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Gunter council adopts TikTok ban for city devices, tables broader social‑media policy for workshop
Summary
Faced with a state deadline, the Gunter City Council voted unanimously to adopt the meeting’s item 11a — banning TikTok on government equipment — and agreed to hold a workshop to refine a longer social‑media policy covering official accounts, archiving and disclosure rules.
The Gunter City Council voted unanimously to adopt item 11a of a proposed social media policy — a provision that removes TikTok from city devices consistent with state law — and tabled the broader, 15‑page draft for further review.
Council members said the city must comply with the state requirement to remove TikTok from government equipment but questioned whether the extended draft was necessary to meet that single mandate. "The only thing we're required to do is have TikTok off," one council member said during debate.
Discussion focused on the scope of the draft policy, which staff said governs official city channels (Facebook, X, Instagram, YouTube) and designates specific social‑media administrators. Council members raised practical concerns: who has posting access (staff identified Ditra, Susan and Mardell), how to enforce tone and phrasing on official pages, and the need to archive city business discussed on social platforms to meet public‑records obligations.
Members also warned that participation by multiple council members in private social‑media groups where city business is discussed can create an Open Meetings Act (TOMA) violation. The mayor urged council members to avoid appearing together in private groups and to channel official communications through designated pages to preserve transparency and recordkeeping.
After debate, a motion to adopt item 11a was made and seconded; the council approved the TikTok prohibition by voice vote. Council directed staff to schedule a workshop to refine the longer social‑media policy and to prepare language clarifying archiving responsibilities and disclaimers for personal or campaign pages.
Next steps: staff will finalize the immediate TikTok compliance step and set a date for a workshop to revise the full social‑media policy; the council will revisit the remaining provisions at a later meeting.
