- Feature Links
- Website Policy
Website Policy
1.0 Introduction
The City web presence is a strategic asset designed to promote the City of Warrensburg by providing information and online City services to our citizens, visitors and businesses.The City website includes and is not limited to, domain name(s), computer systems, operating systems, software and internal storage, and are the property of the City of Warrensburg managed at the direction of the Information Technology Department (IT) with suggestions from the Website Content Committee (WCC) and Information Technology Advisory Committee (ITAC).
The physical location of the City website to include Internet/Intranet/Extranet-related systems, computer systems, operating systems, software and storage equipment are city property unless the City website is being hosted through a third party. Their responsibility is the reliability of their services in publishing the City’s public and private domains.
2.0 Purpose
The purpose of this policy is to establish standards, policies and operational processes that are applicable to all City of Warrensburg departments in the administration and management of the City’s websites and establishing the WCC.3.0 Scope
This policy applies to employees, contractors, consultants, temporaries, and other workers for the City, including all personnel affiliated with third parties. This policy applies to all equipment that is owned or leased by the City of Warrensburg to include all transmission methods used in accessing the City website.4.0 Policy
The City maintains and outlines the public website following the terms and conditions of use applicable to all information and services published by all City departments online. The Public web policy reviewed and adopted by the WCC addresses the following items:4.1 General Disclaimer
General disclaimer limits the general liability of the City.Information presented on this Web site is collected, maintained, and provided for the convenience of the reader. While every effort is made to keep such information accurate and up-to-date, the City of Warrensburg does not certify the authenticity of information that originates from third parties.
Under no circumstances shall the City of Warrensburg be liable for any actions taken or omissions made from reliance on any information contained herein from whatever source nor shall the City be liable for any other consequences from any such reliance.
4.2 External Linking
The City permits the establishment of external hyperlinks on its official website only if the links strictly comply with this policy and add value to the site without duplicating other information on the website. In establishing and maintaining its official website, the City does not intend to create any forum or other means for public discourse. Rather, the sole and limited purpose of the permitted external links is to provide information about the City and its government for residents, businesses and visitors. The City does not endorse or provide preferential treatment to any third party websites or associated organizations or persons. Additionally, the City does not control third party sites and therefore does not warrant that third party sites are accurate or, reliable, or that they have operational links.Consistent with the foregoing purpose, it is City policy to allow external links to the following:
- Other governmental agencies;
- Entities with which the City has an existing formal, contractual relationship;
- Entities or events that receive funding from the City or are otherwise sponsored by the City;
- Entities that contribute to City initiatives and that the City wishes to acknowledge;
- City of Warrensburg Chamber of Commerce and Visitors Center;
- Main Street Inc;
- Johnson County Economic Development Corporation;
- Webpages that provide free access to traffic and weather information for the City of Warrensburg.
- Deny a link that does not meet the criteria set forth in this policy;
- Deny or discontinue an external link at any time if the website provides or promotes false, slanderous, illegal, infringing or incorrect information;
- Deny or discontinue an external link at any time if a substantial purpose of the linked website is to support or oppose a candidate or ballot measure;
- Remove any external link if the nature of the organization to which the link relates no longer complies with the City’s external link policy;
- Revise this policy without prior notice when the City considers such revision to be in its best interests.
4.3 Accessibility
It is the policy of the City of Warrensburg that information and services on City web sites are to be accessible to all possible audiences. The City of Warrensburg will strive to ensure that its web sites are developed to provide an added benefit to those users with text-based browsers, low-end processors, slow modem connections and/or no multi-media capabilities on their computer. It also allows for access to City’s web sites by new technologies, such as internet phones and personal organizers with internet connectivity.4.4 Photos & Graphics
Photos taken at public events in a public area, official City events or official photos of City employees may be published on City websites. Photos taken from other sources (Internet, newspapers, books, etc…) require written permission of the organization, before publication. If there is a need for consent prior to publication a copy of Consent Form for photography, moving image and/or audio clip is attached to this documents last page.Graphics must conform to the specifications contained in the City’s Website User Guide which are maintained under in the User’s Guide portion of the CMS Administrator’s Dashboard.
The City’s official seal is to be used only by the City, for official purposes.
4.5 Privacy
The Privacy Policy outlines the types of information we gather when you visit our website, as well as some of the steps we take to safeguard it.4.5.1 Information Collection
The City does not collect personal information about visitors to our website unless they choose to provide it. We collect limited non-personal identifying information that browser’s make available automatically whenever our website is visited. This information includes the Internet Address of personal computers or network, the date, time, and page visited on our site, type of browser and operating system, and the referring page (the last webpage visited before clicking on a link to our site). The City uses the aggregated information from all of our visitors to measure server performance, analyze user traffic patterns and improve the content of our site. The City sometimes track the keywords that are entered into our search engine to measure interest in specific topics, but we do not track which terms a particular user enters.
Some of our online services require you to register for an account. We ask you for some personal information in order to create an account (typically your name, email address and a password for your account) and we will use that information to provide the service. For certain services, such as our online payment services, we may request credit card or other payment information which may be stored temporarily in encrypted form on secure servers.
