07-559 Amdmt to SOP for Electronic Mail
CITY OF MERIDIAN
RESOLUTION NO.
()7- ~5r
BY THE CITY COUNCIL: BIRD, BORTON, ROUNTREE, ZAREMBA
A RESOLUTION OF THE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY
OF MERIDIAN TO AMEND THE CITY OF MERIDIAN STANDARD
OPERATING POLICY AND PROCEDURE MANUAL TO AMEND POLICY
NUMBER 6.2.3 (ELECTRONIC MAIL); AND PROVIDING AN EFFECTIVE
DATE.
BE IT RESOLVED BY THE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL OF CITY OF
MERIDIAN, IDAHO
WHEREAS, the Mayor and City Council have authority over the operations,
polices and procedures for the City of Meridian;
WHEREAS, the City has previously approved a Standard Operating Policy and
Procedures Manual in 2002 for application to all employees of the City;
WHEREAS, the City Council may amend the Standard Operating Policy and
Procedure Manual from time to time as necessary to incorporate changes as needed; and
NOW THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE MAYOR AND CITY
COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF MERIDIAN, IDAHO AS FOLLOWS:
SECTION 1. The City of Meridian Standard Operating Policy and Procedures
Manual is hereby amended to amend policy number 6.2.3 (Electronic Mail), a copy of
said policy is attached and incorporated by reference as Exhibit "A".
SECTION 2. This Resolution shall be in full force and effect immediately upon
its adoption and approval.
ADOPTED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF MERIDIAN, IDAHO,
this g-r!= day of httt :1 ' 2007.
APPROVED BY THE MAYOR OF THE CITY OF MERIDIAN, IDAHO, this
8'tJ:;.. day of Irt AJ ' 2007.
APPROVED:
--~~R
Tammy eWe d, Mayor.
RESOLUTION TO AMEND THE SOP MANUAL AMENDING POLICY
NUMBER 6.2.3 - ELECTRONIC MAIL Page 1 of 2
ATTEST:
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RESOLunON TO p.MEND THE SOP MANUAL AMmIDlNG ]'OLlCi
}lUMBER 6.2.3 _ ELECTRONIC MAIL
-page 2 of 2
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Exhibit' A'
CITY OF MERIDIAN
STANDARD OPERATING POLICY AND PROCEDURE
NUMBER 6.2.3
SUBJECT: ELECTRONIC MAIL
PURPOSE: To provide guidelines regarding the authorized use of electronic mail (e-
mail) on City computer systems.
POLICY: Employees are provided access to electronic mail (E-mail) for the sole
purpose of facilitating City operations and functions. Employees are to use
E-mail strictly for business purposes as outlined within the policy.
AUTHORITY & RESPONSIBILITY:
Supervisors and Department Directors shall be responsible to ensure that
primary employee use of e-mail is for business purposes. The Infonnation
Technology Department may also have authorization as directed by the
Mayor, the employee's Department Director, the City Attorney, or the
Human Resources Director to open and review e-mail to ensure
compliance with this policy. Employee e-mail may be accessed in the
performance of the duties of the member of the IT Division in setting up
accounts, troubleshooting problems, maintenance of the system and
similar job related duties.
PROCEDURES AND RELATED INFORMATION
I. Electronic mail is any electronic communication between two or more individuals
and may contain any form or combination of text, audio, video, drawings, or
photographic representation.
II. E-MAIL IS A PRIVILEGE, NOT A RIGHT. Electronic mail is a tool primarily
for work-related communications. Although we recognize from time to time that
it is used for personal correspondence, this purpose should be limited. Any
personal e-mail is subject to the same rules and conditions in this policy as work
related e-mail including the ability to be viewed by others to assure compliance
with this policy. There is not privacy right of any kind for e-mail. Users have the
responsibility to use this electronic mail in an efficient, effective, ethical and
lawful manner. Electronic mail communications shall comply with all applicable
federal, state and local laws and regulations, as well as the City's policies and
procedures adopted regarding electronic mail. Electronic mail should be courteous
and respectful to the recipient(s).
III. All electronic mail accounts maintained on City systems are the sole property of
the City. The City shall have the right to monitor any employee's electronic mail
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Exhibit' A'
account. All employees are required to report unauthorized or inappropriate use of
any electronic mail account. Similarly, any unauthorized or inappropriate use(s)
discovered during monitoring activities shall be reported to the appropriate
supervisor for detennination of appropriate action.
