Comment Policy

Introduction

To better serve its residents, the City of Manhattan (“City”) encourages engagement through social media. Importantly, City social media sites are not the City’s primary method of communication and are not monitored 24/7. Please call 911 for emergency services. For service requests, visit City of Manhattan website or specific pages, including Public Records Requests and Report It!

The City may discontinue any of its social media sites at any time. By accessing these sites, including by posting or commenting, you acknowledge that you have read, understand, and agree to this Social Media Comment Policy (“Policy”).

Terms

Public comments to City social media sites are the opinion of the commenter only. While the City may share any content that users submit, the views expressed reflect those of the commenter, and do not necessarily reflect the City’s official views.

All content on the City’s social media sites, including user comments and metadata, are public. All content may be subject to disclosure under the Kansas Open Records Act (PDF) and may be disclosed to third parties. All content is archived through ArchiveSocial for open records compliance and thus may survive deletion.

Monitoring

City social media sites are limited public forums, and the City monitors comments posted to these sites. The City reserves the right, but assumes no obligation, to remove content that does not conform with the requirements of this Policy in a viewpoint-neutral manner.

Comments may be hidden, removed, or deleted if they:

  • Are obscene;
  • Defame or threaten;
  • Solicit funds or promote commercial entities;
  • Promote or encourage illegal activity;
  • Violate a copyright, trademark, or other legal ownership interest of any party;
  • Compromise the safety or security of the public or public systems; or
  • Otherwise violate federal, state, or local law or ordinance.

Right to Appeal Removal of Content 

When a staff member has hidden, removed, or deleted a user’s comment, the user may seek to have the Public Information Officer reconsider that decision by emailing the Public Information Officer a written request, stating the reason(s) why the content does not fall within this Policy’s limitations or offering other bases to establish a right to publish the content on the City social media site.

The Public Information Officer, in consultation with the City Manager and City Attorney or their designees, must render a written decision on the request within three business days (excluding official City holidays) of receipt of the request, noting the basis for the decision. The Public Information Officer’s decision shall be the City’s final decision.

Contact

Any questions should be directed by emailing the Public Information Officer.

Last updated February 16, 2024