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Council debates disabling Facebook comments as staff warns of misinformation and legal exposure
Summary
City staff and council discussed whether to turn off Facebook comments to limit misinformation, records-retention burdens, and First Amendment risks; councilmembers split and staff were directed to draft social-media policy options for future consideration.
City staff opened a sustained discussion about the risks and benefits of allowing comments on the city’s official Facebook page, telling the council that repeated misinformation, moderation resource limits, and records-retention and Open Public Meetings Act (OPMA) concerns create legal and operational exposure.
"It is an all or nothing option for you though," a staff member said, describing how disabling comments on posts is technically simple but legally consequential because an established city page functions as a limited public forum. Legal counsel explained the First Amendment and limited-public-forum issues, noting that removing comments or blocking users can create exposure if not governed by clear policy.
Councilmembers were split. Some members said disabling comments would relieve staff of an onerous moderation burden and reduce potential legal exposure. One councilmember said, "Facebook is not where staff time should be spent," arguing that the city lacks a dedicated public-information officer to monitor and correct misinformation. Others warned that turning comments off would lower engagement, reduce the reach of city posts, and remove a channel residents use to raise questions or gaps in public knowledge.
Staff recommended preparing draft policies and providing sample policies from peer cities so the council can weigh options and adopt written guidance. The group also discussed alternatives such as posting a public comment policy in the account bio, restricting comments for some posts, and reminding the public of reporting channels for emergencies ("If you have an emergency, call 911," staff said).
Next step: staff will collect sample social-media policies and prepare a draft policy and options for the council to review at a later meeting rather than deciding tonight.