IV. Users shall not expect their electronic mail communications, documents, or other
information to be private and shall not use the electronic mail system for matters
that are not intended for public disclosure. Confidential matters, pennitted by law,
shall be so marked and shall include a warning regarding accidental transmission
to a third-party.
V. Electronic mail messages shall be considered City property, constitute official
records of the City, and are subject to existing document retention and public
records policies. Sending data via electronic mail shall be considered the same as
sending correspondence or official memo or letterhead.
VI. Employees shall not pursue, obtain, exchange, or distribute any non-authorized
information that could cause congestion or disruption to electronic mail systems
such as screen savers, audio or video clips, or in violation of any licensing
agreement.
VII. Employees using the City's web account via Microsoft Outlook may use it only to
perfonn work for the City, and in connection with the employee's job.
VIII. Personal business should not be conducted using electronic mail, or other City
resources.
IX. Designated employees have been assigned a personal password. No employee
shall give out this password to anyone other than his/her department head.
Passwords may be changed to maintain security.
X. Employees shall not access another employee's electronic mail without
authorization from both employees' manager/supervisors.
XI. PROHIBITED USE OF ELECTRONIC MAIL
Use of electronic mail system as described below is strictly prohibited. This list is
not all-inclusive, and employees are expected to use common sense in
detennining appropriate use of electronic mail.
A. Knowingly or intentionally creating, publishing transmitting, and/or
exchanging messages that are inappropriate, offensive, harassing, obscene,
or threatening;
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Exhibit 'A'
B. Creating or distributing electronic mail containing defamatory, false,
inaccurate, abusive, threatening, racially offensive or otherwise biased,
discriminatory or illegal material;
C. Viewing or distributing obscene, pornographic, profane or sexually
oriented material;
D. Violating laws, rules and regulations prohibiting sexual harassment;
E. Encouraging the use of controlled substances for criminal or illegal
purposes;
F. Engaging in any activities for personal gain;
G. Distributing copyrighted infonnation without pennission;
H. Distributing advertisements for commercial enterprises, including but not
limited to goods, services or property, unless such advertisements are part
of requested vendor information to be used in carrying out City business.
I. Violating or infringing upon the rights of others;
J. Conducting business unauthorized by the City;
K. Transmitting incendiary statements, which might incite violence or
describe or promote the use of weapons;
L. Conducting any non-City supported fundraising or public relations
activities;
M. Exchanging proprietary infonnation, trade secrets, or any other privileged,
confidential or sensitive infonnation that is not authorized;
N. Creating or exchanging solicitations, chain letters, and other unsolicited
electronic mail.
O. Registering to list servers unrelated to City business, without proper
authorization
P. Lobbying elected officials or engaging in any other political activity
prohibited by law, or using the electronic mail system for any illegal
purpose.
Q. Using @meridiancity.org, @ci.meridian.id.us or @cityofineridian.org
mailing list aliases for the purpose of promoting an election campaign.
R. Sending unsolicited external commercial E-mail commonly referred to as
spam.
S. Subscribing someone other than yourself to a mailing list.
T. Sending e-mail designed to damage the target system when executed or
opened; for example, sending malicious programs or viruses attached to an
e-mail.
U. Sending e-mail that is designed to cause confusion, consternation, fear,
uncertainty, or doubt, such as fake virus warnings.
XII. Employee/users who receive information of the type described shall not forward or
respond to the material, and shall immediately report receipt of such material to
the employee's supervisor for proper disposition.
XIII. City-wide or Department-wide E-mails
Page 3 of 4
Exhibit 'A'
City-wide e-mails are electronic communication through the City's e-mail system
that is directed to all or almost all employees of the City. Department-wide e-
mails are similar except for the direction of the e-mails to an individual
department rather then to the City as a whole.
Generally, employees are prohibited from sending City-wide or Department-wide
e-mails.This prohibition shall also apply to replying to all recipients of an
approved City-wide or Department -wide e-mail.
Employees may be authorized to send e-mails of this nature under the following
conditions:
1) The e-mail is authorized by the Director of the Department or the Mayor; and
2) The intent of the e-mail is to inform the greatest amount of employees with
infonnation that is directly related to City business or the promotion of a City
program or event.
XIV. Any violations of this policy may result in disciplinary action up to and including
termination.
Amended May, 2007
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