The Village of Homewood is active on a variety of social media platforms to better connect and engage with the community it serves. Consider following the village on these platforms to get the latest information on events, stories and other news happening in Homewood.

• Facebook
• Instagram
• YouTube

The village has established a social media policy that is designed to maintain the integrity of the village's online presence and in coordination with First Amendment rights. 

STATEMENT OF PURPOSE

The Village of Homewood places a high priority on communicating accurate, timely and relevant information to residents, businesses, visitors and stakeholders. As communication technology continues to evolve, the Village recognizes the importance of utilizing modern communication tools to effectively engage and inform the public.

Social media platforms provide the Village with the ability to quickly share information, increase transparency, promote Village services and events, strengthen community engagement and communicate during emergencies or critical incidents. The Village of Homewood recognizes the value of social media as an important public communication tool and is committed to maintaining a professional, respectful and informative online presence.

The purpose of this policy is to establish guidelines and expectations for the creation, management and use of official Village of Homewood social media accounts and to outline acceptable public interaction on those platforms.

DEFINITIONS 

1. “Social media” means content (text, images, audio, links, or video) created or shared by us and communicated on our online accounts. The platforms on which we have created these accounts allow sharing, commenting, and other engagement. Examples of social media accounts we may use are Facebook, X, Instagram, YouTube, and LinkedIn.
2. “Comments” include any content (text, images, audio, links, or video) posted to one of our social media accounts by a user. 
3. “User” means a member of the public who views or interacts with one or more of our social media accounts. 

GENERAL GUIDELINES 

1. These terms and conditions apply to all our social media accounts. Where possible, a link to these terms and conditions will be made available as a hyperlink or posted as text somewhere on our social media accounts.
2. Users should know that social media posts we make – as well as comments and replies to those posts, and any direct or private messages sent to us -- may be public records subject to applicable public records release.
3. Our social media accounts are not monitored 24/7 and no one should utilize our social media accounts to seek emergency services. Anyone in need of emergency help should call 9-1-1.
4. We do not guarantee we will respond to comments or messages sent on our social media accounts. 

EXPECTATIONS 

 
The Village of Homewood believes that honest, civil, and productive discussions provide the best environment for citizens to understand the work of their government and participate in constructive engagement. That’s why we ask users to consider that our social media accounts may be viewed by children and other impressionable people. Please avoid profanity, personal attacks, bullying, or use of misinformation. 

CONTENT MODERATION

Limited Public Forum - The Village of Homewood's social media accounts are created and maintained as limited public forums under the First Amendment to the United States Constitution and applicable federal law. These platforms are intended to facilitate public engagement and discussion regarding Village programs, services, events, projects, and other matters related to Village government. Members of the public are encouraged to view, comment on, and engage with Village content where commenting is available. The Village administers this policy in a viewpoint-neutral manner and will not hide or delete comments solely because they criticize or express disagreement with the Village, its officials, employees, policies, or services. Moderation decisions will be based solely on the objective standards set forth in this policy and applicable law. The Village encourages respectful, constructive, and on-topic public engagement across its social media platforms.

Prohibited Content - Relevant First Amendment caselaw permits us to hide certain comments on our social media accounts.

The Village reserves the right to hide, remove, or restrict content that contains any of the following:

• True threats of physical violence or "fighting words";

• Incitement of imminent lawless action;

• Solicitation to commit a crime;

• Fraud, extortion, or other speech integral to criminal conduct;

• Child sexual abuse material or child pornography;

• Obscene content which is defined as sexually explicit and/or pornographic content that is patently offensive, appeals to prurient interest, and lacks serious literary, artistic, political, or scientific value;

• Content that infringes upon copyrights, trademarks, or other intellectual property rights;

• Commercial solicitations, advertisements, or spam unrelated to Village business;

• Repetitive or automated posts that substantially interfere with the intended use of the forum;

The Village will not remove content solely because it expresses disagreement, criticism, or negative opinions regarding the Village, its services, or its officials. The Village does not endorse, support, or agree with vulgar comments made by members of the public on its social media platforms.

Participation on Village social media platforms is voluntary and conducted at the user's own risk. Users are personally responsible for their comments, username, and any information they provide. Comments posted by members of the public do not reflect the opinions or positions of the Village of Homewood.

Retention - When a comment containing any of the above content is posted to one of our social media accounts and we proceed to hide or delete the comment, a copy or electronic record of that content may be retained pursuant to our records retention policy, along with a brief description of the reason the specific content was hidden or deleted. 

Right of Appeal - If we hide or delete a user comment pursuant to these terms and conditions, that user has the right to appeal that decision by sending an email or letter to Christopher J. Cummings within five business days of our action.

Upon receipt of an appeal, our attorney will determine whether the comment at issue contained content protected by the First Amendment. If the appeal is successful, the comment may (if possible) be restored for public view, or the user may be permitted to repost the comment. Upon a determination that the comment was not protected by the First Amendment, the user will be notified that the appeal was denied. The return correspondence, sent within a reasonable amount of time, will provide the user with a brief legal explanation for the action taken.

Blocking or Banning a User - When we determine that a user has violated these terms and conditions on three or more occasions within a 12 month rolling period, we may block or ban the offending user from the social media account where the violations occurred. If we block or ban a user, we will reasonably attempt to notify the user and describe the violation.

If the appeal is successful and the user has not violated this policy three times within a rolling 12 month period, we will unblock or unban the user from the social media account. If the appeal is not successful, our decision will stand. 

Accounts of Government Officials - If consistent with the test set forward by the U.S. Supreme Court in Lindke v. Freed, we determine that a social media account maintained in the name of one of our government officials is a government account, such accounts will be maintained consistent with this policy. 

EMERGENCY COMMUNICATION

Village social media accounts may be utilized during emergencies, crises or significant public incidents to distribute timely public information.

However, Village social media accounts are not monitored 24 hours a day and should not be used to report emergencies, crimes in progress or urgent public safety matters. Individuals requiring emergency assistance should call 911. Non-emergency police matters should be directed to the appropriate department directly.

VILLAGE BUSINESS 

The Village reserves the right to determine, on a case-by-case basis, whether to share or promote content from partner organizations, private businesses, community groups or affiliated agencies that directly support Village initiatives, events or services.  

POLICY REVIEW

This policy may be updated periodically to reflect changes in technology, legal standards, operational needs and communication best practices.