4.5.2 Visitor Provide Information
Information volunteered by visitors through filling out our optional online feedback form and contact us form is used to help us enhance our web sites, and may be shared with City of Warrensburg employees and contractors for that purpose. These forms are received as web-generated email and must be responded to promptly, using email whenever possible.
4.5.3 Cookies
As the City, we do not use “cookies” to collect online information. Our host provider may as well as the companies contracted to receive payments via online registrations and bill payments. Our contractors use cookies to improve quality of their service and not to track any personal information.
The use of cookies is a standard practice among Internet websites and most Internet web browsers may be customized to reject cookies, to only accept or reject cookies by user intervention, or to delete cookies. However, some features may not function properly without cookies.
4.5.4 Information Sharing
We do not give, share, sell, rent or transfer any personal information to a third party, unless we have consent.
4.6 Design Standards
The City’s website is a modified template using the content management system called WordPress. Specifications and procedures for maintaining and updating the City’s website are presented in the Website Administrator Guide and User Guide.4.7 Site Security
We monitor network traffic to identify unauthorized attempts to upload or change information or to otherwise cause damage to the site. Anyone using this Web site expressly consents to such monitoring.We take appropriate security measures to protect unauthorized access, alteration or destruction of data.
5.0 General Information
The City’s primary Internet site is www.warrensburg-mo.com. It has one Intranet site located at citynet/index.htm which is only available from inside the City network. All sites are managed under the direction of the IT Department.5.1 Website Content Committee (WCC)
The Website Content Committee is an internal committee staffed by one member from each City department chaired by the IT Department. The committee reviews the Website Policy and Procedures evaluating relevance to current industry and social standards. Assists city marketing efforts ensuring the information is accurate and concise, approachable and the continuity of the website is maintained.5.2 Information Technology Advisory Committee (ITAC)
The Information Technology Advisory Committee is comprised of Warrensburg citizens appointed by City Council having a mandate in advising IT department on the continued effectiveness and marketability of the City’s Website.5.3 City Departments
City departments are considered to be the following;- Administration
- Community Development
- Finance
- Fire Department
- Human Resources
- Information Technology
- Marketing/Public Information
- Municipal Court
- Parks and Recreation
- Police Department
- Public Works
- Water Treatment/Sewer Utility
5.4 Department Responsibilities
- 5.4.1 Information Technology Department
- 5.4.1.1 Secure hosting of the City’s Internet and Intranet sites.
- 5.4.1.2 Maintain equipment used for hosting the City website and website supporting programs.
- 5.4.1.3 Maintain website content management software and other website supporting programs.
- 5.4.1.4 Maintain website to ensure continuity between webpages.
- 5.4.1.5 Update/create requested webpage menus, widgets and other areas not accessible to departments.
- 5.4.1.6 Chair WCC quarterly meetings.
- 5.4.1.7 Provide training to department webpage administrators.
- 5.4.1.8 The IT department will administer webpages that are not assigned to specific departments as well as those that are static such as City Council, City Reports, History, etc…
- 5.4.2.1 Provide one individual that administers their department web page and is an active member of the WCC.
- 5.4.2.2 Though not enacted by CMS for approval of webpages by positions of publisher and editor, the departments are responsible for ensuring their content is accurate prior to publishing.
- 5.4.2.3 Consult with WCC to improve how the City does business and serves citizens.
- 5.4.2.4 Adhere to City Website Policy in maintaining/updating/removing content on individual department webpages to include submissions to the City’s main webpage.
- 5.4.2.5 Reach out to audience groups (citizens, visitors, businesses and City employees) to determine their needs through the web.
- 5.4.2.6 Exceptions to the website design and hosting location can be granted by WCC upon request by a department.
- 5.4.2.7 Ensure new content on webpages does not duplicate existing pages across website.
Along with complying with section 5.4.2 the Public Information Department is responsible for the following;
- 5.4.3.1 Approve Content for and post changes to pictures from slideshow section of City’s Main Webpage.
- 5.4.3.2 Approve Content for and post changes to news items from Warrensburg News panel.
- 5.4.3.3 Approve and update calendar events on City Google calendar located on the main webpage.
- 5.4.3.4 Update information on Warrensburg-Present and Future webpage.
- 5.4.3.5 Evaluate and make recommendations concerning the effectiveness and marketability of the City’s website.
6.0 Emergency Procedures
In cases of emergency when declared by the City, information related to the emergency will be posted to the City’s website. The procedures for posting emergency information are as follows:- 6.1 Information to be posted should be submitted by telephone, in person, or in the most expeditious way possible to the Systems Administrator or designee. The person submitting the information should obtain confirmation that the information was received.
- 6.2 Only the Systems Administrator or designees have the authority to post emergency information on the City’s website. Information will be posted only with the authorization of the Emergency Action Coordinator or designee.
- 6.3 The Systems Administrator or designee can post from anywhere in the country, as long as they have access to a computer with Internet access and as long as the City’s web hosting services is operational.