For Rohnert Park Officials, Facebook is Key to Public Interaction

Following , the City of Rohnert Park yesterday launched their official Facebook page, touted as a way to improve communications with citizens, increase the public's knowledge and trust of city government and to engage Rohnert Park residents in greater participation in city events and meetings.

"To address the fast-changing landscape of the Internet and the way residents and businesses communicate and obtain information ... the city's departments may consider using social media tools to reach a broader audience and increase citizen engagement," officials said in a news release.

Social media sites like Facebook and Twitter are increasingly being used to amplify public discourse around the globe — further enabling governmental transparency and disseminating and sharing information at times with near-lightening speed.

Officials said the site will include current events, meeting information, news and city-related activities. The city Wednesday teased the upcoming Friday Night Farmers Market (the first one is Friday, June 3), a Japan relief benefit concert slated for July and an arts and music festival scheduled for Aug. 28. 

The policy adopted by the city, which was spearheaded by City Manager Gabe Gonzalez, has been in the works since the end of January. Details were finalized at an April 12 City Council meeting, where councilmembers gave their input to help steer public policies regarding the use of social media.

Although the page is open to public comments and posts, the city monitors the site regularly and maintains the right to remove anything including: 

• Profane language or content.
• Content that promotes, fosters, or perpetuates discrimination on the basis of race, creed, color, age, religion, gender, marital status, status with regard to public assistance, national origin, physical or mental disability, sexual orientation or any other basis protected by state or federal law.
• Sexual content or links to sexual content.
• Solicitations of commerce and other pure commercial speech. 
• Conduct or encouragement of illegal activity.
• Comments in support of or opposition to political campaigns or ballot measures. 
• Information that may compromise the safety or security of the public or public systems or employees. 
• Content that violates a legal ownership interest of any other party.

In addition, any information shared or published on the site is subject to the California Public Records Act and the Brown Act, although it's not meant to be the sole platform for public meeting documents and information.

"Wherever possible ... sites must clearly indicate that any articles and any other content posted or submitted for posting may be or are subject to public disclosure upon request," according to the policy.

Although the city wants to use Facebook to interact with the public, the policy indicates that councilmembers should "refrain from responding to any published postings, or from sing to site to respond to, blog, engage in serial meetings, or otherwise discuss, deliberate or express opinions on any issue ..."