Town of Arlington Public Communication Policy

Website Accessibility Statement

Privacy Policy

Welcome to the Town of Arlington (Town’s) web site. We are strong believers in protecting the privacy of visitors to our site and we want you to know how we intend to do that and how we strive to provide security for any information that you may provide. Please note that this privacy policy only applies to the Town's web site and does not apply to sites which this site links to. Please refer to those sites' privacy policies for their policy(s).

Personally Identifiable Information

At the Town of Arlington web site, we attempt to protect your privacy to the maximum extent possible. However, because some of the information that we receive through this web site is subject to the Public Records Law, Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 66, Section 10, we cannot ensure absolute privacy. Information that you provide to us through this site may be made available to members of the public under that law. This policy informs you of the information that we collect from you at this site, what we do with it, to whom it may be disseminated, and how you can access it. Based on this information, you can make an informed choice about your use of this site. You can maximize the benefits of your privacy by making informed choices about whether to share personally identifiable information with us through this site.

We use the term "personally identifiable information" to mean any information that could reasonably be used to identify you, including your name, address, e-mail address, Social Security number, birth date, bank account information, credit card information, or any combination of information that could be used to identify you.

Information Voluntarily Provided by You

This site collects voluntary information from you only through the e-mails you send and form data you submit, which could contain personally identifiable information.

Information Automatically Collected and Stored by this Site

When you visit this site, we send one or more cookies - a small file containing a string of characters - to your computer that uniquely identifies your browser. We use cookies to improve the quality of our service by storing user preferences and tracking user trends, such as how people search. Most browsers are initially set up to accept cookies, but you can reset your browser to refuse all cookies or to indicate when a cookie is being sent. However, some features and services may not function properly if your cookies are disabled.

This site also collects and stores indefinitely your Internet Protocol ("IP") address, (which does not identify you as an individual), as well as information about the date and time of your visit, whether a file you have requested exists, and how many "bytes" of information were transmitted to you over the Internet from this site. We use your IP address to assess the frequency of visits to this site and the popularity of its various pages and functions. We will not attempt to match any personally identifiable information that you provide to us with your IP address, unless there are reasonable grounds to believe that doing so would provide information that is relevant and material to a criminal investigation.

Dissemination of Your Personally Identifiable Information

We do not sell any personally identifiable information collected through this web site. However, once you voluntarily submit personally identifiable information to us through an e-mail or form, its dissemination is governed by the Public Records Law and other applicable laws and regulations. For this reason, part or all of the information you send us may be provided to a member of the public in response to a public records request.

In addition, the information that you voluntarily submit will be disclosed only to Town of Arlington employees or officials with a "need to know" for purposes of fulfilling their job responsibilities. They will only use the information to answer your questions, respond to any requests for assistance, and fulfill the Town’s legal obligations. Where appropriate, we may provide the information submitted by you to the person or company that is the subject of your inquiry, or to a government agency responsible for the matters referred to in your communication.

Your Access and Opportunity to Correct

The Public Records Law and other state laws provide you certain rights to get information about you that is in our records. To learn more about the circumstances under which you can get and correct this information, please click on the above references to these laws.

Security

Because this site does not encrypt incoming e-mail or submitted form data, you should not send information that you consider highly sensitive through this site. We use standard security measures to ensure that your personally identifiable information is not lost, misused, altered, or unintentionally destroyed. We also use software programs to monitor network traffic to identify unauthorized attempts to upload or change information, or otherwise cause damage. Except for authorized law enforcement investigations, no attempts are made to identify individual users or their usage habits.

Policy Changes

We will attempt to post changes to this policy at least 30 days before they take effect. Any information we collect under the current privacy policy will remain subject to the terms of this policy. After any changes take effect, all new information we collect, if any, will be subject to the new policy.

Definitions

Cookies are files that a web site can place on your computer. A cookie file contains unique information that a web site can use to track such things as your password, lists of web pages you have visited, and the date when you last looked at a specific web page, or to identify your session at a particular web site. A cookie file allows the web site to recognize you as you click through pages on the site and when you later revisit the site. A web site can use cookies to "remember" your preferences, and to record your browsing behavior on the web. Although you can prevent sites from placing cookies on your computer by using your browser's preference menu, disabling cookies may affect your ability to view or interact with some web sites.

