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Calimesa council adopts social media policy to clarify officials' accounts
Summary
The Calimesa City Council approved a social media policy clarifying distinctions between personal accounts and accounts used to communicate about city business, after council members raised First Amendment and Brown Act concerns.
The Calimesa City Council on April 21 approved a social media policy that defines how city-controlled and individually maintained accounts used for city business should be identified and managed.
Council members said the policy is meant to protect free-speech rights while reducing the risk of Brown Act violations and other legal issues when elected officials or staff discuss city business on social platforms.
Councilmember Edgar Garcia led prolonged discussion about how the policy treats “personal” versus “official” accounts, saying training the council attended recommended a clearer separation between personal accounts and accounts used to transact city business. City Attorney Will and the city manager said the policy focuses mainly on city-controlled accounts and includes guardrails to protect First Amendment rights; it does not change the law for private accounts. The city manager and city attorney told the council the policy will be flexible and can be revised if issues arise.
Council members pressed staff on practical details, including Facebook account types, profile descriptions and follower controls. Staff said the policy requires an elected official account that is used to discuss city business to include language that the account “represents the views of the individual and not the city,” and that followers are not restricted by the policy. Staff also said the policy is intended to keep city business communications centralized through official city channels so the public can reliably find city information.
After discussion, a motion to approve the policy passed unanimously.
The council and staff emphasized the policy will be a living document and asked colleagues to contact the city attorney or city manager with questions about particular posts or scenarios going forward.
