HomeMy WebLinkAbout3.b. E-mail/Internet Policy T
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MEMORANDUM
DATE: October 20, 1999
TO: Mayor Busho
Councilmembers Cisewski,Klassen, Caspar,Edwards
FROM: Susan M. Walsh, Assistant to Administrator
RE: Proposed policy for E-mail and Internet Use
At the July Committee of the Whole meeting, Council reviewed a draft policy I prepared with
regards to employee use of e-mail and Internet service. At that meeting the Council directed me
to also include a policy on the use of the Internet service. Those guidelines are on page 2 of the
proposed policy.
Even though the novelty of using e-mail and Internet services for personal reasons seems to be
diminishing, employees need to be made aware that inappropriate use of e-mail and internet are
prohibited. Ultimately these two policies need to become a part of the City Personnel Policy.
Please contact me at 322-2002 if you have any questions or suggestions regarding the attached.
Cc: Thomas D. Burt, City Administrator
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PROPOSED POLICY
FOR
USE OF THE ELECTRONIC MAIL SYSTEM
And
USE OF THE CITY'S INTERNETlINTRANET
This policy provides guidelines on acceptable employee use of the City's Electronic Mail (e-
mail) and Internet service.
USE OF THE ELECTRONIC MAIL SYSTEM
The electronic mail system should be used for official City business. All e-mail messages and
attachments are considered to be property of the City and part of the official records of the City.
E-mail messages constitute government data and as such are subject to the Minnesota
Government Data Practices Act. All employees are required to comply with the Data Practices
Act in the collection,retention and dissemination of`e-mail. Since no computer system is
completely secure, the e-mail system is not intended to transmit sensitive materials, such as
personnel decisions and other similar information which may be more appropriately
communicated by written memorandum or personal conversation.
Generally, e-mail messages are temporary communication, which are non-vital and may be
discarded routinely. However, depending on the content of the e-mail message, it may be
considered a more formal record and should be retained pursuant to a department's record
retention schedules. Examples of inessages of this nature are communications which: state
policy, involve decision-making or are contract related or are otherwise an essential part of a
larger record, or other memorandum of significant public business.
Uses of E-mail that will not be tolerated include:
• Illegal activities;
• Wagering,betting or selling changes;
• Harassment;
• Coinmercial activities;
• Solicitation for personal gain;
• Promotion of political or private causes,positions or activities, and/or other unethical
activities.
E-mail messages must be able to withstand public scrutiny without embarrassment to the City
and its employees if inessages are forwarded beyond the intended recipients, accessed or
inadvertently disclosed, subpoenaed in a legal action, or otherwise made public.
Employees should use generally accepted standards of business conversation in all e-mail
messages. Employees should also use good judgment in the type of inessage created and in the
tone and content of inessages.
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