying residents that the Priority Notification System will be the initial and primary media asset in an emergency, encouraging citizens and businesses to register and providing registration instructions. This information should be distributed regularly and through all sources of City Communication.
13 – Emergency Communication
The Emergency Management Coordinator and his Assistant are responsible for ensuring prompt notification of citizens and businesses in the case of an emergency or crisis. All avenues of communication are to be made immediately available for emergency related announcements and the Emergency Management Coordinator or his Assistant facilitated in their use of the various forms of City Communication. All outgoing communications must comply with the City of El Lago’s Communication policy.
Annual Emergency Preparedness publication and Workshop
The Emergency Management Coordinator and their Assistant will annually provide a Hurricane Preparedness Workshop for the community of El Lago. The Workshop may also address other pertinent emergency topics as they relate to emergency preparation and/or mitigation including, but not limited to flooding, chemical releases or mosquito borne illnesses. Documentation such an informative brochure, will be created on the same determined topics and made available to residents at City Hall or through the City website.
14 – Special Provisions
Confidentiality
Employees’, officials’, board members’, Commissioners’ and other City liaisons’ will not post or use proprietary, confidential, sensitive or individually identifiable information or divulge city intellectual property (trademarks, copyrights, or patents) in any social media applications.
Personal vs. Professional Use
Employees’ officials’, board members’, Commissioners’ and other City liaisons’ personal media sites should remain personal in nature and should not be comingled or used for work purposes or to conduct official City business. Employees should not use their city e-mail account or password when accessing personal social media accounts. Personal and City social media accounts should not be synchronized for dual access or reference purposes.
Restrictions and Prohibitions
Users and visitors to the City of El Lago social media sites will be notified that the intended purpose of the site is to serve as a mechanism for communication from the City of El Lago to the public. There are certain topics and issues that are NOT allowed on City of El Lago social media sites. By way of example, these include, but are not limited to:
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- Comments in support of or opposition to political campaigns or ballot measures.
- Profane language or content. Abusive or disparaging comments directed at individual(s).
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- Content that promotes, fosters, or perpetuates discrimination on the basis of race, creed, color, age, religion, gender, marital status or lack thereof, socio-economic status of individual(s), national origin, physical or mental disability or sexual orientation
- Sexual expression, discrimination, harassment or content of any kind or links to sexual content or pornography whether of an adult, minor or child.
- Any expression of conduct or encouragement of illegal activity
- Information that may compromise the safety or security of the public or City’s public safety systems
- Any expression of words that would disparage right, title or interest of a legal ownership of any other individual or business.
- Comments that do not pertain to the topic under discussion; including comments containing links to other websites or pages not relevant the topic under discussion.
- Inappropriate characterizations of individuals including personal attacks upon any member of the public, City employee or City official.
- Advertising or promotional announcements of private or commercial enterprises, even if not for profit, unless the City is co-sponsoring such activity or event or it falls within the guidelines of promotions allowed on the City website. Only City business related advertising (City services) or promotional announcements (special City events) are allowed.
- Individually identifiable information (e.g. address, phone number and social security numbers) of specific individuals be they City employees, officials or members of the public.
The City of El Lago reserves the right to refuse to re-publish or remove, any content on the City’s social media accounts that are deemed in violation of this policy or any applicable federal, state or local law(s), including the terms of service or terms of use outlined by third-party social media application providers. The City of El Lago reserves the right to block users who violate these terms.
No Privacy Expectation
Employees, officials, board members, Commissioners and other City liaisons should have no expectation of privacy as to information stored on city computers, networks, databases or devices. Neither should City Officials have the expectation of privacy on personal computers or networks used for City communication. Furthermore, there should be no expectation of privacy regarding any communications between any City employee, Officials, Board members, Commissioners and other City liaisons and the public when in course and scope of performing City related duties
Records Retention
All content published and received by the city using social media are public records in accordance with the Texas Public Information Act (https://www.oag.state.tx.us/ag_publications/pdfs/publicinfo_hb.pdf)
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- City authorized social media users are prohibited from deleting, altering, or in any way destroying, obliterating or tampering with the social media posts once they have been officially entered into the social medium as the City remains responsible for public records made or received using social media.
- The City retains public records and disposes social media public records in accordance with Texas State Records Retention Schedule (https://www.tsl.state.tx.us/slrm/recordspubs/rrs4.html)
Public Information Requests
Per the Texas Public Information Act, Chapter 552 of the Texas Government Code, specifically, Sec. 552.234, the City prescribes the following method for written requests for public information:
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- United States mail to City of El Lago 411 Tallowood Drive El Lago, TX 77586
- Electronic mail to citysec@ellago-tx.gov; or
- Hand delivery to the City Secretary.
Information requests submitted through any other means than those listed above, including through posts or responses on City social media sites, shall not be considered received by the City.