An "Internet Protocol Address" or "IP Address" is a series of numbers that identifies each computer and machine connected to the Internet. An IP address enables a server on a computer network to send you the file that you have requested on the Internet. The IP address disclosed to us may identify the computer from which you are accessing the Internet, or a server owned by your Internet Service Provider. Because it is machine-specific, rather than person-specific, an IP address is not, in and of itself, personally identifiable information.

Online Policy

On Nov. 6, 2000, the Select Board approved the first policy for the Town's Web site. Minor changes suggested then have been included.

Mission statement

Arlington Online -- at www.arlingtonma.gov -- aims to:
1. Provide accurate, helpful and timely information about the Town of Arlington for the general public;

2. Use emerging Internet technology, as it matures, to improve Town services;

3. Promote the interests of the Town in concert with Arlington's goals;

4. Encourage participation in Town government; and
5. Provide ongoing education aimed at increasing understanding about how the Town operates.

POLICY

1.) General disclaimer
The inclusion of unofficial material on this site, and pages linked from this site, in no way implies an endorsement by the Town of Arlington. The materials that constitute this Web site have been prepared by the Town of Arlington for informational purposes only and are presented without any representation or warranty whatsoever regarding the accuracy or completeness of the information. Viewers of this Web site should not act upon this information without verifying its accuracy with the Town of Arlington. The information contained in this Web site is provided only as general information, which may or may not reflect the most current information about the Town of Arlington.

2.) Hyperlinks
Links to information on sites other than those operated by or on behalf of the Town of Arlington are for the convenience of the public only and are not an endorsement or recommendation of those sites. The Town of Arlington does not control or provide any content or information at these sites nor make any representation or warranty with respect to these sites or their content or operate or take responsibility for information. The Town of Arlington neither endorses nor is responsible for the accuracy or reliability of such content or information and its use thereof is solely at the user's risk. The Webmaster has placed initial links. Subsequent links are not subject to Town control. The Webmaster reserves the right to sever links to information that is outdated and is no longer useful to a site visitor.

3.) Acceptable use
With access to computers and people throughout the world also comes the availability of material that may not be considered to be of educational value in the context of a Town-government Web site. The Town of Arlington has taken available precautions, which are limited, to restrict access to controversial materials. However, on a global network it is impossible to control all materials and an industrious user may discover controversial information. Those who control the Town of Arlington Web site firmly believe that the valuable information and interaction available on the Internet far outweigh the possibility that users may procure material that is not consistent with Town goals. In general, links at Arlington Online must follow these guidelines:

1. The Town of Arlington reserves the right to remove a link to content deemed obscene or grossly inappropriate;

2. The link must be Arlington-related;

3. The source of the link should be clear to any user thereof;

4. In general, the link should be non-commercial, though this site makes exceptions for the listing of Web links to Town businesses;

5. The link must provide a legitimate and lawful service;

6. The link must be connected to a legitimate and lawful Web presence;

7. The Webmaster must approve any new link to the site. The person seeking the link must request it from the Webmaster, provide verifying information about the source of the link and cite Nos. 2 through 6 above as justification for the link. If a link is denied, the person requesting it may first appeal to the Data Processing Advisory Board. If a link is denied by the Data Processing Advisory Board, the person requesting it may appeal to the Select Board as the chief policy making body of the Town.

4.) Political links
Arlington Online posts links to political content by following the rules outlined in sections 2. and 3. above as well as adhering to these guides:

1. Political links will be established on a page that is separate from other town information. This page will include the following disclaimer: (the following links are) "for the convenience of the public only and are not an endorsement or recommendation of those sites."

2. All persons and groups, regardless of political views, have equal access to the Town's Web site.

3. In assuring equal access, a candidate may request that the Webmaster establish a link, or the Webmaster may solicit a link.

4. For the Webmaster to establish a link, the individual candidate involved must have some connection to the Town of Arlington, whether by residency or jurisdiction of the office sought.

5. For the Webmaster to establish a link, the Town Clerk must have recorded the individual candidate involved as on the ballot for an upcoming election.

6. The Webmaster will not help a political candidate create a Web site; he or she will consider only a link to a site already established.

5.) Oversight
The Arlington Select Board is the ultimate authority regarding policy governing the Town's Web site. The Webmaster aims to carry out Town Web policies day-to-day, but he/she is subject to the authority of the Town Manager. These policies may include defining the look and feel of the Web site or deciding who may post information to the site. Complaints about any aspect of Web policy should be brought first to the attention of the Webmaster and then the Town Manager. If a complainant is unsatisfied, he or she may appeal to the Select Board.

The Select Board reserves the right to make changes in Web policy at any time.